Show the Truth and children.

In July 2006 the Ontario "Show the Truth" group set up graphic photographs of aborted babies in Fredericton N.B. Mainstream media groups promptly complained, but they (certainly) were not representative of all local opinion ...

Nine years ago, when I was eleven, I saw my first Show The Truth display outside my local hospital. The display featured large photos of perfectly formed infants, perfect except that they were bloodied and indescribably mangled. The cherubic cheeks of the little ones, and their soft, clenched eyelids, were twisted in an unforgettable expression of pain and abandonment. I was, understandably, shocked.

It marked a new epoch in my life. I had vaguely been aware of the evil of abortion since an early age, but somehow abortion did not seem real to me. The real evils were the ones that I had seen on TV. Through TV, I was intensely conversant with problems in the other half of the world--the desperate need of undernourished children in Africa, the sick and dying of Calcutta, the wailing of victims of war, all these commanded my attention. My vivid conception of these evils, thanks to the media, made me aspire to be a missionary in other countries. I had never thought of becoming a pro-life missionary in my own country. I knew abortion was objectively worse than the evils of poverty and hunger, because it was actual infanticide. However, I was more ready to help starving children in India because I had seen their misery in photographs.

Abortion, although it is the greatest evil of Canada, is never depicted on Canadian TV or in Canadian publications. Even in private circles where abortion is an important concern, it is still invisible. We are afraid to make it visible. Perhaps we think it unnecessary because, for some people, logic is enough to convince us that abortion is wrong. However, mere intellectual conviction is not always sufficient for us. We are not purely intellectual creatures. We are creatures that live and move and are at home with images. We may hear a three-hour lecture on the methods and horrors of abortion; we may thereby be intellectually convinced that abortion is wrong; but that is not enough to make us truly grasp the matter. Seeing is believing, declares the adage.

One may not doubt the power of images to make people aware of abortion, but may ask the legitimate question as to whether it is advisable to show the photographs where there is a possibility of children seeing them (this, in short, is anywhere). The concern is that children may be traumatized by the photographs.

I understand the qualms of others in this regard and, for that reason, I have been careful to observe the reactions of children at Show The Truth displays. I noticed that often younger children do not pay attention to the photographs but are engaged in doing what little children do--talk and skip around and run out of control. Older or more observant children are composed, curious, and frequently saddened, and they respond to the pictures by asking questions of their parents. This is an excellent opportunity for parents to teach their children in a loving way about this important issue. Often children and parents have thanked us for our presence; some have even taken pictures of the display, or asked to help our work in some way.

I also observed the responses of my own younger siblings when they encountered Show The Truth posters. My two-year-old brother was oblivious to the images. My sensitive five-year-old sister and seven-year-old brother were obviously struck by them. My parents gently explained the reality of abortion to them, emphasizing that abortion was evil. They explained that some mommies had their babies killed because nobody had told them that they were real babies. These pictures were showing that they are real babies so that no one would do this anymore. The little ones listened gravely and were comforted by my parents' calm response, and have since been involved and interested in the pro-life efforts of the family as a whole.

I thank God that I have witnessed Show The Truth. The memory of these pictures has often come back to strengthen me when my pro-life beliefs have wavered in face of the prevalent "pro-choice" ideology in our society. My Show The Truth encounter has also opened the door for me to an active and joyful participation in the pro-life renewal. May God bless the people of Show The Truth and the work that they do.

Amy Gordon is our youngest contributor for this issue. She is in her fourth year of Arts at the Dominican University College, Ottawa, ON.