· Posted 09/05/07 by Danielle
RAPID CITY, South Dakota, May 8 /Christian Newswire/ — At approximately 11 a.m. yesterday morning, the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology blocked a team of pro-life activists from setting foot on campus for free speech activities; one member was arrested.
The Campus Life Tours (CLT), a project of Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust, rallies a team of young people ages 18 – 30, who present the pro-life message to high school and college students across the country using graphic pictures and educational material.
Early Monday morning team member Joey Cox, 18, called the college administration to inform them of the team’s visit and request information on the school’s free speech policy.
Julie Smoragiewicz, Vice President for University and Public Relations, said previous permission must be attained two weeks in advance and threatened removal of the team.
When asked for the reasoning behind that length of time Smoragiewicz stated: “It’s been a long-standing policy… it’s just something that we’ve done in terms of making it convenient.”
“Convenient for whom?” says CLT team member Brandon Davis. “For the past month, we have been on the road for over a thousand miles stopping at dozens of colleges to peacefully share information in a public forum, giving only a couple hours notice. This ‘long-standing policy’ spits in the face of our founding fathers and is a blatant violation of our constitutional right to free speech.”
A copy of the policy revealed that these procedures apply only to solicitation on campus and make no mention of free speech activities without the sale of goods and services.
Upon the CLT team’s arrival to the school, a blockade of administrators, police officers, and a squad car lined the sidewalk to bar entrance to the campus.
“No sooner had we pulled into visitor parking on campus, when a squad of administration and police swarmed our van demanding for us to leave. I tried negotiating with them, but obviously this college has a problem with peaceful First Amendment activity,” says Kortney Blythe, Director of the Tours.
College administrators refused to discuss the situation with Blythe, and ignored warnings regarding the illegality of their actions. She attempted to reason with both the administrators and police officers, but according to Blythe, “the Constitution was thrown out the window and replaced with campus regulations that didn’t even apply.”
“The Campus Life Tour has visited dozens of schools this semester, and we have demonstrated our willingness to work with school officials time and time again,” says Blythe. “But we absolutely refuse to give up our First Amendment right to free speech – a right for which Americans have fought and died. The lives of thousands of preborn babies are on the line, and we will not be bullied into leaving a campus before we even have a chance to speak to the students about the tragedy of abortion.”
In spite of Blythe’s negotiation attempts, police ignored the law and arrested Cox, claiming he trespassed on the campus.
Because of the actions of the administration and police officers, the Survivors will pursue a civil suit against the college for First Amendment violation, false arrest and the misuse of the time, place, and manner restrictions as determined by the United States Supreme Court.
Sue the pants off em.
— Eric · May 9, 07:49 AM · #
That’s just wrong, I hope they get in a whole world of trouble
— summer klinkkammer · May 9, 08:17 AM · #
Please continue to speak the truth in love and stand up for those who have no voice. USJF supports your efforts. If there is anything we can do to help, please let us know.
— Allison · May 9, 09:27 AM · #
I am writing about the incident at the School of Mines for the Rapid City Journal. I am looking for someone from your organization to comment on my story. Please e-mail back if you are willing to comment. I want to get both sides of the story. Thanks!
— Katie Brown · May 9, 01:13 PM · #
Not only should the college be sued, but so should the police in this case. This is yet more proof that the police are pigs.
— Jeremy Rogers · May 9, 02:16 PM · #
You MUST, MUST contact the American Center for Law & Justice. They defend cases just such as yours and they will fight for your rights!
http://www.aclj.org
God bless you.
— Margot Hird · May 9, 03:04 PM · #
Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) successfully pressured Colorado State U to change their “Student Guidelines” in relation to “hate speech”. They might be interested in this case.
www.thefire.org
— Eric · May 9, 07:10 PM · #
I am an alumnus of SDSMT and am shocked by your treatment by campus officials. I will be making my concerns known to the alumni association.
— Kirk Beck · May 10, 06:46 AM · #
Your case doesn’t stand a chance in any court. The above description of events is far from the truth and it is all to clear to everyone who was there that Joey was just doing this for the publicity. I hope the next time you are in Rapid City you get the opportunity to stay in some our fine jails. Maybe then you will grow up and realize your thuggish behavior has no place in any society.
