Pro-Life Protesting Behavior

[Steezie]

One of my close friends went to a Planned Parenthood clinic yesterday and she encountered some pro-life protesters. For the purposes of this thread, we'll call her Mary.

She was going in to terminate a pregnancy after having concerns about her physical ability to bear a child. Her OBGYN told her that she would probably be ok but she couldnt make any promises. Mary is attending college for an engineering degree and has concerns about her ability to complete school as well as her physical ability to carry the baby and give birth. Rather than risk it and drop out of school, she decided it would be best to terminate.

Now normally we have pro-life protesters around the local Planned Parenthood clinic. Its a common scene and they generally havent caused much of a problem. But when Mary started walking in, the protestors began shouting at her, shoving signs in her face and pictures of aborted fetuses. One of the women there shouted that she was a harlot and should have kept her legs closed.

Normally I would guess that abortion protesters are atleast moderately civil, a few crazies, but generally contained. But whats with the intimidation? I mean seriously, yelling and screaming in front of a government building, thats one thing. Harassing and scaring a woman on her own and basically ATTACKING HER, what does that accomplish?

 

[marblehead]

Harassing and scaring a woman on her own and basically ATTACKING HER, what does that accomplish?

Nothing, but it makes them feel they accomplished something.

 

[Caylin]

One of my close friends went to a Planned Parenthood clinic yesterday and she encountered some pro-life protesters. For the purposes of this thread, we'll call her Mary.

She was going in to terminate a pregnancy after having concerns about her physical ability to bear a child. Her OBGYN told her that she would probably be ok but she couldnt make any promises. Mary is attending college for an engineering degree and has concerns about her ability to complete school as well as her physical ability to carry the baby and give birth. Rather than risk it and drop out of school, she decided it would be best to terminate.

Now normally we have pro-life protesters around the local Planned Parenthood clinic. Its a common scene and they generally havent caused much of a problem. But when Mary started walking in, the protestors began shouting at her, shoving signs in her face and pictures of aborted fetuses. One of the women there shouted that she was a harlot and should have kept her legs closed.

Normally I would guess that abortion protesters are atleast moderately civil, a few crazies, but generally contained. But whats with the intimidation? I mean seriously, yelling and screaming in front of a government building, thats one thing. Harassing and scaring a woman on her own and basically ATTACKING HER, what does that accomplish?

Find out what church they go to, and make sure you are there sunday morning, with signs and pictures of someone being burned at the stake.

 

[KarateCowboy]

One of my close friends went to a Planned Parenthood clinic yesterday and she encountered some pro-life protesters. For the purposes of this thread, we'll call her Mary.

She was going in to terminate a pregnancy after having concerns about her physical ability to bear a child. Her OBGYN told her that she would probably be ok but she couldnt make any promises. Mary is attending college for an engineering degree and has concerns about her ability to complete school as well as her physical ability to carry the baby and give birth. Rather than risk it and drop out of school, she decided it would be best to terminate.

Now normally we have pro-life protesters around the local Planned Parenthood clinic. Its a common scene and they generally havent caused much of a problem. But when Mary started walking in, the protestors began shouting at her, shoving signs in her face and pictures of aborted fetuses. One of the women there shouted that she was a harlot and should have kept her legs closed.

Normally I would guess that abortion protesters are atleast moderately civil, a few crazies, but generally contained. But whats with the intimidation? I mean seriously, yelling and screaming in front of a government building, thats one thing. Harassing and scaring a woman on her own and basically ATTACKING HER, what does that accomplish?

There is nothing civil about the barbaric practice of infanticide. The Spartans would take new-borns and leave them on a mountain to die. The modern method is just a lot quicker. So I guess that is why there is much incivility: it is the nature of the subject.

 

[levi501]

excellent example of What Would Jesus Not Do.

 

[kopilo]

Normally I would guess that abortion protesters are atleast moderately civil, a few crazies, but generally contained. But whats with the intimidation? I mean seriously, yelling and screaming in front of a government building, thats one thing. Harassing and scaring a woman on her own and basically ATTACKING HER, what does that accomplish?

I'm hoping to hear from some people who have protested under the banner of pro-life and that they are just as horrified as I am.

I would have no issue with them approaching her in a civil manner, maybe sitting her down and having some tea or coffee and talking to her about the choice she is about to make, giving her time to talk about it as well.

What does aggressive behaviour achieve? Division (war is a prim example of this), ergo I'd imagine it to actually push 'Mary' to continue on with an abortion even if she was only just thinking about it.

Of course I imagine it would depend a lot on the type of person Mary is to what outcome aggressive behaviour achieves. However I doubt it would be one that is either pleasant or intended.

