Abortion Clinic Protests

RiverJordan

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Anyone here go to protests at abortion clinics? I ask because I read this article (about a court case over buffers around clinics) today that said...

Protesters "wore Boston Police Department hats and shirts and stationed themselves, carrying clipboards, at the garage entrance," demanding that patients give them personal information. Protesters would attack clinic escorts with umbrellas. While the prior law disallowed directly approaching patients, anti-choicers would follow them around screaming invectives, often through bullhorns. When cops were called, the protesters argued that they were just following, not "approaching." The police department itself suggested a stronger buffer zone around the front door.

Michelle Kinsey Bruns, a Virginia-based activist who has volunteered in clinic defense in eight states, told me that she's seen plenty of patients who come to clinics "in fight mode," worried about being bullied by protesters. "That's what clinic harassment and violence have done for the experience of going to a gynecologist's office: Patients know it's going to be a gauntlet, and they approach it like a combat zone.” And Lori Gregory-Garrott, an escort at the last abortion clinic in Mississippi, wrote on Slate about the daily battle that is just trying to get patients past a wall of hostile protesters, even if the patients are just picking up their birth control prescriptions.

Even with the current buffer zone, things can be hard for clinic workers. One counselor named Megan, who works at an independent Massachusetts abortion clinic, described her situation: "Despite the 35-foot barrier, I have to walk through the protesters to get to the front door. Each time I walk to work, no matter how many times I have done it, my heart starts pounding when I see them." They yell the typical accusations of murder and tell her she's going to hell. "I'm worried that dangerous situations in other parts of the country will become life-threatening if buffer zones are taken away," she adds.
I've never been to such protests, so I'm wondering if these are extreme examples or if they are typical of what goes on.
 
This is the exception not the rule but it is not how Jesus would have done things and the secular press will jump at any smallest opportunity to make Christians look like evil haters (one day here it will be seen as brainwashing if you teach faith to your children) and are part of a concerted effort to silence our speaking the word in public...these violent law breaking examples fuel the fire...
 
Well, I don't think it's as much the press intentionally trying to make Christians look bad as it is them going for "the story", which leads to sensationalism. IOW, you could have 100 peaceful protesters and 2 belligerent ones, and the press will cover the 2 jerks. But that's not limited to Christians; they do it with just about every group of people.

I kinda figured that in this case, both sides are cherry picking who they choose to talk about. As the article says, the clinic protesters try to put up an old grandmother who "just wants to talk" as typical of their ranks, but OTOH the clinic workers try and put up protesters who disguise themselves as cops as typical.

But what stood out to me was the statement that even the police are supporting the idea of a buffer zone. I wouldn't think they'd take that position unless there was a good reason.
 
Well, I don't think it's as much the press intentionally trying to make Christians look bad as it is them going for "the story", which leads to sensationalism.

Then how come they never tell of the over 1200 wells dug in Africa giving otherwise disease ridden people clean water, or of how millions of people are being fed with no help from any nations tax dollars? Or of the astounding success rate of Christianity transforming millions of drug addicts and alcoholics (both of which I was) lives...but note this...if a well built by Christians suddenly fries upi or is demonstrated to have been a money gaining scheme, you will be sure they will print that...there are 100s of 1000s of sincere, loving, faithful, pastors and their spouses (the unseen heroes and heronine's) but just let one get caught with a hooker and BAM! Front page news...

I see this all the time...90% of the time a Bible believing Christian is a character in a show or movie, they are usually the criminal, the wako, the pervert, the secret killer...

Nah! I am not a conspiracy nut but they "selectively cover" in order to (and I quote Sam Donaldson) "shape public opinion". Well to me intentionally shaping the opinion of the masses is social engineering not real journalism. So what public opinion are they "shaping" about Christ, the church, and the word of God?

I know! This is my opinion...fell free to comment and then we can return to the OP

brother Paul
 
But what stood out to me was the statement that even the police are supporting the idea of a buffer zone. I wouldn't think they'd take that position unless there was a good reason.

Yeah you are right on this one...and all it takes is a few trouble makers to destroy the good that may have been accomplished. Believe me I have some stories to confirm this.

In His love

brother Paul
 
But what stood out to me was the statement that even the police are supporting the idea of a buffer zone. I wouldn't think they'd take that position unless there was a good reason.

While I (in the UK) have no experience of these protests, I'd think a buffer could work both ways.

The stand out feature to me was the use of "anti-choice" in the article as I think I've only read "pro-life" and "pro-choice" as representing the two sides before. The chosen term was enough to persuade me to look further into the author of the article and found: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanda_Marcotte
The section entitled "Blogging for the Edwards campaign" is an interesting read...

While I might think it quite possible that "extremists" do exist on either side, I'd hardly view your source as (relatively) neutral.
 
