Fletcher, Jane, & John

^{Reproductive “Choice” Campaign Visits North Carolina Highlands}

	Above: The RCC truck enters a busy intersection near the Asheville Mall. Below: Media coverage multiplies the numbers of people who see the images. (Photos courtesy of Meredith Hunt).

We spent most of our first day touring Tunnel Road, near the Asheville Mall. School was out for the MLK observance, so lots of folks were out shopping.

On Tuesday, we were covered by WLOS TV, the only major TV station in Asheville. The story ran on WLOS that day, which multiplies the number of people who see the images. We praise God that the WLOS footage was picked up by TV stations in North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, Oklahoma, Michigan, Wisconsin, and other states.

At the end of the day, we drove the truck to Boone, NC. I met with CBR supporters while John and Mick met with a student who wants to bring GAP to Appalachian State University (ASU) in Boone.

Wednesday, we toured downtown Boone and the ASU campus in the truck. It was only one day, but many, many people saw the truck. At the end of the day, we returned to Asheville, where we drove again on Thursday.

^{RCC Goes to Middle Tennessee}

Nashville Rally for Life. On Saturday, January 21, we drove to Nashville, where a pro-life rally was scheduled for Sunday afternoon at the State Capitol. Our purpose was to let pro-lifers know of this important new tool for bringing the truth about abortion to Middle Tennesseans. We planned to drive the truck around Capitol Hill while a dozen of our volunteers distributed fliers to the attendees. Unfortunately, the rain moved the rally indoors. Not to be deterred, we drove the truck around the hotel where the rally was held and we distributed our fliers as people were leaving the rally.

Confusion. Our trip to Middle Tennessee was a stark reminder of the confusion among pro-lifers about what the purpose of the pro-life movement should be and what it will take to accomplish this purpose. Some pro-lifers advocate a limited strategy that will only slightly reduce the numbers of abortions (minor restrictions on abortion, TV campaigns, etc.). They have forgotten that our main goal should be to get rid of legalized abortion altogether. Or perhaps they hold to the unfounded belief that we can stop abortion without changing public opinion. Or perhaps they even think we can change public opinion by employing the failed strategies of the past, strategies which have allowed the culture to ignore or trivialize abortion. Regardless of where the confusion lies, some of our pro-life friends not only refuse to help show the general public what abortion is and does, they actively undermine our efforts to do this work. We remain disappointed, but not deterred.

	Truck orbits the downtown square (above) and later is greeted by the collective gasps of MTSU students (below).

$1000 Reward. We are bewildered by pro-lifers who seem to believe that we can stop abortion while helping the abortion industry cover up the truth about it. Or that we can convert very many people at all to the pro-life position without letting them see for themselves what abortion is and does. Tell you what, I (Fletcher) will give $1000 of my own money to the first person who can explain to me how that makes sense. For real.

On to Murfreesboro. Monday, January 23, we visited Murfreesboro and Middle Tennessee State University. Some of you may recall that the first GAP organized by CBR-SE was at MTSU in September 2000. We met several great friends when we were there, friends who still faithfully support our work. As I write this, I am saddened that Dr. Don Schneller, our first supporter in Murfreesboro and a vocal advocate of the RCC trucks, did not live to see one of the trucks in his city. Of course, we rejoice to know that we will see Dr. Schneller again. He is truly one who fought the good fight.

Media Coverage. We got excellent coverage in the Murfreesboro Daily News Journal. We were on the front page of the Local News section, and they put a color picture of the truck on the back page. Erin Edgemon, the reporter who covered our visit, had been a student at MTSU when we brought GAP there in 2000. She did an excellent job of reporting the important facts and getting the quotes right.

MTSU Campus. The truck caused quite a stir on the MTSU campus. We saw and heard students gasp in horror at the pictures. We know the administration received many complaints. Our friends in Murfreesboro told us that the truck was a major topic of conversation on campus. We got several e-mails, mostly hostile. The hostility is evidence of a functioning conscience.

More media. The MTSU Sidelines, the student paper, wrote an article about the truck. They quoted our own John Stair extensively, but they printed only negative quotes from students. It’s possible they didn’t get any positive comments. However, in a later edition, they ran a well-written column by Jacqueline Willison, a junior in psychology and pre-pharmacy who supported our effort to educate students about abortion. They ran a letter from Isaac Nuell, a very confused young man trying to justify abortion based on a religious argument. Finally, they ran a letter from Fletcher responding to Mr. Nuell's letter.

We must return. The size of MTSU (22,500 students), the huge impact of the pictures in just 3 days, and the need for more effective pro-life work at MTSU have convinced us that we should commit to a stronger presence on that campus. So, we are looking to hire a part-time intern at MTSU. If you know of a potential candidate, please let us know. There are lots of good projects we could do at MTSU, including GAP!

Cookeville. Our next stop was Cookeville and Tennessee Tech University (TTU). We had excellent local support. On Thursday night, we spoke to a gathering of about 50 people, representing several churches in Putnam County. The pastor of one church announced that he would show our new “Choice Blues” DVD at a future Sunday morning worship service! Many attendees made a financial commitment to support our new staff member, John Stair. Amen to that!

All part of the plan. The pictures affect most everybody who sees them. People who are already pro-life are reminded of their responsibility to actually do something to stop the killing. As a result of our visit, one student is already starting a pro-life group and is planning to bring GAP to TTU. Please pray for his success. I love it when a plan comes together!

To arrange your automatic monthly bank draft to support our work:

1. Download and print the Electronic Gift Transfer Authorization:
http://www.abortionno.org/...GiftTransferSE.pdf
2. Fill out the form.  Make sure you designate the gift for "CBR Southeast"
3. Enclose a voided check or deposit slip bearing the account number of the account we should draft.
4. Mail the Transfer Authorization form and a voided check (or deposit slip) to CBR Southeast, P.O. Box 20115, Knoxville, TN 37940.

Please pray that God will raise up others to help you support this life-saving work!