bookworm_2005 (![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} bookworm_2005) wrote,@ 2009-04-24 13:59:00 |
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As I twittered last night, our campus was temporarily invaded by anti-abortion protesters. (Protesters rally against abortion, Daily Record)
Apparently, this is actually an annual event, although it's the first time I've seen it.
Anyway, I was on my way to class, so I couldn't stop and chat, but I do have somethings to say:
First of all, despite the reactions of some people, I didn't find the poster boards to be all that shocking. There were so many of them that they lost their shock value and ended up being just a blur of dark colors as I drove by. Besides, I've seen these types of images online and on the TV, so they weren't really a surprise.
Second, I highly doubt the sincerity of these protesters. Why? Because if they were truly, sincerely, against abortion and wanted to make it extinct, they wouldn't waste their time with this empty and futile display.
Instead, they would be campaigning for more government money to be spent on scientific advancements in Birth Control and in all medical fields connected with Reproduction. They would be advocating for birth control to be free and widely available to everyone, regardless of age. They would be advocating for better, more effective, mandatory sex education in schools (and not abstinence only, which is not effective). They would launch a PR campaign to spread the idea that using birth control is social responsibility for everyone. They would support Equal Rights and better education in general. They would support more government-sponsored programs to help and educate young mothers (and fathers). They would lobby to make adoption less expensive for everyone involved.
They wouldn't be holding signs, they would be handing out condoms.
Strangely enough, I have never seen any hard-core pro-lifer do any of these things.
Third, Anti-abortion protesters are a bunch of hypocrites. They don't care about the consequences of giving birth to a child, only that the child is born. If a frightened and overwhelmed teenage mother abandons her newborn infant to freeze to death in a dumpster or strangles it, that's fine with them; but heaven forbid that she get an abortion instead. They would rather that a child starve to death or live a short, brutal life of misery and pain. They are very concerned about the unborn, but once a child is born they wash their hands of it.
Seriously, when was the last time one of those protesters took a destitute, unwed, pregnant teenager into their home, paid for her support and medical care out of their own pocket, with no expectation of reimbursement, and then found a good home for the resulting child? Or helped the young mother to keep her child and go on to have a good, successful life? Or provided parenting classes for young parents? Or voluntarily paid for the life-long medical expenses of a child born with a debilitating disease? These are the people who cut funding for young mothers in desperate need (how very compassionate you are, Gov. Sarah Palin), and constantly condem increasing welfare support. They are the people who would force teenagers to be utterly ignorant of sex and of how to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy. These are the folk who would like to abolish birth control altogether. They are hypocrites.
Frankly, these anti-abortion protesters would advance their cause more effectively if they put away their posterboards and opened their wallets, hearts, and homes to those in need.
In case you hadn't guessed by now, I'm Pro-choice. However, I would like to see abortion become an outdated, uncommon medical procedure made unneccessary by medical and social advancements. May that day come soon.
My comments address anti-abortion protesters in general, not any particular individual. If my view of this group, which is based on their public activites and media appearances, is in error, perhaps they should do a better job of shaping their public face.
Apparently, this is actually an annual event, although it's the first time I've seen it.
Anyway, I was on my way to class, so I couldn't stop and chat, but I do have somethings to say:
First of all, despite the reactions of some people, I didn't find the poster boards to be all that shocking. There were so many of them that they lost their shock value and ended up being just a blur of dark colors as I drove by. Besides, I've seen these types of images online and on the TV, so they weren't really a surprise.
Second, I highly doubt the sincerity of these protesters. Why? Because if they were truly, sincerely, against abortion and wanted to make it extinct, they wouldn't waste their time with this empty and futile display.
Instead, they would be campaigning for more government money to be spent on scientific advancements in Birth Control and in all medical fields connected with Reproduction. They would be advocating for birth control to be free and widely available to everyone, regardless of age. They would be advocating for better, more effective, mandatory sex education in schools (and not abstinence only, which is not effective). They would launch a PR campaign to spread the idea that using birth control is social responsibility for everyone. They would support Equal Rights and better education in general. They would support more government-sponsored programs to help and educate young mothers (and fathers). They would lobby to make adoption less expensive for everyone involved.
They wouldn't be holding signs, they would be handing out condoms.
Strangely enough, I have never seen any hard-core pro-lifer do any of these things.
Third, Anti-abortion protesters are a bunch of hypocrites. They don't care about the consequences of giving birth to a child, only that the child is born. If a frightened and overwhelmed teenage mother abandons her newborn infant to freeze to death in a dumpster or strangles it, that's fine with them; but heaven forbid that she get an abortion instead. They would rather that a child starve to death or live a short, brutal life of misery and pain. They are very concerned about the unborn, but once a child is born they wash their hands of it.
Seriously, when was the last time one of those protesters took a destitute, unwed, pregnant teenager into their home, paid for her support and medical care out of their own pocket, with no expectation of reimbursement, and then found a good home for the resulting child? Or helped the young mother to keep her child and go on to have a good, successful life? Or provided parenting classes for young parents? Or voluntarily paid for the life-long medical expenses of a child born with a debilitating disease? These are the people who cut funding for young mothers in desperate need (how very compassionate you are, Gov. Sarah Palin), and constantly condem increasing welfare support. They are the people who would force teenagers to be utterly ignorant of sex and of how to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy. These are the folk who would like to abolish birth control altogether. They are hypocrites.
Frankly, these anti-abortion protesters would advance their cause more effectively if they put away their posterboards and opened their wallets, hearts, and homes to those in need.
In case you hadn't guessed by now, I'm Pro-choice. However, I would like to see abortion become an outdated, uncommon medical procedure made unneccessary by medical and social advancements. May that day come soon.
My comments address anti-abortion protesters in general, not any particular individual. If my view of this group, which is based on their public activites and media appearances, is in error, perhaps they should do a better job of shaping their public face.
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