Last Thursday night, the University of Massachusetts Republican Club hosted conservative writer and teacher Mike Adams for his talk, entitled, ‘I Had an Abortion; The Hypocrisy of Roe v. Wade.’

Adams spoke to an auditorium filled with students, half of whom were there protesting the controversial figure. Some yelled at the stage or held signs that read, ‘Women’s Bodies, Women’s Choice,’ and ‘It’s My Choice Mike Adams.’

‘I think Mike Adams is able to present a perspective that is not often heard on this campus,’ said Republican Club president Derek Khanna. ‘This gives UMass the opportunity to hear the other side of the argument.’

The talk was centered around events that Adams has attended and stood for as well as events having to do with pro-life and pro-choice groups that have had problems surrounding them in the past. Adams spent much of his speech using examples of why pro-life groups should have the ability to talk more often without being met by protestors.

‘You can’t have a bunch of people screaming over others and claim freedom of speech,’ said Adams. ‘There is a First Amendment right to freedom of association.’

Adams spoke at length about discrimination against pro-choice people based on their political views.

Adams provided examples of pro-life discrimination by using his own study that he had done informally. According to Adams, out of a dozen Women’s Centers that he called, each with about 10 employees, there were no pro-life employees represented.

‘The people who work with the pro-life movement are virtually non-existent in women’s groups,’ said Adams.

Adams also talked about how pro-choice groups claim to be open-minded, but refuse to hear the other side of an argument.

An example that he used was about a female student who attended Spokane Falls Community College in Washington state. On an anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the student wanted to have a protest against abortion and was told by the administration that she could not.

He said the administration went on to say that Washington was a pro-choice state and, therefore, so she couldn’t hold the protest. He also said since Roe v. Wade, the country has become pro-choice.

‘In the wake of Roe v. Wade, people have become very confused,’ said Adams. ‘You suddenly have the right to privacy, which is nowhere in the Constitution, but what the decision is based on. It also means in pro-choice America, the other side can’t speak.’

He did admit that there were some groups that gave a bad name to pro-life groups. However, he added that the same can be said of pro-choice groups.

‘I’m dead set opposed to the Genocide Awareness Project,’ said Adams. ‘There are people holding up pictures of dead babies with the intent to hurt to make you feel bad, and to make you feel guilty.’

Instead of making people feel bad, Adams said he believes the two sides should start a dialogue.

Some of the students, especially the people there to protest, disagreed entirely with the presentation and found his answers to some of their questions less than satisfactory.

‘I believe in a woman’s right to choose, it’s fine either way,’ said UMass freshman Amanda Schultz. ‘But a lot of people speaking for the pro-choice side have their ideas skewed. There isn’t enough of a voice for those who have been raped and who need the option of a choice.’

While Adams‘ speech focused on the pro-life movement, it was not what a lot of people expected.

‘I was expecting him to talk about more biological things, but he focused more on laws and examples from different campuses,’ said UMass freshman Shelby Heilig. ‘It was a diffe
rent kind of speech, and I really appreciated it.’

Schultz also thought that other topics would be talked about but ended up not being covered.

‘I assumed he would address Plan B and condom use,’ said Schultz.

The speech ended with a mixed reaction between some members of the audience cheering for Adams and others chanting against him. Adams pointed out that they could protest because were fortunate enough to have been born,unlike aborted fetuses.

The talk had close to 10 police officers in attendance, as two years ago when Adams spoke on campus, he was taken off the stage.

‘Last time he spoke, the protestors took over the stage and attempted to take over the speech,’ said Khanna of the past incident. ‘We believe strongly in the right to free speech, but we don’t believe in silencing other speech.’

There was little interruption in Adams’ speech overall, with the exception of two protestors, who were taken out of the auditorium for heckling the speaker, and several audience members commenting after a few of the things that Adams brought up in his speech.

Thespeech was given in support of the Students for Life ‘Pro-Life Week.’

Emily Reynolds can be reached at [email protected].