Display affects area children


Monday, April 6, 1998	Display affects area children By MEREDITH O'DONNELL and KATIE O'HARA Collegian Staff Writers Six-year-old Sara Mueller spent Saturday in downtown State College with her mother. They ventured to Old Main lawn for an Easter egg hunt. They stopped to watch a soapbox derby. When they reached College Avenue, Sara's mother instructed her to stare into shop windows and not to look across the street. "My mom told me to look away and I got scared," Sara said. Across the street toward Old Main were images of aborted fetuses, Holocaust victims and victims of racial violence. The images are part the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform's pro-life campaign, collectively entitled the Genocide Awareness Project. Lisa Mueller said she felt her daughter was too young to view the display or deal with the subject of abortion.
A young girl stands on College Avenue Saturday, looking at the Genocide Awareness Project posters across the street. Many parents said they took their children around the block or shielded their eyes from the graphic display, which was placed downtown this weekend. (Collegian Photo/Wendy L. Zeller - click for full size image)	"It's a subject I couldn't even explain to her at this point," Mueller said. "I suppose they have the right to do this, but I resent that I have to walk down the street and ask my child not to look." Students held another counterprotest against the display on Saturday in the downtown district. Signs warning parents of the pro-life display were placed on the corner of Allen and Pugh streets in an effort to prevent young children from viewing the graphic images, said Gregg Cunningham, director of the center. "We're trying to demonstrate that we care a lot about the feelings of born children but we also care about the lives of unborn children," Cunningham said. Several parents saw the warning signs and changed their path away from the display. Jen Green, who was visiting State College from Cedar Crest Community College in Allentown, said she made a pointed attempt to keep her 3-year-old son, Max, from seeing the display. "I just don't think he should see it. I don't want to see it and I don't think he should see it, either. He can form his own opinion someday," Green said. Margaret Sutherland, of Buffalo Mills, said the display sends an important message to State College residents; she gave birth to her son at age 46 despite the pressure to abort. However, she said, the message may be too strong for young minds.
*"My mom told me to look away and I got scared."* - Six-year-old Sara Mueller	"I'm 51 now and I don't regret it. Every day I feel totally blessed to have him. I didn't expect to see this today, but I hope that I can explain to my son that terrible things do happen," Sutherland said. Marian Hummel, of Lebanon, brought her granddaughter downtown to view the display. Her granddaughter had first seen the display Friday at State College Area High School. "These pictures depict the graphic truth. When we see what man does to man and what woman does to baby maybe people will rethink the issue," said Hummel, who has lobbied against abortion in Washington, D.C. The display was also placed outside The Bryce Jordan Center Saturday night before the Steve Miller Band concert. Cunningham said the group left State College yesterday and will be traveling to Iowa, Kansas and Oregon next month.