Groups'
pro-abstinence posters defaced, stolen
By
Sean Orfila
On-line Forty-Niner
Posters
on campus promoting sex after marriage were
defaced and stolen last week by vandals
with clashing views.
The
signs featured a picture of wedding rings
and read, "For better sex, slip on
one of these." Near the library, people
scribbled phrases on the signs and broke
stakes. Some posters became public forums
when vandals crossed out the words of previous
tagging and replied with their own views.
One sign was defaced in red ink with "Your
statistics lie," then crossed out again
in black with the message, "Your propaganda
lies." Another sign read "The
church supported slavery."
The
signs were posted by a combination of three
student groups: Campus Crusade for Christ,
Korean Crusade for Christ and Christian
Students Unite, said John Lockmer, a group
member. Lockmer said each group was allowed
to post 25 signs on campus and that the
groups combined to print out 75 signs, not
including posters on kiosks.
Lockmer,
who paid for some of the signs himself,
said they were intended for "getting
students to think about abstinence"
and encouraged people to read the article
posted on the Christian Students Unite Web
site.
All
of the signs at the kiosks were ripped down
and many of the groups' staked signs were
defaced or stolen. Only about 50 signs remained
on campus.
"About
one-third of the signs were gone,"
said Lockmer, commenting that usually people
just kick them over or break the wooden
sticks. Lockmer said any time Christian
groups place signs on campus something happens.
They're either knocked over or tossed into
bushes by vandals.
"We
expect them to be kicked down," said
Lockmer.
It
was the first time that signs were completely
missing from campus. "This time,"
said Lockmer, "some of them just disappeared
off the face of the Earth."
None
of the groups filed a report with the University
Police.
Dana
Lebental a political science major said,
"Most people look at the posters and
say 'Well too late, I've already had sex.'
I think if they were to promote a safe sex
campaign then it would be more successful."
"It's
just a sign, if you don't like it you don't
have to read it, you know? You don't have
to knock it over," remarked student
Mark Lordanich.
Some
areas on campus are havens for clashing
opinions. Wit-filled comments abound in
some of the restrooms at CSULB where chalkboards
line the urinals and stalls. In the bathrooms,
where public posting is legal and encouraged,
a mixture of comedy, politics, religious
views and solicitations are scribbled on
the boards daily. Last semester, when war
broke out in Iraq, the chalkboards erupted
with pro and anti-war opinions.
As
for the signs on campus, Lockmer said he
was not going to put the broken signs back
up. "The signs cost money and it just
takes too much time."
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