People used to revere the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) as the “birthplace of free speech,” a compliment proudly worn and earned by the once-respected university. But over the years, it transformed into a place hostile to objective truth, civil debate, and free speech contrary to mainstream culture, creating a harsh environment for pro-life and conservative students.   

Countless speakers and campus groups have received death threats from the leftist, pro-abortion darlings who claim “tolerance.” Whenever I tell people I go to Berkeley, they often respond in shock and awe. As I said, the people’s impression of the university turned from dignity to dread. My first time tabling with Students for Life of America (SFLA) was as a student before I became the SFLA California and Nevada Regional Coordinator. “If I can handle UC Berkeley, then I could handle anywhere,” I thought, and surprisingly, it went well, and I confidentially accepted the regional coordinator job.    

All good things must come to an end. Two weeks ago, the campus SFLA group hosted the Go Fund Yourself Planned Parenthood Tour at UC Berkeley. As the rain slowed, we continued to table in Sproul Plaza, located in the heart of UC Berkeley, from late morning to afternoon. It was a rainy day, and we were tabling in Sproul Plaza in the heart of Campus. By making the campus community aware of the dangers of Planned Parenthood and alternative resources to abortion, we spoke to over 30 people and changed five people’s minds.   

Then, it happened.  

We were near the end of tabling when I and two other students spoke to a pro-choice man near the table. As the conversation commenced, we greeted a young woman who came by. After greeting each other, she stared at the table covered in pro-life literature and merchandise. Distracted by our conversation with the pro-choice man, we noticed that she was running away with a large handful of literature topic cards, stickers, pins, and wristbands only a few seconds later. We caught up with her and asked her to return our stuff, and she walked away without saying anything.  

I saw her coming back in our direction, so I asked a student, Sophia, to film while I confronted her. When we asked her what she did with our stuff, she said, “I threw it in the trash where it belongs.” This we caught on video. I looked in all the surrounding trash cans but could not recover the items. The student Sophia and I then filed a police report with campus police directly afterward, reporting the stolen items. 

This is one mild example of the backlash, hate, and violence that our students experience every day here in California, one of the most, if not the most, pro-abortion states in the country. Recently, SFLA Student Spokesperson Lydia Taylor Davis was mobbed by students at Virginia Commonwealth. SFLA students have been spat at, insulted, mocked, and ridiculed. Yet, they stand tall and strong in the face of all of this on a day-to-day basis to raise the Pro-Life Generation (PLG) and abolish abortion.   

This is why I am so confident that we will not only abolish abortion but cultivate a culture of Life. No thief or vandal will deter us.   

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