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Forever there only was pro-life...Doctors use to have to swear to save lives (not take them, whatever the political rationale)...the law always aloud that if it came down to a choice of life between a mother or child the mother chose if she could and if not able the father chose between them and if letting the mother meant letting the baby pass this was legal and allowable. But wise rhetoricians and propagandists could not honestly call those opposed to pro-life pro-death (but these are the same people who push for and approve euthanasia, assisted suicide, partial birth abortion, and other pro-death legislations).

They intentionally sought and chose the idea of "pro-choice" (as if pro-life is not a choice) so they could bill anyone against pro-death as against freedom of choice, and then later poured into the word "choice" a new meaning "Women's Reproductive Health" so that anyone opposed to "pro-choice" pro death legislations are against "Women's Reproductive Health" where actually being pregnant and bringing the baby full term IS a woman's "Reproductive" (as in reproducing something in this case a living being) health....this same technique of carefully engineering emotionally packed buzzwords and later pouring in new aberrant meaning is well mastered propaganda (brainwashing) technique...(see the T-4 Euthanasia project)

Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda Minister once said, “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”

brother Paul
 
Some of what we read and hear about is deliberately slanted, most of it, IMHO, is simply that sensationalism sells, so the shocking, sordid, and exceptional things get the attention. Once we understand this, we can keep news stories in perspective, and not form our opinions about things solely from media reports. Even in our own circles, how often does one of us go to another with a story about "do you know what so-an-so did!?".
 
I have a huge, HUGE problem with so-called Pro-Life activists who use bully tactics. This is NOT pro-life.

The concept of pro-life is that you don't regard one life as greater than another. When the rhetoric because "this life is better than you," then you've missed the point.

Being pro-life means having compassion for the mother as well. And even the abortionists need to be treated with compassion, and that's why it's important to get across the education of why what they are doing is absolutely wrong -- not in a judgmental way, but in a way to protect every life and expose the truth.
 
Amen LS, Amen...and yes Rumely bullying technique or violence is totally inappropriate....in true pro-life even the life of the Abortion clinic Doctors and Nurses are respected. Rather we should pray "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do"!
 
I think that there is always going to be the 'religious extremists' that give Christianity a bad name (although I think many would agree that just because you claim you are a Christian or acting in the name of our LORD doesn't make it truth.)

A couple of other points to consider: Anyone walking into an abortion clinic should be considered 'lost' Therefore we should treat them as such and not condemn them (since condemnation is reserved for the LORD anyway) for being 'ignorant'. Also, if the Church is doing its job, no Christian would be going to have an abortion....

In my humble opinion. As someone who went through the abortion process-as someone who is guilty of coercing someone into the abortion process as a lost person; if someone had been at the door with a message of love and grace and forgiveness; maybe things would be different now...
 
One of my favorite organizations is called Project Rachel - Hope After Abortion (website). Thank God for organizations like this one. It's testament to the thought of even the mother being a subject of victimization and requires help and love.

People are often mislead with bad science leading them to bad moral choices (though with the so-called science the pro-abortion side is promoting, it wouldn't be immoral at all which I truly believe).

But the women who deal with the pain after an abortion deserve just as much help as anyone else.
 
Paul,

Certainly the media doesn't cover the good charity and social work Christian organizations do. But they don't cover similar work for Muslim charities either...or for that matter, much charity work at all. IMO, today's media is focused on scandal, crime, violence, sex, etc. IOW, they want the "dirt". I think a couple of years ago a network tried doing a "Good News" broadcast where they focused entirely on the good things that happened that day, rather than just having a 1/2 hour rundown of all the bad stuff. Guess what? No one watched.

So as much as I complain about the media, they're just giving the public what it wants.
 
Anyone walking into an abortion clinic should be considered 'lost' Therefore we should treat them as such and not condemn them (since condemnation is reserved for the LORD anyway) for being 'ignorant'. Also, if the Church is doing its job, no Christian would be going to have an abortion....
While I appreciate your sentiment of being non-judgmental, referring to someone as "lost" even though you have little to no information about their situation is being judgmental.

I know two women who've had abortions. Neither was for convenience and both were in situations that I pray to God I'll never find myself in. Truly horrible. Keep in mind, not every pregnancy goes according to plan.
 
Absolutely RJ...we must always be compassionate and there is always the exception to the rule.

Yes but there is a huge contrast between 'getting an abortion for medical complications' and going to a 'baby killing factory' which is what "abortion clinics" are. Having a procedure done by a doctor in a hospital is one thing....
 
I don't think it's ever okay. My cousin was told by her doctor to abort because the baby had birth defects. She refused and he was born perfectly healthy.
 
Thanks Mike and Paul! :)

Sweet Pea, I've also seen it go the other way, where severe deformities are identified, the mother chooses to bring the baby to term, puts her own health at risk, and ends up with a pretty terrible outcome (delivering a dead baby and ending further chances to conceive).

That's why I think that in those sorts of situations, each person has to make their own decisions.
 
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