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Letters to the Editor

All of Wichita is astir in the aftermath of our visit to the Heartland October 5-9, 2005. When the Gospel of Christ moves out of the church house to become biography in the streets – “Katy-bar-the-door!” From just a cursory reading of these Letters to the Editor that appeared in the Wichita Eagle this past week – Christians have turned that city right-side-up in the Name of Jesus. Not only did God Go Back to School, but School showed up on Sunday morning, at church. Not a bad result. Seven young people surrendered their hearts to Christ. In the words of Pastor Mark Holick, “It was the best church service I have ever attended.”

Flip

READER VIEWS: ON PROTESTS, LAWMAKERS, HOMELESS, STATE BOE , VA DRUGS, ACTION

Abortion protesters

disrupted schools

As I drove up Edgemoor last week to take my boys to Wichita Southeast High School and Curtis Middle School , I was shocked to discover the pro-life activists on the sidewalk in front of these schools. They slowed traffic down so much that it took five minutes to turn left into the parking lot. Contrary to an article in The Eagle (Oct. 7 Eagle), they definitely were interfering in the functioning of the school.

I guess it is OK to respect the life of an unborn child, but not to respect the daily life of children already living and breathing -- to not respect their parents to teach their children about such things in their own time and on their own terms. I guess it is OK not to respect a child's space and learning environment.

We all have the right to believe what we want. It is called free will. We have a right to vote for any candidates we choose in the hopes that they will promote our causes in the government forum. In front of my children's school is not the place for such things.

If all they wanted was some time on the news and in the newspapers, well, they got it. They aren't helping their cause or making any difference in my life, just inciting my anger by their actions.

Posted on Thu, Oct. 13, 2005

Readers ask: At whom would Jesus yell?

Opinions fly in response to column asking whether Jesus would yell at high school students as abortion protesters did here last week.

This week's e-mail responses were refreshing as well as challenging.

Refreshing in the sense that not all Christian readers approved of the extreme tactics of the groups that parked themselves in front of West High School last week and intimidated students.

Challenging in that I felt the urgency of e-mail respondents who wanted to address the issue and thought high school students -- some of whom likely were sexually active or perhaps even pregnant -- were the perfect audience for such a demonstration.

I don't think high schools should be subject to this kind of disturbance.

I'm also guessing that some of the same people who think students should have to opt-into sex education, feel comfortable exposing other people's kids to a verbal morality haranguing as they enter the school.

Still, the feed back in my e-mail reflects what abortion always has been -- one of the great debates of our time.

Thank you for reading and for bothering to write,

Mark McCormick

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Thank you for your article. I am a senior at west high and was throughly disgusted at both the images that the Operation Save America , from the Spirit One church, showed, and the tactics that these men and women used.

I participated in the protest that was held today in response to their graphic and inapproriate intolerance of others. The members of Spirit One still believe that they are in the right to go to a public school and force their beliefs onto others. In my opinion it seemed as though the congregation was brainwashed. They preached about loving all and not judging others, but told us that we were going to hell for protesting their beliefs. One of the pastors told us that their words were truth and that we are all living in lies. They seem to believe that christianity is the basis for all of history. One student got involved in a heated debate with a man from the church who was shouting this over a loudspeaker. So do they not think that there were any people or anything before christ? To them, does the time of A.D. not exist? This same man told us that the public schools were teaching us lies and that it is their duty to show us the truth. Is America not a free nation anylonger? Do we as citizens of this great nation not get the right to decide what our beliefs are and not get the respect we deserve for our differences? What is our world coming to when hate speech and vulgar pictures are allowed to be shown to young impressionable teens? I appriciate all of the articles that have been shown in the Wichita Eagle, maybe someday soon a stop will be put to this intolerant belief that all people should conform to one standard that is portrayed in the bible and these self-proclaimed "Savers of America" will not be allowed to force their beliefs on others.

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Your column couldn't have been more dead-on. Why don't you write a column advocating these nasty people be prosecuted for violating obscenity laws? If obscenity is defined by local community standards, I think it's a slam dunk that a jury would find pictures of aborted fetuses as obscene, especially when forced on school-age children. If these people really believed that fetuses are human beings, they wouldn't desecrate their memory by putting them on posters.

