When Folmar, a student at the College of William & Mary in Virginia in the US, and her friends, mostly young women, proclaimed their pro-life views on campus last year, other students tried to have them “cancelled”.
Writing pro-life messages on a chalkboard in the middle of campus, Folmar sought to communicate vital messages such as “Love the mother and her child”, “Size and location do not determine personhood” and “Give women resources”.
According to Folmar, the group “affirmed the dignity of all human beings – born and preborn – and advocated the support and care of women experiencing difficult pregnancies”.
But some students found these messages “triggering”. They took to social media in an attempt to “cancel” Folmar and her group, saying that Folmar wanted to “revoke human rights”.
“No opposing view is tolerated”
“NO vs. Wade”, also included on the chalkboard, was especially “triggering”, referring to Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that essentially legalised abortion throughout the U.S.
Folmar writes that “my generation has been fed the lie that Roe vs. Wade upholds women’s rights, and no opposing view is tolerated”.
Such was the pressure on campus against pro-lifers, Folmar was sometimes hesitant to speak out, even as an editor of the student newspaper. “Social pressure held me back at times from writing openly about my conservative views. When I did, my opinions were brushed aside.”
When Folmar wrote a pro-life opinion piece for the student paper, to be published alongside a pro-abortion article, staff “postponed” her opinion.
Finally, Folmar decided to set up her own journal, where she and her peers are “correcting the pro-life record”.
“Within minutes of launching the website, we were flooded with hate, threats, and explicit images” Folmar said. As more pro-life articles circulated, students responded with the same tired talking points. Young people are convinced, contrary to fact, that the pro-life view threatens women’s lives. Education, media, and broader society perpetuate this fallacy.”
“Some will never be persuaded”, says Folmar, but “others will listen to the truth. Humility, honesty, and kindness win others to the side of life. My experience has also taught me that if people are not hearing us loud and clear, we need to be louder and clearer.”
Impressive young pro-lifers
SPUC’s Dr Daniel Frampton said: “Ms Folmar is inspirational, refusing to back down, even in the face of being ‘cancelled’ by other students.
“Free speech on campus is increasingly threatened by the intolerance of students and even staff. Pro-life student groups are singled out for especially censorious treatment, which is nothing short of a disgrace in a space supposedly dedicated to free thought, dialectic and social justice.
“Yet it is also striking just how impressive young pro-lifers are. In the face of hate, discrimination and blatant censorship, it takes courage to stand up, seek dialogue and communicate the pro-life message.
“One only needs to consider such young people as Ms Folmar to see that there is hope for the unborn. Indeed, the dignity, grace and bravery shown by young pro-lifers say a lot about the pro-life cause – a movement founded most of all on love.”