— Ben Bonsens · May 11, 07:46 PM · #
Everyone is pretty upset over this issue involving freedom of speech, and I find it very ironic since what you are fighting to do is take away a woman’s freedom to make her own decision!
— Joy · May 12, 01:14 PM · #
I find it ironic that pro-abortion people claim abortion is an issue of freedom for women, but ignore the fact that abortion takes the life of a human child. If that isn’t taking away freedom, I don’t know what is!
— Danielle · May 14, 10:47 AM · #
Abortion is as old as the first unwanted pregnancy. It was not invented in 1973 with Roe vs. Wade, but instead was performed brutally and ignorantly by those that could not afford any other option. If you are truly concerned with liberty you would know that true reform can only happen by changing peoples hearts and not laws. A perfect solution would be adoption but this is not a perfect world. And upon realization that this is not a perfect world but instead a world that is created by choice, going back to the first of our sentient legends of ourselves, the only way for anyone who is a sentient individual to understand the implications of any action is to give them the option to choose. By robbing anyone of this simple inalienable right is to rob them of the God given right to choose for ourselves right or wrong, for you must understand that this is truly a God given right. Ever since Adam and Eve partook of the apple it was realized our ability to choose. Every day, every choice that we make will only exalt us or condemn us, and as a society we should be comitted to helping each other to make the best of choices. But the ability to choose is still singular, and it always will be because judgement for our decisions will only be on an individual basis. To rob someone of this choice is at best naive and at its worst tyrannical.
— Ben Bonsens · May 14, 11:45 AM · #
Very well said Ben; what is life without the freedom of choice?
— Joy · May 14, 02:05 PM · #
Choice is a God given right. So allow these heart-led, young individuals to stand up for the right of the unborn child in hopes of changing the hearts of our nation towards life. It is only then that the laws can and will be changed. Truth stands alone. Let them freely share it.
— Carrie · May 14, 06:42 PM · #
Your fight can never and should never be one of changing laws. Instead it should be one of changing and educating hearts. To say that you wish to change public policy to enforce individual morals is authoritarian and autocratic.
These young individuals were allowed a traditional public forum, a sidewalk that has higher traffic than where they originally wanted to display. Instead Joey insisted upon a non-public forum and trespassed onto campus property. They were given the option to display. They had the freedom to display, but not there.
Further, you speak of the right of the unborn child. It was once said, “My rights end where your nose begins.” In this case there can be no distinction between the fetus and the mother. And since papal decree every child that dies is automatically allowed a place in Heaven. Therefore the only real loser here is the mother, the last of these two that anti-choice advocates would protect. But to cheat the mother of her right to decide for her own actions is a step towards a totalitarian society where individual freedoms are thrown away. In such a religiously authoritarian culture the opportunity to express one’s opinion would truly be for nought. And that is truly what our Founding Father feared the most.
— Ben Bonsens · May 15, 08:43 AM · #
Do you agree that the pictures that they are sharing and the information that they are sharing is the truth? That these babies are indeed alive and that the procedures involved in abortions end their life in a violent way?
— Carrie · May 22, 07:09 PM · #
Carrie, of course those pictures are real. Of course an abortion ends the life of the fetus in a violent and horrible way. Do you agree that the mother is an individual who can decide her actions for herself? Every individual on God’s green Earth has the ability to decide their actions for themselves, albeit any decision can hurt others around them. To take away that freedom by enforcing morals onto the populace invokes Orwellian feelings of an authoritarian state. Like I have stated before, a perfect solution would be adoption but this is not a perfect world.
— Ben Bonsens · May 23, 08:46 AM · #
THIS JUST IN! BEN BONSENS IS A MORON!
God legislated morality in Gen 9 demanding (not giving the option) that those who commit the crime of murder are to be executed by men.
God even told us why – because in the image of God He made man.
This was after a period of almost complete lawlessness where no government existed to protect the innocent and punish crime.
God showed us what the world would be like if there was no government in place to bring about justice.
Genesis 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every intent of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually.
This is what the world would be like if you got your way Ben. God let the world go without a government in place to show you and those that think like you that your belief that “true reform can only happen by changing peoples hearts and not laws.”
That is one of the most naive and demonstrably false beliefs ever!
To reduce crime we must bring about a sure and swift punishment in response to crime.
