Representatives from Created Equal, a pro-life organization based in Columbus, Ohio, gather outside of Clarke Central High School off Milledge Avenue. on Nov. 7 after school with signs. According to CCHS junior Abigail Allen, members of the group confronted her on the sidewalk and questioned her. “The questions they asked and the way that they made me feel after I gave an answer (made) me feel like my opinion was wrong,” Allen said. “They’re obviously more prepared than I was. I was just trying to go home, and they were walking in front of me expecting me to give them a proper answer when obviously I was not prepared at all.” Photo by Krista Shumaker
On Nov. 7, members of Created Equal, a pro-life organization based in Columbus, Ohio, gathered outside the entrance of Clarke Central High School and protested pro-choice policies.
Members of the Columbus, Ohio pro-life organization Created Equal gathered outside the Milledge Avenue entrance of Clarke Central High School on Nov. 7 from roughly 3:25 to 4:10 p.m. in an attempt to influence CCHS students to join the pro-life side of the long-running abortion debate.
In attendance was Created Equal intern Lexi Hall, who says the placement of their signs in front of CCHS was intentional.
“There are over 300 high schoolers that have an abortion every single day in America. These are the future lawmakers of America,” Hall said. “We know that they’re having abortions, we know that people our age know what it is and so they need to know the truth about it.”
According to CCHS junior Abigail Allen, she was stopped by members of Created Equal and questioned about her viewpoints on abortion.
“I was trying to walk home with (a friend), and (a member of Created Equal) started off by asking, ‘do you believe abortion is right?’ We just kept walking. We were like, ‘yeah, OK.’ Then she stepped in front of us and she was like, ‘well, you’re wrong,’ and then she continued to ask (us questions),” Allen said. “At first I thought she was making good points about why abortion wasn’t okay, but at the same time, the way she responded to my responses, I just thought it was very immature the way she talked over what me and Kinsey were saying. I thought it was very rude and unnecessary especially from like an (adult) trying to like ask a 16-year-old who obviously doesn’t know as much or hasn’t done as much research.”
Created Equal Program Coordinator Evangeline Dunn stands next to a pro-life sign outside the student parking lot entrance of Clarke Central High School on Nov. 7. According to Created Equal intern Isaac Beuhler, Created Equal’s mission is to inform and educate people about their viewpoints on abortion. “We’re exposing the evils of abortion, we’re showing these images so that people understand what’s actually going on,” Beuhler said. “We mostly do this type of outreach. We do it at school campuses, on city streets, but that’s definitely our main focus, using these images and talking to people to help show people how valuable these lives are.” Photo by Krista Shumaker
Owner of Fringe Alternative Image Works, a local Athens business, and driver for ridesharing apps Uber and Lyft Timothy Schildknecht saw the signs while dropping off a passenger.
“It’s the pictures that caught my attention driving by, but secondary to that, you can see a whole team of individuals here to push their agenda. I’m not against their agenda of being anti-abortion. I support anti-abortion, just not this way,” Schildknecht said. “I’m about compassion. You can tell anybody pretty much anything and have greater influence with (them) if you talk with compassion. This is not a compassionate message. This is a very aggressive and angry approach to communicating what their agenda is.”
Created Equal Content Manager and Field Captain Sam Riley organized the event and is currently helping lead a statewide tour of Georgia.
“We’re going all over the place and we go to colleges, mostly. We’re going to some high schools in the afternoon. We’re here just to spread awareness about abortion and show that it is the killing of innocent human beings and people should oppose that if they believe in human equality,” Riley said. “My hope is that we end abortion. I’m out to end the killing of innocent human beings and my overall end goal is to get rid of it in America.”