The biggest problem with these so-called pro-life people is that they are lazy and stingy. I'm sure they have lots of fun marching around a school for an hour or two, feeling self-righteous and holier-than-thou, but reducing the incidence of abortion takes a lot more work than that.

Rather than waste their money on fliers and bull horns, how about funding programs for children and teens that would keep them busy after school when their parents are at work and give them skills and talents that would enhance their self-esteem? Assertiveness training for girls so that, when a boys says, "If you loved me, you would..." she'd feel strong enough to tell him to drop dead? Paying for books, selected by school and public librarians, that present a positive view of adoption? Providing Boy and Girl Scout leaders in areas of the city where they are hard to find, and paying some of the expenses? Funding scholarships for high schoolers so they would have a dream to work toward? Paying for contraceptives for low-income or uninsured people?

We know from past experience that whether or not abortion is legal, there will always be abortion. There are things that can be done to reduce the numbers of unplanned pregnancies and increase the number of children placed for adoption, but harassing kids at school is not one of them.

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Good evening, Mark. I'm an avid reader of the Wichita Eagle, and I read your columns with every chance I get. Two of your recent columns have really hit home for me...such as "What are we

doing to help the poor?" and "Would Jesus yell at high school kids?"

I find that people are getting meaner and meaner as time goes on. We have Rush Limbaugh on the radio condemning the poor for being poor, and we have the sick protesters shoving pictures of mutilated, bloody fetuses in the faces of our future leaders, businessfolk, and caretakers. There are times when actions like these make me want to turn my back on not only society, but also the rest of humanity.

What helps me continue caring are people with compassion, such as my loved ones, homeless shelter volunteers, and people with common sense.

You are one man who, even through lifeless ink printed on lifeless paper, evokes compassion in a world filled with craziness.

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Mark, Thank you very much for the column Sunday "Would Jesus yell at high school kids? I have three grandchildren attending West High School and I certainly agree with every thing you said in this column. The unfortunate thing is that the people who were "expressing their rights" will neither read or listen to what you said but I thank you for saying them. Keep on being the conscience of Wichita . I do not always agree with everything you say in your column but I always read it and it causes me to think about it anyway. Good Bless.

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Kudos to Mark McCormick for his article about Operation Save America and their tactics at WSU and the local high schools.

Exactly whom do these nut-jobs really think they're saving? Do they really think their Gestapo tactics are going to change anyone's mind about abortion or women's rights?

They drive their big truck around Wesley Medical Center a couple times a week with the disgusting pictures on the sides and last week they set up an amplifier and speakers across the street from Wesley and delivered a 30-minute harangue to passers-by, slandering the reputation of a fine healing institution "where they kill babies".

Nothing could be a bigger lie. Wesley and their fine Neonatal Intensive Care Unit has saved countless babies born prematurely, some crack-addicted, many who would have absolutely no chance of survival without the caring Neonate Team these liars so wrongly disparage.

Operation Save America is nothing but a group of self-righteous hate-mongers.

They are the worst representatives of "Christianity", except maybe for Fred Phelps and his ilk. If their methods truly represented what Christianity is all about, I'd convert to another religion.

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Hi, Mark - Just wanted to voice my support for your column today. Well-said, and I agree 100%.

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Mr. McCormick,

I don't even know where to begin with a response to your article "Would Jesus yell at high school kids?". I was very impressed and I couldn't agree with you more. It's a shame that our children had to face a group of angry adults pushing abortion pamphlets in their faces as they got off the buses to go to school. Or the daycare children who were too afraid to go outside? Was that what they wanted? To scare the very children they are vowing to protect? Would they like it if their children came home rattled because an activist group forced themselves on them in such a hostile manner?

This group should publicly apologize for offending the students and faculty of West High School . However, we all know that they won't because in the eyes of some people any publicity is good. And, they have been able to use this as an opportunity to get their message out there. Unfortunately for them they have also made it known that they will target innocent children. Regardless it's a shame these people call themselves Christians. I agree with you Jesus would probably weep.

