3,000 crosses for 3,000 abortions in one day

Thirty-five years since Roe V. Wade decision, quad display shows abortion numbers

By: Dominique Smith

Posted: 1/23/08

Thousands of crosses stood in rows early Tuesday morning in the MU Quad.

Tuesday marked the 35th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case that legalized abortions. Approximately 3,000 crosses stretched the length of sidewalks to signify the large number of abortions performed in the United States each day.

"[These crosses] are lives lost. Einsteins, Benjamin Franklins, completely lost - terminated," said Drew Kawell, a Right to Life member.

In the year 2003, there were over 3,500 abortions per day, 146 per hour, and about one every 25 seconds.

"The [crosses] are a great visual representation of how many lives are being lost," said Sarah Bendickson, one of the event's organizers.

"The little tags attached to some of the crosses indicate that the individual in the womb was a fully formed male or female with all his/her genetic information complete, down to the infant's eye color," Bendickson said.

The purpose of OSU Right to Life is to spread awareness and the organization plans to continue setting up these crosses every year.

"We need to make our voice known as college students. To listen to our conscience in the areas of politics and life," Kawell said.

In 1971, Roe v. Wade changed federal legislation making abortion legal in the U.S. The case began when Norma McCorvey of Texas sought to terminate her non-life-threatening pregnancy. The supreme court found that McCorvey's right to an abortion was within her right to privacy.

At OSU, supporters of abortion rights gather to voice their opinion on the Supreme Court decision. Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance members planned to gather near the crosses Tuesday.

Dominique Smith, news writer

news@dailybarometer, 737-2231