UWG Students Debate Abortion at Heated Campus Even

By Breanna Tillie

The students of the University of West Georgia allowed students a space to engage in discussion and debate about social issues in allowing Students for Life, an anti-abortion organization dedicated to educating students on abortion from a pro-life perspective, to host the Abortion is Violence event on March 4 featuring speaker Lydia Taylor Davis.
The organization gave students the opportunity to line up at the microphone and ask Davis, a pro-life influencer featured on several conservative media platforms, any questions or offer any disagreements they may have about the organization’s pro-life position on the abortion issue.
“I came prepared because I don’t like to talk about things that I’m not educated on,” said Lance Paschal, the first student to approach the microphone and challenge Davis on the pro-life perspective. “I did a lot of research leading up to this and I had it planned for a while. I felt confident in how I was going to speak so I had no problem being the first to engage with her.”
As more students approached the microphone, it became clear that the audience held just as many students on the pro-choice side of the issue as on the pro-life side of the issue.
“I believe anyone should come to these events,” said Paschal, “but especially if you’re passionate, you should want to be educated regardless of the side.”
There was no shortage of passion in the room as students from both the pro-life and the pro-choice side of the issue would erupt in applause when it was agreed upon that a solid point had been made by either Davis or a challenger.
“I’m very passionate about politics in general,” said Paschal. “But when it comes to issues like abortion that only involve women, I feel like they’re often overlooked because of things like sexism in the United States and their underrepresentation in congress and government. I believe that real men stand up for people who can’t stand up for themselves.”
Students became so filled with emotion on the topic being discussed that many students began shouting arguments toward the speaker from their seats and had to be redirected to get into line if they wanted to have a conversation.
“It’s not only a passion of mine, but I feel like it’s my job to come to things like this, educate people, and stand up for women that are being advocated against,” said Paschal.
Despite all of the arguing, intense emotion, and occasional rude comments made by students on both sides of the issue, it is highly commendable that the students of UWG care enough about social issues to take strong positions and not hesitate to defend them.
“There’s only one way to win a debate, and it’s to have the facts on your side,” said Paschal. “I feel like I had that today…The best thing to do is maintain debate manners and not get riled up.”