Mark, I just read your article, and how right you are.The sad realization is, it is not just High School kids these people are harming and terrorizing. I had my son and a friend of his at the St. Patrick's Day Parade a few years back. The boys were six and seven at the time. We were fairly close to the start line of the parade. Towards the end of it, there was a disturbance, involving the police. When I looked to see what was going on, it was a crowd of abortion protesters, with a moving van style van, with very graphic pictures of aborted fetuses on it. In very vivid color. Imagine my horror and shock at this. And to have two, very impressionable young boys with me. I was floored! I felt bad enough for my son, but the other child wasn't even mine. His mother had entrusted him into my care, and I felt horrible that he was with me when he was exposed to such graphic pictures. I very gently, but firmly turned their little heads away, praying they hadn't seen them. But they had. Then the question,"That was scary and gross! What was that?" I had no idea how to answer. Had they been older, I could have come up with something. But at their age, no clue. So my answer, "Very mean spirited people with bad taste." With that said we left. For weeks afterwards, my son and his friend had nightmares! These people need to wake up and see the harm they are causing. And to the 14 year old girls mother from West High, I can whole heartedly sympathize! You send them out to be educated, not terrorized and scared to return to school. I hope she can get through this. Thanks for letting me vent. A former North High student. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Thank you for the article that you wrote today. It's nice to see a level-headed opinion during a time of so called "moral righteousness."

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Hi Mark,

I'm a Wichita expatriate, living in Joplin Missouri . I was unaware of the protests until I read your letter on the Wichita Eagle website this morning, and then back tracked to the Friday edition to read the article and see the photo. I have some thoughts I would like to share, hopefully in a thoughtful, intelligent way.

I participated in Operation Rescue's Summer of Mercy in the early 1990's, while I was still living in Wichita . So, although I, like you, were not present at this protest, I have been present at numerous other ones.

I agree with at least the gist of your letter, in that I too have mixed feelings about the efficacy of public protests. However, your letter asks what would Jesus do in this instance, implying that the protesters' actions are utterly unrepresentative of Christ. I'm not entirely sure of that. Allow me to elaborate.

You said that you couldn't imagine Jesus showing photos of bloody, mutilated fetuses to highschool kids. Perhaps, perhaps not. Since photos did not exist in Christ's day, the question can not be answered directly. However, the Bible says, "Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, today, and forever." So He would act today, as He acted then. And we see two characteristics of His actions in Bible times that give a clue to how He would act today. You seemed to focus on one of these characteristics in your letter--mercy.

The Bible says to us that Christ was a friend of publicans and sinners. They were drawn to him. His love and mercy drew them. His love was so great, that it had a convicting power to it. A harlot saw his pure, true love, and was so convicted by it and his words, that she came to Him at a dinner, and washed his feet with her tears. And he replied that her sins, though many, were forgiven. Clearly, she would not have been drawn to Christ had he the habit of going out into the streets and screaming "Harlots! You shall have your part in the Lake of Fire !" Would he today, grab a loudspeaker, and protest abortions? Looking only at his characteristic of mercy, we would say, absolutely not.

Your letter though ignored one other outstanding characteristic of Christ, his habit of confronting people with unpleasant truths. He always spoke the absolute truth to the high and the low, no matter who was present, and without fear of the consequences. He publicly and privately confronted everyone with the unvarnished truth. His stand for the absolute truth earned him friends and enemies. He was loved for telling the truth, and hated for it also, and eventually, He was killed for telling people truths they did not want to hear. He said to his opponents, "But now you seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth..." John 8:40.

In your letter, you drew a picture of a Christ who wouldn't "upset teachers," yet Christ continuously upset the teachers of the Law and scribes of His day. You picture a Christ who wouldn't "cause a disturbance," yet Christ violently drove the money changers out of the Temple , causing the most intense disturbance Jerusalem had seen in living memory. The 23rd Chapter of Matthew reports that Christ publicly denounced the Scribes and Pharisees, repeatedly calling them fools and blind, and that he cursed them, not with just one curse, but pronounced eight separate curses upon them. Respectfully, your argument that Christ would never "disturb" anyone is clearly disproven by Scripture.

If Jesus Christ were physically alive on the earth today, would He confront people with the awful, graphic truth about what abortion truly is? I see no reason to believe Christ would speak every unvarnished truth except the ugly truth about abortion. Would he choose the venue of a public protest? I'm inclined to doubt that he would. But I can not say with certainty. Nor can you.

