Gory, ghastly photos stood tall before me. I kept my eyes deadlocked on Bulldog Café’s glowing, red sign — I was hungry.

Although the people protected behind aluminum fencing were nice, providing brochures about why abortion is genocide and offering good day wishes — they destroyed my appetite and any chance of me having “a good day.”

SHELTON

Now people are writing how this visual terrorism (See? I can use words inaccurately just like the anti-abortion cult) is an expression of free speech and initiates public dialogue — two things I genuinely cherish.

The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform is a privately funded organization that works to establish prenatal justice and the rights of the unborn, according to CBR’s website, abortionNO.org.

It wasn’t CBR’s brochures that bothered me, or their gigantic display — rather, the fact they got away with breaking the rules.

CBR has a right to free speech in America, but the University, under The University Code of Conduct, should not allow their pictures.

The display “infring[ed] upon the rights, privacy, or privileges” (University Code of Conduct, Art. V, Sec. 2) of women who have exercised their right to terminate their pregnancy.

What about the people who heeled to the “Warning: Genocide photos ahead” signs and were late to class? I believe that constitutes “disrupt[ing] the normal operations of the University” (University Code of Conduct, Art. V, Sec. 7).

Though most buildings near Tate Plaza have entrances out of view from bloody fetuses, the ATMs don’t, making the display a “disruption or obstruction of teaching, research, administration or other University activities, including its public service functions on or off campus,” (University Code of Conduct, Art. V, Sec. 1)

And for our beloved Jewish students, comparing aborted fetuses to the annihilation of two thirds of the Jewish population during World War II constitutes as “conduct that causes or provokes a disturbance that disrupts the academic pursuits… of another person,” (University Code of Conduct, Art. V, Sec. 2).

The CBR is not the first group to get away with rule breaking. “Tate Preachers” grace our campus and are permitted to directly attack students.

“Physical abuse, verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment, coercion,” (University Code of Conduct Art. V, Sec. 3) is a direct violation, yet our administration allows these preachers to stand during class transitions and verbally assault homosexuals, Muslims, girls in skirts and anyone not carrying around a Bible.

Are Christian-based attacks exempt from the University’s Code of Conduct? CBR endorses “The Matthew 28:20 Project,” where they use spiritually based quotes to scare people into birthing their unwanted children. I think it’s fair to say they are a Christian affiliated organization.

It appears any persons affiliated with Christianity that violate these provisions are exempt from any retribution.

I’m proud our campus recognizes our right to free speech, however I would like the restrictions to extend to the extremist Christians hell-bent on infringing “on the rights of other members of the University community” (University Code of Conduct, Art. V, Sec. 7).

Our rights — the right to be gay, the right to show our religion, our right to terminate a pregnancy, our right to walk through Tate Plaza and our right to enjoy a Chick-fil-A sandwich without the images of dead babies on our minds — were disturbed.

Put down your engineering school blueprints, President Michael Adams, and do something about the recent attack on your students.

Not only should these preachers, photos and whatever group wants to display them be restricted on campus, the student organizations that invite them should be fined, suspended or whatever the proper punishment the division of student affairs can think up.

I know the powers that be won’t do anything without a formal, student complaint… who’s with me?