 

[EnemyPartyII]

I believe that such agressive behaviour is far more in line with my theory that many "pro-lifers" are far more interested in stopping consenting adults from acting as they want in their own bedrooms, rather than saving sweet little foetuses

 

[Pogue]

One of my close friends went to a Planned Parenthood clinic yesterday and she encountered some pro-life protesters. For the purposes of this thread, we'll call her Mary.

She was going in to terminate a pregnancy after having concerns about her physical ability to bear a child. Her OBGYN told her that she would probably be ok but she couldnt make any promises. Mary is attending college for an engineering degree and has concerns about her ability to complete school as well as her physical ability to carry the baby and give birth. Rather than risk it and drop out of school, she decided it would be best to terminate.

Now normally we have pro-life protesters around the local Planned Parenthood clinic. Its a common scene and they generally havent caused much of a problem. But when Mary started walking in, the protestors began shouting at her, shoving signs in her face and pictures of aborted fetuses. One of the women there shouted that she was a harlot and should have kept her legs closed.

Normally I would guess that abortion protesters are atleast moderately civil, a few crazies, but generally contained. But whats with the intimidation? I mean seriously, yelling and screaming in front of a government building, thats one thing. Harassing and scaring a woman on her own and basically ATTACKING HER, what does that accomplish?

Wow. What a horrible thing to have to go through.
I'm opposed to abortion myself, but I would never condone behaviour like that. It doesn't achieve anything positive at all. There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding about abortion among my fellow opponents of abortion. I don't believe that it's something anyone ever wants to do, but sometimes the alternatives are worse. Very few people could properly be called 'anti-life', which is why I don't describe my position as 'pro-life'. Trying to dissuade somebody by attacking her undermines the whole 'respect for life' thing.

 

[Bombila]

Yet it is a common approach by Pro-life clinic protesters, and is why some pro-choice and women friendly groups provide a 'sidewalk escort' service for women going into clinics. Otherwise they may be viciously harassed from the sidewalk to the door, often by 'pro-life' men much bigger than they, and very intimidating. I've seen it.

 

[EnemyPartyII]

Yet it is a common approach by Pro-life clinic protesters, and is why some pro-choice and women friendly groups provide a 'sidewalk escort' service for women going into clinics. Otherwise they may be viciously harassed from the sidewalk to the door, often by 'pro-life' men much bigger than they, and very intimidating. I've seen it.

Disgusting.

I'm against abortion generally, and I think that such behaviour is worse than anything going on inside the clinic itself

 

[Angel4Truth]

Strange, ive never heard that protestors have been in the doorways of clinics before - they are usually across or down the street because as i understand it (i do believe in most places thereare laws limiting protest to a certain area away from entrances)- protests have to happen at least so many yards or feet from the clinic - could you tell us what city this occured in? Very strange.

 

[tcampen]

My family used to go to an annual festival downtown, but found the pro-life protesters with their blown-up photos of aborted fetuses in front of my 4 year old was so innappropriate, that we decided just not to attend this event any more. This is happening with more and more events. This tactic made me so angry I wanted to immediately donate to Planned Parenthood in response (something I've never done.) How dare they do this to my child, and attempt to call themselves Christian, moral, or responsible in any way.

These types convert no one to their cause, but just make themselves feel like they are doing god's work. Their narcissistic, ego-driven methodology is so obviously counterproductive to their stated cause, that any rational person can only conclude they don't truly care about the unbord child, only their own warped sense of righteousness.

 

[Steezie]

Strange, ive never heard that protestors have been in the doorways of clinics before - they are usually across or down the street because as i understand it (i do believe in most places thereare laws limiting protest to a certain area away from entrances)- protests have to happen at least so many yards or feet from the clinic - could you tell us what city this occured in? Very strange.

The Burbank clinic in Southern California (The Van Nuys clinic is closer but its closed for renovation I guess). I'd rather not provide the city where we live for obvious reasons

There is nothing civil about the barbaric practice of infanticide. The Spartans would take new-borns and leave them on a mountain to die. The modern method is just a lot quicker. So I guess that is why there is much incivility: it is the nature of the subject.

So that exscuses harassment and out and out attacking people?

 

[Texas Lynn]

Normally I would guess that abortion protesters are atleast moderately civil

Your guess would be wrong.

...what does that accomplish?

It's a great chance to bully and intimidate someone especially a vulnerable young woman.

 

[Texas Lynn]

There is nothing civil about the barbaric practice of infanticide. The Spartans would take new-borns and leave them on a mountain to die. The modern method is just a lot quicker. So I guess that is why there is much incivility: it is the nature of the subject.

That's very nice but entirely irrelevant to the topic.