You implied that taking the protest from the adult world to the outside of a public High School was somehow inappropriate. Some teenagers, and parents, were upset. Understandable. Yet, High School students are approached continuously by various interest groups with various agendas. I work at Missouri Southern State University here in Joplin . I see the fliers that overload the student bulletin boards. Students are bombarded by fliers from the "Gay and Lesbian Alliance," environmental groups, cults, pro- and anti-war groups, and every other imaginable group. They take these in stride, are upset with some fliers and agree with others, and go on to their classes. Should high school students be exposed to every cause except abortion? I think high school students are much more aware and resilient than you believe. Although I would not have participated in this protest, and in fact, I would have counseled them not to do it, never-the-less the protest served its purpose: It caused you, and others, to begin discussing--albeit shouting--the realities of abortion. How much were you, and others, discussing the subject before the protest?

Although the protesters actions might have been--as you put it--misguided, I think so also was your letter. You misrepresented Christ as someone who would be eternally merciful, and never disturb anyone, or confront anyone with unpleasant truths. And you tried to cement your argument by mocking the motives of the protesters--whom you do not know, involving a protest you did not attend--writing that they protested in order "to affirm your membership's piety," and that the protest was "a selfish demonstration of your righteousness." Really? You attack the messengers' motives because you do not like the message, or the manner in which the message was delivered, and you ignore the message itself.

I am not sure that these protests are useful. I do not, by any means, give them my unqualified support. But on the other hand, silence gets us nowhere either. In this democracy, protests seem to me to be a necessary evil, to shake people out of their complacency.

When Operation Rescue came to Wichita in the early 1990's they confronted us with two simple questions:

1. Is abortion murder?

if so, then--

2. Why don't you act like it?

Confrontational questions. Unpleasant answers: Yes it is murder. I don't act like it, because if I protest abortion, I will upset people, and I will be called a hypocrite.

You condemned these protesters' actions, but I notice you provided no logical alternative. How can they educate people about the horror of abortion, without fliers, upsetting photos, and protests? You questioned the sincerity of their Christianity because they had the courage to confront people--however imperfectly--with unpleasant truths. But how can Christians exercise their constitutional rights to freedom of assembly, and freedom of speech, and conduct a non-violent protest, without being implicitly labled hypocrites by Mark McCormick and the Wichita Eagle? I have yet to see an article in the Eagle which reports on a pro-choice march, protest, or event, that questions the piety or motives of the pro-choice crowd. Why?

You mentioned the bumper sticker, "Who would Jesus bomb?" I think more telling bumper stickers would be:

"Who would Jesus abort?"

Or,

"What truth would Jesus NOT confront you with?"

Or even,

"What political activity can Christians participate in,

that won't be lampooned by the press?"

You closed with the thought that Jesus' response to these protests would be that he would weep. Do you honestly think that Christ would be dry-eyed over the abortions of millions of babies, but weep because some people were merely "disturbed" over photos and fliers detailing the act? Somehow that seems, as Jesus said, to be "gagging on a gnat, and swallowing a camel."

Respectfully,

Joplin , MO.

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Mr. McCormick,

Thank you for your article in Sunday's Eagle. As a Christian I too believe Jesus weeps at such behavior. That said, I am concerned about what happens next.

You said you support their freedom of speech as do I, but I'm struggling with what this opens our children up to. What if Fred Phelps and company decide they want to protest at Wichita schools? What if the Klu Klux Klan wanted to? Is this acceptable?

Let's flip this around. What if a group of students decided to pass out the literature the protesters passed out? What if these same students verbally assaulted and harassed other students as they exited class or entered school? What do you think would have happened? We've created a bit of a double standard don't you think?

Now apply the questions I asked to the other groups I mentioned. What if students started organizing in support of those groups and started passing out literature and confronting other students? What would happen?

I recall just such an incident at Derby some years back and those students were punished.

No, it is not acceptable for these misguided religious evangelists to get away with irresponsible and disrespectful behavior that we would not allow the students themselves to get away with.

That said, given that the Sam Brownback's of the world, and many other republican politicians, get much of their political base from such radical conservative groups don't expect anything to be done about it anytime soon. Especially, when the chief executive of the country has given these groups the green light to assail Kansas schools by verbalizing his support of creationism being taught in our schools. Which of course is an effort lead solely by similar religious evangelical groups (notice I did not say Christian).