For example, every murderer who has been convicted in a fair and speedy trial with two or more witnesses MUST be surely, swiftly, painfully and publicly executed.
To do anything other than that is to fall short of bringing about justice. Justice is better than injustice and the results are better too.
Ben Bonsens asks
“Do you agree that the mother is an individual who can decide her actions for herself?”
My response: NO!
Quinn, the Bible also says that I shouldn’t eat a steak cooked rare (Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 3:17, 17:13). Quoting individual verses of the Bible does not make you a scholar, you have to be willing to look at the entire story and not take things out of context.
I am sorry that you have never had a woman in your life that you care about, otherwise you would not be so cavalier with their independence. In fact, you might care to be more mindful of the plank in your eye than the splinter in your neighbor’s.
— Ben Bonsens · May 23, 01:59 PM · #
Further, Quinn, did you know the Bible allows me to beat my slave as long as they can get up after a day or two since they are my property? (Exodus 21:20-21) Or that football is a sin? Yes tossing around the old pigskin is considered unclean. (Deuteronomy 14:8)
I must assume that in your world there would be forced baptisms for everyone, thus taking away any chance of any heathen spoilling your nirvana. Quinn, you must understand that every decision of every day is an individual’s. You would never be able to steal this from them, just as one cannot force morality on an individual. Love will conquer all. Truth can only be judged.
— Ben Bonsens · May 23, 02:53 PM · #
Ben, sex was intended as a form of procreation by God. Yes there are added benefits but not to be used selfishly and only between a married man and woman. Then it is truly a beautiful gift that bears a beautiful gift…(a child). Self-control is something everyone needs to exercise. Especially over ones own body – whether it’s to control violence, verbal abuse, over eating or sex for pleasure. Each of these actions bear consequences. Many of them jail time when violence is inflicted upon another human being. Our society doesn’t stand for rape, pedifilement, theft, or murder. Each a “choice” made by an individual. However, sex for pleasure without regard to consequences adds a third party to the picture and 1/3 of those “consequences” (AKA – children) are murdered for the convenience of the mother. How is this less of a crime. If anything it’s worse because it’s done with such nonchallance. This is not just and needs to come to an end. And regardless of your opinions about an authoritarian society that evokes Orwellian feelings, this all to common practice of murdering the innocent,who can’t speak for themselves,cannot and should not continue. However, you continue to get off the whole point of this blog. The survivors had the right to stand peacefully at this school to get the truth (which you agree as the truth) out to the majority of the unknowing public. Please let them without bashing them and there earnest efforts in standing up for the truth. PS – You are in my prayers.
— Carrie · May 24, 07:23 PM · #
“Convenience of the mother”? A woman being raped and carrying the child of her attacker is convenient? Ouch. I know rape victims that became pregnant from this act, and they had an abortion. It was their choice to have the abortion, it was not their choice to be attacked. They chose this because they were unable to care for someone that physically represents one of the horrible things that ever happened to them.
I do digress, in fact we all have digressed from the original intent of this blog. Attacks as to my intelligence or judgement aside, a school is not a public forum. A school is legally defined as a nonpublic forum. If there is a petitioning process in place then the process should be adhered to. In fact, during the prior fall semester the school allowed a similar pro-life group to speak on campus since they followed the petitioning process. Your group has every right to educate the public as to your opinion on this subject. I encourage this since freedom of speech is vital for a democracy to flourish. But Joey’s actions spoke more of a flagrant and arrogant disregard for law and order. The way that he continued after being asked to dissest further shows a domineering attitude that any peacable organization would not want to be associated with.
Carrie, I thank you for your prayers. I pray for you as well, to be more tolerant of others and their actions. It is far better to teach an opinion with love than to force the opinion with the heel of the jackboot.
— Ben Bonsens · May 29, 08:23 AM · #
http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/2007trip.html
This looked interesting.
— Sally Rosenberg · Jun 5, 07:52 AM · #
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Survivors is a Christian, pro-life activism organization dedicated to educating and activating high school and college age individuals. If you were born after 1973, you are a Survivor. Over 45,000,000 of our generation have been killed since the decriminalization of abortion by Roe v. Wade… and thousands of innocent babies are scheduled to die tomorrow in America. The Survivors believe this generation is called to stand up, speak up, and be a powerful voice for the voiceless.
Resist apathy – join the Survivors.