Jan 11
Protesting the Protesters
This week, some anti-choice — “pro-life” is a moronic title — advocates protested Hillary Clinton in Charleston. I didn’t see it, although the descriptions found over at SunnieFaerie and Kittens on the Keyboard remind me a lot of a similar stunt I saw performed in Richmond back in 2004.
Displaying giant images of aborted fetuses, under the guise of trying to persuade people to be against abortion, is the epitome of sensationalizing a situation, one that for many women and couples, is an extraordinarily painful topic.
I have to wonder how many of these “anti-choicers” also happen to be the same kinds of Christian advocates who’d join up with groups protesting television shows they’ve never bothered to watch themselves but that they somehow think contains inappropriate content. The images these protesters display for passersby of all ages to see are too graphic to appear on television at all.
I also wonder how many of them feel that children should be protected from images of violence and gore in movies as they wave their signs of blood and gore.
We have to tolerate such foolishness in a society that values freedom of speech. But they could just as easily wave signs of young children who have accomplished great things in school or for their community…the kinds of young people that parents want their little ones to be more like to make the point about the value of one life.
Too bad they only want to do what they’re so quick to accuse their opponents of doing: exploit.
January 11th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
i call myself and consider myself to be a “pro-lifer” regardless of whether or not one agrees with my stance or not, please do not include me with this group. i would imagine that this is a small slice of a minority.
you wrote: “But they could just as easily wave signs of young children who have accomplished great things in school or for their community…the kinds of young people that parents want their little ones to be more like to make the point about the value of one life.”
as a matter of fact, Patrick, i am doing just that today over at my blog and under the family Big Top. our little man, a former 24 weeker 1 pound baby, is six years old today and yes, he is absolutely amazing. anyone can come over to celebrate with me.
January 11th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Duly noted, Laura.
My problem with the “pro-life” term is that those of us on the other side of the issue aren’t “pro-death.” We don’t look forward to abortion, or necessarily think that there aren’t better options available.
For us, it’s about choice, even if the choice isn’t the one we’d make for ourselves. Because at the end of the day, choice is what this country is supposed to be about, even up to and including the moral and religious views that often, but not always, define which position one takes on this issue.
If a couple decides that this is the decision they must make, I don’t feel I have the right to tell them that they can’t.
Personally, I am absolutely against abortion when used as the sole means of birth control. I find that irresponsible and detestable.
But I think there are times when couples take other precautions after making a reasonable choice that they aren’t prepared to provide for the child, only to find that the precautions have failed. And, there’s that rape scenario, when a woman is already victimized once. I don’t feel that these people should be forced to continue a pregnancy.
Of course, as with all other things, freedom means allowing some to abuse the choice so that people who’ve taken the time to make an informed decision can make theirs. It’s not a perfect system, nor will it ever be.
January 12th, 2008 at 1:59 am
i guess i do agree with the idea of choice.
funny though many i know who say they are pro choice (the father of my future grandchild included) seem to get all worked up if the woman actually makes a choice that they wouldn’t personally agree with or do themselves. i reminded my daughter of this a few months back when her baby’s father demanded that she get an abortion because this was going to mess him up. if it is truly her choice then one must accept that their is always more than one option and move on whether they agree with i or not. i guess one might say that makes me pro-choice but they might not always agree with my choice. personally i despise the labels, even the moronic ones. they are so divisive and force one to choose a side rather than look at and consider the big picture. they also tend to create assumptions that if one is say pro-life then they MUST be Bible-thumpers who shove pictures of dead babies in your face and are party to horrible acts of violence. it would also be unfair to then assume that one who is pro-choice is pro-death. i am so surprised and so frustrated to see even the brightest, most articulate people, whose opinions i respect, can so easily slip into labeling and assuming like this.
remember what i do for a living? i can tell you i have seen way too many “products of birth control failure” (my grandchild included) yet in the 18+ years of practice i have not encountered a product of rape at least it was never noted in the records. i have also seen way too many who seem to consider this right to choose as just another birth control option. i’m sorry but but 9 or more therapeutic abortions in a 3-4 year period is so excessive that if i could i would march the young lady down to planned parenthood for a better option myself if i didn’t risk losing my job. not because i want to force my choices on her but because i see and care for the results of such acts of self abuse. oh yes, i have seen cases like that way too many times where i currently practice and unfortunately the results are often at the risk of the woman’s reproductive health and the health of the children that she does eventually choose to have which is when i become acquainted with them. that is probably why when i talk to my children about sex i always stress that no method is full proof except abstinence so they better make sure that they are prepared to accept the responsibility that comes with having sex even if they are using birth control.
i do agree it is not a perfect system and i doubt that it never will be in my lifetime. maybe in my grandchild’s? at least i can hope.
January 13th, 2008 at 1:20 am
I think that Patrick has nailed it in that the “pro choice” movement is not necessarily “pro abortion.” They may very well feel that abortion is a choice they would never make for themselves. They simply recognise the fact that “themselves” are the only people for whom they are qulified to make a choice. The so-called “pro-life” people want make a choice for other people, not for themselves, and that’s what the “pro-choice” people disagree with.