No, Mr. McCormick I can not agree with you on this. It exposes our kids to a lot more than what we have witnessed in the last week. Unfortunately, in a day and age where it is fashionable to assail public schools and given the political support these groups enjoy I'm sure we can expect more of the same in the future.

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Hi, Mark. I want to thank you for your column in Sunday's Eagle. i attended the protest at the Spirit One church with my granddaughter who is a West High student. Our purpose in being there was to tell those people to stay away from the high schools. We were not there to debate abortion or to push our religious beliefs on anyone. It became very clear early on that their agenda was exactly preaching and anti-abortion. It also was very clear that no Christian belief was acceptable to the people of Spirit One if it did not match theirs. The students were remarkable in their adult behaviors. I was very proud of them. We were all appalled to learn that one of the men from the church who was using the bullhorn was a recently convicted rapist from Ohio . He harangued the crowd with his 'testimony' of his own salvation and forgiveness but refused to concede that God could or would forgive gays, abortion, and Islam. I am quite old and have been a Christian my entire life. I have seen these people come and go in my years and I generally feel sorry for them in that their picture of an angry God is so precise and fits their own views. I call it 'holding God in their hand like a cracker." But this group went beyond that. They were rude, demeaning, and cruel. There will be some sort of truth and understanding that will come to each one of them at some time. That is my prayer for them--peace and not the hate that they were generating on Sunday. Thanks again for your column. I have appreciated all of them that I get to read. You are a needed voice in our community. Keep up the good work.

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Dear Mark,

Just a few comments on your article mentioned above in the October 9, 2005 Wichita Eagle:

1. I am not sure what you mean by "yelling." The Operation Save America group at WSU did have a loud speaker system when I observed them and stopped to listen for a bit. In my opinion the decibel level was not excessive. I would assume the same sound system conditions were followed at West High School . I do note that you were not present but used the observation of one parent who e-mailed you. That is not a very solid or credible foundation on which to base your article. Other articles in the Wichita Eagle seem rather obsessed with the noise level, but I note in this morning's Wichita Eagle-October 10- that the anti protest protesters used some sort of sound system at their protest yesterday. What I experienced in the noise level at WSU from the Operation Save America Group was not nearly as intense as some of the music groups that I have heard at WSU playing in the same location outside the student center.

What was being said by the Operation Save America Group's spokeman at WSU was not at all hateful although it was Bibical based focusing on the wrongness of abortion. It was a pro-life message. Could it be that these people who are complaining about the decibel level and the "hate speech" didn't want to hear the message? Did it perhaps convict them of the wrongness of abortion and they didn't like to hear the other view point? Anyway, in my opinion, this message was not yelled at anybody. I would suggest that you might try going to one of these meetings that Operation Save America is holding and see for your self before you start throwing bricks.

2. How is the passion of Operation Save America misguided? Was the protest of the students yesterday misguided?

3. It seems that you don't know the Jesus of the Bible. He upset people. He upset people so much that they had Him put to death. I don't know who littered the school grounds with flyers, but I would imagine that it was students who took the flyers and later discarded them. I don't think that the Operation Save America people where forcing people to take flyers and were not intentionally throwing them on the school grounds.

In fact I didn't see any flyers at the WSU meeting and if there were any they were not littering the ground. Would Jesus holler("yell")-there is that word again-at students? Of course Jesus didn't have a sound system in this day except the one given to Him by God in His body. Did He change the decibel level of his voice in talking to certain people. It is hard to tell that from the Bibical text, but it would seem so to me.

Read John 2:13-19; Luke 19:45-48; Mark 11:12-19; Matthew 21: 12-17.

You will note that in the passage from Matthew that there were children present. Also read Matthew 23 where Jesus spoke to the religious leaders. If fact Jesus said that He was hated and that His followers could expect the same. Read John 15:18-25. In fact He says that He was hated without reason in this reading from John. The reason Jesus was hated was not because of the Messenger, but because of His message. I would suggest that that might be the case with Operation Save America.

