Sometimes the Truth is Horrible

**WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES BELOW**

Today I read a story about a young woman who is set to graduate from a pro-life college who took it upon herself to display photos showing the truthful horror of abortion on campus. Her college thought this a bad idea and is now making life pretty awful for her. See article here: http://www.lifenews.com/2013/06/06/christian-university-feuds-with-pro-life-student-over-graphic-abortion-display/

Here is the letter I sent to a number of officials at the college.:
__________________________________________________________________________

Sometimes the truth of our inhumanity can only be described in photographs. It is the only way to capture the stark reality of how horribly we can regard life. People can argue with a journalist’s column or a study. But you cannot argue with a photograph. Graphic images have graced the covers of magazines and made the front pages of newspapers to make people aware of these horrors and reveal the truth about the evil actions we are capable of committing. Those who sometimes risk their lives to take these photos don’t do it in the hopes that they will be displayed indoors for those who choose to see them. They take them so that we all may have the chance to absorb their message, to shock our hardened souls and to hopefully bring about a change of heart so that we can start to regard each other with the dignity that each individual on this planet deserves.

The pictures that Diana Jimenez showed were disturbing. They should be. Abortion is the ultimate inhuman act. But these photos spoke the truth.

Would you have stopped her if she had shown the following pictures on campus? The ones that have been shared the world over in magazines, papers and on the internet? Are these pictures more acceptable because they are now considered history? The number of babies being killed world-wide is historical too because it is wiping out generation after generation of people who have NO VOICE and no ability to fight back. People need to realize this. People need to SEE this. Just as they need to see the truth of war, the truth of the Holocaust and the truth of racism.

I beg you to consider this going forward and especially in your treatment of Ms. Jimenez.

Sincerely,
Brandi Nagel

PICTURES OF WAR:






PICTURES OF THE HOLOCAUST:




PICTURES OF LYNCHINGS AND RACISM:

Vs.

Republican vs. Democrat. Left vs. Right. Liberal vs. Conservative. North vs. South. Verses, verses, verses, verses. There doesn't seem to be much that we are UNITED in these states about anymore.

I have a request. To all journalists, bloggers, cartoonists, meme makers, heck anyone who has the ability to access the internet and make a statement; please STOP the labels. Stop the division. Stop the generalization and attacks. It isn't making this world any better and it doesn't help your cause.

I am so sick of people being labeled "conservative right Republicans" or "liberal left Democrats" like they are the Patriots vs. the Colts. It causes us to consciously or subconsciously root for our team [no matter what]. This pigeon-holing keeps our minds from processing situations and topics logically because we mustn't deviate from our "team" and their "rules".

Not all Republicans are power and money hungry beasts who only care about themselves. Not all Democrats are radical socialist hippies. Not all "right conservatives" are freedom constricting, dogmatic, wet blankets. Not all "left liberals" are rule-hating, self-centered, baby killers.

Yes, we all have different points of view - but the media wants us to draw lines in the sand and ready our pistols for a showdown at noon. We are whipping ourselves into a frenzy and refusing to listen to each other or even have a decent conversation. We believe it is ok to write the most nasty, vile and hate filled remarks in the comment boxes of news articles. We've forgotten that there are living, breathing, suffering, dying, hoping, praying, hurting, joyful and scared human beings behind those stories, behind those words, behind those pictures.

The human race may disappear physically because bullets fly and bombs explode. But that won't be what kills us. What comes first are the words. The words spoken in hate born from ignorance. The threats verbalized and written. That is what will kill us. The anger and evil that will flow from our lips and fingertips in every language on every continent is what will cause the bullets to be fired and the bombs to be dropped.

Our words are the most deadly weapon on the planet.

Stop the labels. Stop the division. Stop the hate.

We will not agree on everything, but you can do your part and think before you speak.