 

[SallyNow]

I think it is cruel to protest outside a medical clinic. Those protestors don't know what services the women are recieving at the Planned Parenthood clinic. Some may be going for contraceptives, other for yearly gynocological vists, others for treatment after a miscarriage, still others for prental care. Even those woman who are are getting abortions may not be doing so because they want one. They may need it done for medical reasons, or they may have had tests done in the early months and found out the baby isn't viable. Why force them to carry for nine months so in the end they can have a stillbirth?

I am against abortion used as birth control - it is irresponsible on the part of both the man and the woman. However, there are times when abortion isn't used as birth control but because it is the only realistic option.

Anti-abortion protestors should be out volunteering at adoption agencies as to lower the cost so that all good families (not just rich ones) can afford adoption fees. They should be out there making sure every woman can recieve proper prenatal care.

Of course, there is a double-edged sword with prenatal care - a small percentage of pregnancies may have to be terminated for medical reasons, but this would probably be much less than women who abort because they have no or limited access to medical care.

There is nothing civil about the barbaric practice of infanticide. The Spartans would take new-borns and leave them on a mountain to die. The modern method is just a lot quicker. So I guess that is why there is much incivility: it is the nature of the subject.

So it is better to risk the woman's life with limited or no prenatal care, or to continue with a life-threatening pregnancy? Not all abortions are done as a way of birth control - many have medical reasons that can not be treated as this time. It it much less barbaric to end an dangerous pregnancy than it is to let the mother suffer and die, or go through pregnancy and have a stillbirth, or a dangerous but preventable miscarriage.

 

[kevin36]

I believe that such agressive behaviour is far more in line with my theory that many "pro-lifers" are far more interested in stopping consenting adults from acting as they want in their own bedrooms, rather than saving sweet little foetuses

It has nothing to do with governing sexual activity.

If a person wants to be sexually active, but does not want to be "inconvienced" by a pregnancy, which is all that I got that "Mary" felt... inconvienced... then they should take steps to not get pregnant.

If you are all grown-up enough to have sex, then you should be all grown-up enough to know before hand that a doctor feels that you might not be able to easily carry a child. Things like that fall under a category called "responsibility".

Killing a child because you might have to drop out of school? Ending a life for your own convience? Not the actions of a responsible adult, in my opinion.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, while I am against abortion for any reason, I am also against the type of protest that was described.

 

[Sight]

One of my close friends went to a Planned Parenthood clinic yesterday and she encountered some pro-life protesters. For the purposes of this thread, we'll call her Mary.

She was going in to terminate a pregnancy after having concerns about her physical ability to bear a child. Her OBGYN told her that she would probably be ok but she couldnt make any promises. Mary is attending college for an engineering degree and has concerns about her ability to complete school as well as her physical ability to carry the baby and give birth. Rather than risk it and drop out of school, she decided it would be best to terminate.

Now normally we have pro-life protesters around the local Planned Parenthood clinic. Its a common scene and they generally havent caused much of a problem. But when Mary started walking in, the protestors began shouting at her, shoving signs in her face and pictures of aborted fetuses. One of the women there shouted that she was a harlot and should have kept her legs closed.

Normally I would guess that abortion protesters are atleast moderately civil, a few crazies, but generally contained. But whats with the intimidation? I mean seriously, yelling and screaming in front of a government building, thats one thing. Harassing and scaring a woman on her own and basically ATTACKING HER, what does that accomplish?

This is the reality of fanatics.

They cannot be reasoned with, only pushed aside and ignored for the animals they behave like.

 

[Angel4Truth]

Did planned parenthood call the police? you said she was attacked ... Did they also get the police to remove the protestors from the doorway of the clinic since that is against the law? Surely this would have been on the news also because of laws barring protestors from the property of the clinics especially in california :

Vallejo, California: fixed buffer zone which requires protesters to remain across the street from a clinic enacted in 1991. [14] After the Supreme Court of California upheld the injunction, the case was taken to the federal Supreme Court in October 1994, but was remanded to the state court due to the recent Madsen v. Women's Health Center decision. The California Supreme Court again upheld the buffer zone in July 1995. On March 17, 1997 the case reached the federal Supreme Court as Williams v. Planned Parenthood Shasta-Diablo, and Justices voted 6-3 to uphold the buffer zone. [15] from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_protection_of_access_to_abortion

Im interested to know how these protestors were able to "attack" your friend in the "doorway" of the clinic when in the state of california - protestors have to be across the street or at a certain distance away from the clinic.

 

[Archivist]

If a person wants to be sexually active, but does not want to be "inconvienced" by a pregnancy, which is all that I got that "Mary" felt... inconvienced... then they should take steps to not get pregnant.

No, the OP specifically said that "Mary" was "having concerns about her physical ability to bear a child" and that while "her OBGYN told her that she would probably be ok...she couldnt make any promises." Whether Mary's fears are justified or not, they are apparently very real to her. That sounds like more than just being inconvienced.