Tempers flared when Project Truth set up shop outside of the Media Center on Tuesday to promote their pro-life agenda.
Things came to a head when a DVC student, Aaron Low, rushed to the six foot displays of graphic aborted human embryos and threw them to the ground. Low was chased by campus police and was briefly handcuffed before he was let go when the Project Truth leader, Ben Reeves, decided not to press charges.

Reeves said he preferred to have a few words with Low to explain to him Project Truth’s right to demonstrate, and the group’s focus, than to press charges.

Afterwards, Low said, “I disagreed with their views, and I think it violates our rights when they display pictures like that on school grounds.” He did believe that he was treated fairly by the police, and he was thankful that Project Truth decided not to press charges.

According to their website, Project Truth is an off-shoot of the “Sanctity of Human Life Network” (Sohlnet), a “volunteer staffed Christian pro-life educational organization which promotes the sanctity of human life.” They are based in Sacramento, and they call their demonstration the Fall Project Truth College Campus Tour.

There was a long, and sometimes loud, argument between Sasan Kasravi, a 21 year old DVC student, and Don B. of Project Truth. Kasravi and Don traded their view points for close to 30 minutes on the topic of abortion, philosophy and biology. It seemed they were not able to come to an agreement, but they walked away with civility and respect.

A question brought up about abortion for rape victims elicited this response from Reeves, “Rape is an act of violence, but you cannot fix it with another act of violence.” He believes that all pregnancies should be brought to full term, and that adoption is the full term, and that adoption is the best solution in these cases.

Dr. Tom Bielejeski, 73, Sacramento added, “We will always keep the mother’s health and life a top priority in the case of rape, but we would also like to save the baby as well.”

DVC student Navid N. felt what Project Truth was doing had nothing to do with education and was not helping anybody with their “shock tactics.”

John F. of Project Truth said, “When I was your age, I felt the same.” He explained that his wife had an abortion years ago, and later in life, she had a stillborn. This opened his eyes to the truth, and the sanctity, of human life. John said people try to justify abortion by saying it is “a blob of tissue,” but in his view the embryo is a future human being and should be thought of as such.

Campus Police Lieutenant Chad Wehrmeister explained to a student that the group had a right to be there.

“If we try to stick them in a corner, or put them in an out of the way area, they can sue,” Wehrmeister said. He said the job of the police was to keep the peace and mediate civilly if problems arise.

Project Truth plans on being on campus again tomorrow to continue their pro-life campaign.
To learn more about Project Truth visit their website at http://www.sohlnet.org.