When the Wichita Eagle has reported on this story never once do they give an place to what the message is that the Operation Save America is giving at these rallys. I see passion in the Operation Save America People, but I don't see hate. Jesus did love and forgive, but in order to do that He exposed the ugliness of the human heart and the human actions that come from the ugly heart. People need to see the ugliness of what they and what they do so that they will see that need to respond to the love and forgiveness Jesus offers to them. Whether He frightened them into believeing you can read it for yourself in the Bible, but He did tell them the truth about His coming Judgement. It is frightening. You can read that for youself in the Bible as well. Jesus always did what He did with respect and love. Did He use "hate speech"? It was before the politically correct crowd of out day, but I am sure that many would call some of what He said "hate speech".

4. I can see where students would feel somewhat intimidated by the Operation Save America people, but there was certainly no harassement or threatening in what I saw at WSU. These students don't see this kind of activity on their school campuses every day so it would surprise them and they would not know exactly what to think of it so they might want to see it go away. The best way to get rid of it is to complain.

5. What is your verision of God, Mark? Is it Bibical based? Does it take in the whole picture of God as He present Himself in the Bible? Jesus confronted people with the Message He had. He went to the people as well as them coming to Him. If you read the Gospel accounts of Jesus you will find that there was constant confrontation as He presented the Truth to them. That is found throughout the Bible. God brings His message to people on earth and there is always confrontation as many don't like the message.

6. I guess that the pictures are another problem. They are graphic. But they are REAL as well. Should the deaths of thousands in the terrible earthquake in Pakistan not be shown on TV and in the newspapers? There is so much graphic pictures shown of so many terrible things these days. Why do you and others get so upset when the graphics of the results of abortion are shown. It is ugly. Our children are allowed to see so much of the ugliness that goes on in our world why should they not see the ugliness of abortion as well?

7. Yes, Jesus is weeping over all the innocent babies that have been murdered. Jesus is also weeping over those who hate Him and His message.

He wants them to listen to His message and believe and receive it.

Mr McCormick.

Regarding yesterdays article "Would Jesus yell at high schoolers". It seems to me that, all a lot of sinners can remember about Jesus is that he is all loving & forgiving.

Well do you remember a part about Jesus driving the money changers out of the temple? Also, do you remember something about Gehenna? So, it is my belief the money changers are just small potatoes, compared to abortionists who kill tiny babies. When judgement day comes I certainly wouldn't want to be in their shoes. Or those who publicly support their twisted views.

In todays paper there are pictures of your sweet little high schoolers with bullhorns yelling at the church goers. So I ask you, would Jesus yell at church goers with bullhorns?

The Jesus I know is not all flowers and peace signs. When He is angry the tables get turned. He is the one who has been sent to tell us that it would be better to tear off a body part than to let that part lead us into sin. Jesus is the one who was willing to call the people snakes in their mistaken ideas of religion that is convenient. Killing unborn children is a violent and sick aspect of our society and I for one am glad to see the information distributed to show it for what it is. The "god" of selfish convenience is all too happy that the truth of babies' lives being taken for monetary gain, and for preserving selfish lifestyles is swept under the rug. Why do we embrace this? We are willing to show war and poverty and addiction for pretty much what they are; the pictures I have seen are quite graphic. At the ages these "kids" are, they are certainly capable of making babies, and the commonplace killing of those babies is in need of open acknowledgment with full and! complete information.

Mark:

Thank you for the article, it was really good and I hope it raises some awareness.

I just watched the 10 o'clock news and there they were! The students protesting back!

We were gone Sat and Sunday. I didn't know the students had planned to do this, or I would have gone in support with the students! Looks like they had a good show of parents there in support - which is fantastic.

I am so glad they (the students) did it. I am also very impressed with their tactics and how well they seemed to handle themselves. I'm really proud that the students decided to exercise their right for free speech. Way to go! Thats some good thinking on their behalf.

It doesn't sound like this is the end of it though from what I saw on the news. This group is planning to continue protesting at the schools. I dread the thought that they will return to West, or any other school for that matter.

If so - from the news story, it appears that the students have said that they don't plan to be so peaceful the next time these people visit their school!

Thanks again for the article. Your a terrific columnist!

Hi --

I'm in absolute agreement with you regarding the abortion protestors and their demonstration at West High. That was a great column on Sunday. Keep up the good work.

Dear Mark:

In my opinion, your column today did not reflect good journalism for the following reasons:

Look closely at the picture in the paper Friday that caused you concern. To me the picture and caption shows the WSU student pointing and yelling at the Pro Life person. Look closely at the body language of the Pro Life person. It does not show aggression.

