A month ago today a murder took place. It was a drive-by shooting right in front of the public high school of my hometown—the small, bedroom community of Owosso, MI—and the man killed was an activist infamous to the area.
I say infamous because he was an anti-abortion protester.
Knowing our nation’s diverse stance on abortion and the volatile topic it is, being “anti-abortion” can mean many things. There are those who believe in the sanctity of life and lovingly encourage others of God’s truths. Their goal, as humanly possible, is to mirror Jesus during his time here on earth.
And then, there are those who share this belief but voice it in a much more rank and oppressive manner. Owosso’s murder victim was allegedly one of those. Residents, including his own son, complained of his gruesome posters and the harrassing way he enforced his view.
Being obnoxious certainly doesn’t warrant getting killed. But one has to wonder how much more effective this activist might have been had he delivered his message in a less menacing way? Instead of shocking people with graphic images of dead babies, what if he enlightened them of the beauty of a living one? Instead of angering pregnant women with biblical law at a critical, vulnerable time, what if he offered them hope, comfort and God’s love?
Instead of being anti, as in anti-abortion, what if he had been pro, as in pro-life?