Laundry baskets filled with 6,276 socks were on display Friday at the University of New Mexico’s Main Campus as part of a tabling event held by Students for Life of America.
“That’s how many abortions happen at Planned Parenthood each week, Monday through Saturday,” said Jessica Roseman, one of the event’s hosts.
The UNM branch of the national group set up under the Alumni Presidents' Clock on the south side of the Duck Pond to “educate and inform” people about what abortion really is.
“We’re trying to educate people (that) we don’t need abortion and there's better ways, and we want to be here to help women,” Roseman said.
The group distributed flyers, engaged with passers-by and encouraged students to sign up to join Students for Life.
“We believe in the sanctity of human life from the moment of conception,” said Olivia Johnson, UNM freshman and Students for Life member.
“We’re talking about the violence of abortion today, so a lot of different methods of abortion are super duper violent,” Johnson said. “Today we’re just kind of trying to get the message out about the violence of abortion and trying to empower women to know that they don’t need abortion. I believe women are stronger than that, and we don’t need abortion.”
New Mexico does not have any state laws or restrictions regarding abortion, and several clinics across the state perform late-term abortions.
“In New Mexico, it is legal up to the day of birth to have an abortion, so that is also a very violent and painful procedure, not only for the woman, but it also kills a baby that could have sustained life outside of the womb,” Roseman said.
Students for Life hopes to educate women on the resources available to them and caters specifically to pregnant or parenting students.
“We also offer resources for pregnant and parenting students, and we try to refer them to places that will help them so that they can have their baby even if they decide not to keep (the child),” she said.
In Planned Parenthood’s 2015-2016 annual report, they announced that 3 percent of all services they provided for that fiscal year were abortion services.
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Celia Raney is the news editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Celia_Raney.
