Face the Truth Tour outside the Wrigley Building in Chicago [Photo by Matt Yonke]
Yesterday the League took to two sites along Michigan Avenue in Chicago for the final “Face the Truth” day of 2011.
Equipped with graphic images of the victims of abortion, League staff and 15 volunteers lined Michigan Avenue outside the historic Wrigley Building.
Being in the neighborhood where most Chicago media outlets have their offices made it easier than usual to get press coverage. Several media outlets interviewed League Executive Director Eric Scheidler and WGN radio did some “man on the street” interviews with passersby to gauge their feelings on the subject.
Marilyn Monroe Statue Makes Interesting Counterpoint to Tour
In a strange convergence, the signs were set up right next to one of Chicago’s newest and strangest attractions, a 26 foot high statue of Marilyn Monroe, pictured in the iconic pose she struck in The Seven Year Itch with her skirts blown up.
Family poses their son for a photo looking up Monroe’s skirt [Photo by Matt Yonke
Fortunately the statue is only installed for a limited time, because the prurient nature of the thing became readily apparent as tourists stopped to take pictures by the statue. It seemed that everyone took their picture standing under the statue looking up Monroe’s skirt. We even saw a family posing their child in that very position!
So many people tell us that Face the Truth images shouldn’t be allowed in public because of the effect they’ll have on children, yet nobody seemed concerned about children looking up the skirts of a giant statue of a sex symbol. Such are the times we live in.
Art Institute Faces the Truth
Next the tour moved a few blocks north on Michigan Avenue in front of the Art Institute of Chicago. This is always a great location as there is always a good deal of foot traffic.
Volunteers distributed literature explaining the Tour to passersby and pointed them to more information available on the League’s website. Hundreds of pieces were handed out.
Images of Life in the Womb Humanize the Child in the Womb
A telling incident took place as the signs were being set up. A young girl, I’d say 8 years old, was walking by with her father and saw some of the eight week old living fetus pictures we had and cried out in joy, “Daddy, look, eighth week of life!” She was clearly interested in learning more about the child in the womb, but her father looked at the pictures and grabbed her arm, forcing her to walk away faster without so much as a word in reply.
It put me in mind of this story of a man who was distributing fetal models, small plastic dolls depicting life in the womb in actual size, at a trick or treat event in Loganville, Georgia.
He gave out candy and models to those who’s parents would let them and didn’t say a word about abortion. It was clearly an education campaign about life in the womb, but a small minority of residents were still offended.
What in the world is offensive about life in the womb? Absolutely nothing, unless you want to protect the opportunity to destroy it. Then it’s absolutely vital that the child in the womb remain a mystery and never be given a human face.
But that’s exactly what fetal models and graphic images of abortion do. They make it harder to rationalize killing babies.
Thanks to all who joined the League on Face the Truth events this year. We look forward to getting back out there again in Spring 2012. I hope you’ll join us. If you’d like to get Face the Truth signs of your own, or if you’d like see about the League bringing Face the Truth to your area, get in touch with us through our contact form.