You reprinted the picture Sunday in your column, but omitted the name of the WSU student as the one pointing and yelling.

You based your points in this column mostly on an Email you got from a mother that got it from her 14 year old daughter. That makes it third hand information!!! Maybe it happened that way and maybe it didn't. Hanging your hat on this type of information reminds me of Dan Rather journalism.

You made your own views on abortion evident in the 5th paragraph, indicating that the pro life cause is "misguided". That is your opinion.

You titled your column "Would Jesus Yell at High School Kids?" Well, I ask you, would Jesus favor abortion?

Dear Mr. McCormick,

I read your article about how traumatic it was for the high school students to see the

picture of the mutilated fetus. But I was wondering why you did not say anything

about what kind of person would mutilate a fully developed baby. Don't you think that

someone should investigate a crime of this nature. Only the sickest person on earth would do this to a baby. What kind of country would allow this? What kind of newspaper would

think that this was acceptable human conduct. Is your heart so hard that you don't

see the crime in this?

RE: Would Jesus yell at high school kids?

Well said, Mark.

Mr. Mccormick:

Great letter. I think the man upstairs will give you an A+.

READER VIEWS: ON PROTESTS, ALZHEIMER'S, MIERS, PARK, ACLU

Student protesters

should be praised

I would like to commend the Wichita West High School students and others who protested at the "church" on Sunday ("Students protest abortion protest," Oct. 10 Eagle). They did a great job of knowing their boundaries and not letting the church members get to them.

The abortion question was not the focal point of the counterprotest. The point was those students were taking back their school. Hate speech and violent pictures are not appropriate in a public school setting, and I very much doubt Jesus would scream hateful things at students through a bullhorn at 7:30 a.m.

Handing out fliers denouncing Muslim ideas in a place where there are Muslim students is hateful and wrong. We spend time teaching our children to be respectful to others above all differences.

The premise that teachers are not letting God in school is a myth as well. Many teachers are strong Christians; we just use our daily life as an example and let our actions be our teaching method -- not hate speech through a bullhorn.

If you must protest abortion, that is your conviction and your free speech right. Just keep it away from the public schools, where teachers have to deal with the aftermath of your destruction and gore for the next eight hours and beyond.

PAMELA DAWSON
Wichita

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My daughter is a student at West High School , and she was one of the protesters Sunday. I am so proud of the students from West for organizing and carrying out the protest. There is no place in high school for that kind of filth and intolerance. That church and organization were not in the right to go onto public school property and protest. They do not belong at a learning institution. The young adults who participated in the protest conducted themselves in a manner that made their teachers, parents, grandparents and friends very proud. I will support them however I can in this endeavor.

KRISTA SERRIEN
Wichita

I never really read Mark McCormick's columns until he commented on the protests that took place at the schools (Oct. 9 Local & State). I fully agree with him. I find that those protests were uncalled for and inappropriate.

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If you people who held the protest against abortion at West High School are so "Christian," then tell me what God would think about you harassing and yelling hate phrases in the faces of our youths as they make their way to school.

Posted on Tue, Oct. 11, 2005

READER VIEWS: ON PROTESTS, CLINIC DEATH, CORKINS, WESTAR, MEXICANS, RACE, MIERS

Protesters' acts

were appalling

I am absolutely appalled at the actions of pro-life protesters ("Abortion protesters target schools," Oct. 7 Eagle). As many Wichitans might agree, I have quietly accepted their protests at clinics and other public locations throughout the city. I may not agree with their images, their message and their motives, but I have accepted that every person has a right to express his beliefs.

However, after hearing about the protests at high schools, I have lost any respect for their message. It is not only inappropriate to confront children (some as young as 14 and most of whom are also minors); it was done in a tactless, cowardly manner. Did they not think about the younger siblings who saw these images?

If the goal of these protests was to get publicity, it worked, but at what cost? I thought those same people want to preserve the innocence of children. If that is true, then why did the protesters introduce teens, who don't like to think about long-term risks, to a simple solution to an act that is not yet fully understood at that age?

JANE McGUIRE
Bel Aire

Posted on Mon, Oct. 10, 2005