New Mexico Mercury

New Mexico Mercury

Right To Lifers on UNM Campus Spark Counter-protest

August 06, 2013

By James Burbank

During the noon hour on Monday right to lifers put up twenty by ten ft. color pictures of mutilated and aborted fetuses along Central to convince students and faculty on UNM’s main campus that abortion is wrong. The protestors, who were mostly teenage girls, got a surprise, however, when ten adamant fetuses bearing their own placards descended on them.

“We fetuses don’t like it when people saying they advocate for the rights of the unborn hang out these disgusting images that so dishonor us. Several people here have lost their cookies while returning from lunch.  How would you like it if someone put up a huge poster of you covered with slime and blood with your guts hanging out? We feel used,” said a fetus spokesperson who wished to maintain anonymity.

The fetuses haven’t taken a position on the late abortion issue that may be voted on by Albuquerque citizens. “We’re not partisan,” said the spokesperson, “Some of us are liberals and some are conservatives. We just want to defend our dignity and not be used for someone’s cheap political pandering,” said the spokesfetus. The members of Fetuses United were headed to UNM’s duck pond to hold a vigil that afternoon and to collect signatures for a “dignity petition” they were planning to circulate.

This piece was written by:

James Burbank

James Burbank has written and published over 200 articles for regional and national publications such as Reuters International News Service, The World & I Magazine, National Catholic Reporter, Farmer’s Almanac, Los Angeles Herald Examiner, La Opinion, New Mexico Magazine, Albuquerque Journal, Albuquerque Tribune. He is author of Retirement New Mexico, the best selling book published by New Mexico Magazine Press, now in its third edition. He is also author of Vanishing Lobo: the Mexican Wolf in the Southwest, published by Johnson Books.

As a professional writing consultant, he has written and edited publications, video and radio scripts, annual reports, and investment information for a wide variety of corporate clients. A Lecturer II for the Department of English, Burbank has specialized in teaching technical writing and professional writing. His interests extend from composition and writing theory to environmental and nature writing. He has played a leadership role in developing and implementing the English Department’s teaching mentorship program.