In case you haven't heard, it's the start of another 40 days against women's lives. If you don't know about the "40 Days for Life (sic)", it's basically when the antis choose to go to abortion clinics and stalk and harass the patients there (well, more than they normally do, anyway).
Sadly, we can't stop them from harassing patients at reproductive health clinics. However, that doesn't mean that we can't help the clinics and patients get through these next 40 days. There are a few ways that you can help. You can:
1) escort at a clinic. This is probably one of the best ways to help the patients bear with the protesters. If you don't already know, escorts act as a buffer between the antis and the patients. They help the patients get through the protesters . If you're interested, you can call a clinic near you and ask about escorting. You can also look on the "40 Days for Life (sic)" website to see the list of targeted clinics, so you can see where help is most needed.
2) donate! Donating to a clinic/abortion fund/pro-choice organization is a good way to help. Any amount of money is great, but I like the idea of donating $40 dollars to make a statement against the 40 days for lies.
3) counter-protest. Before you go to a clinic to counter-protest the antis, you may want to call the clinic and ask if they'd appreciate it. They may like having you there, or they may not want the extra commotion.
The 40 days for lies starts today and ends on March 28th. God bless all of you that are going to help the clinics and patients. Good luck!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
14 comments:
***PLEASE READ***
Due to constant spam and derailing coming from a few antis, I am now making this blog a "safe place". This does not mean that I won't allow opposing views. It means that I'm not longer going to allow hateful or unrelated/spammy comments. This will continue on until the anti-choice spammers get bored with harassing me and the people who post here, and is especially relevant when it comes to the topic of rape. I hope this doesn't deter any respectful people from commenting. :)
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Browsed the site a bit. I don't think there's a single non-White baby or woman on that site. Doesn't surprise me at all.
ReplyDeleteAnti's are out in droves at my local Planned Parenthood, which doesn't even offer abortions. They're harassing people as they go in for pap smears and flu shots and they've got giant bloody fetus photos pointed out toward the busy street. I think that makes it pretty obvious that "life" isn't the real motivation behind their actions.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog, btw.
Most Planned Parenthoods don't offer abortion services. Antis say that it's the nation's largest provider of abortion, which is true. But can you name another group of women's health centers that go by the same name? I can't. Most abortions occur in private women's health centers or OBGYN's offices, but they can't all be lumped together under one umbrella organization like Planned Parenthood.
ReplyDeleteChris Christie of New Jersey ran his gubernatorial primary campaign on defunding Planned Parenthood. The truth: Only two Planned Parenthoods in the entire state offer abortions. That's two out of more than 30! Defunding all of them would mean stealing preventative healthcare to millions of women and men.
I don't think any of the targeted clinics in New Jersey on the 40 Days for Lies site is a Planned Parenthood. I don't think most of them are. Apparently antis can't read or follow directions on where to go. Idiots. If I were any of the women going in for a pap smear or a flu shot, I'd tell them that what they're protesting against is health and life. Would they rather the women get sick or die of swine flu or cervical cancer? Maybe the answer to that question isn't that obvious to them.
"'40 Days for Life (sic)', it's basically when the antis choose to go to abortion clinics and stalk and harass the patients there (well, more than they normally do, anyway)."
ReplyDeleteThe 40 Days For Life movement does not "stalk" or "harrass" patients. Please provide evidence of anyone involved in the 40 Days compaign conducting this type of behavior.
By the way, sorry for being rude and not introducing myself first. My name is Dan and I found your blog through Twitter.
ReplyDeleteThis is my third year praying with 40 Days for Life. I do not stalk or harrass. I pray.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this comment, Carla. Anyone who is involved with the 40 Days campaign knows that "harassment" and "stalking" are absolutely against what 40 Days stands for.
ReplyDeleteHere in San Antonio, those who pray at our local Planned Parenthood are asked to sign a "statement of peace" which forbids us from tresspassing on PP property, or from harrassing PP employees or patients. Anyone who violates these rules of peace is asked to leave the sidewalk.
Hey Dan,
ReplyDeleteThe only ones I have seen harassing and stalking are the escorts for PP.
I'm from Wisconsin and the pro-aborts are nasty and harassing to those who peacefully assemble.
ReplyDeleteI cannot find one video example of 40 Days for Life harassing any other person. I have seen some where the pro-aborts are yelling at those praying on a public sidewalk. I have been involved in 40 Days and have never seen someone representing 40 Days for Life come close to harassing anyone.
ReplyDeleteI have seen people praying outside of abortion mills but this doesn't IN ANY WAY constitute stalking or harassment. Lying to the world and stating that peacefully assembling is the same as stalking and harassing does however, constitute libel and slander.
If someone can find a video of SOMEONE ASSOCIATED WITH 40 Days screaming at or harassing another person please let me know.
Otherwise PCG you are making large and unfounded accusations against many, many innocent people. Another reflection on your character.
"Otherwise PCG you are making large and unfounded accusations against many, many innocent people. Another reflection on your character."
ReplyDeleteWe shouldn't be making judgements on PCG's character. But it does seem that her perception of pro-life activists who demonstrate at abortion clinics is fueled by stereotypes.
40 Days For Life is a peaceful movement and the organizers would be very upset if anyone associated with them harrassed either abortion facility workers or patients.
Peaceful or not, you are butting into people's personal lives and judging them for something you know nothing about. You are not her. You don't know why she chose this or how she feels. Praying in front of clinics is just an attempt to shame and intimidate them. If you guys believed in prayer at all you would pray to yourselves privately, trusting that your god would listen. Praying in public is just showing off your piety while harrassing women.
ReplyDeleteSaynaTheSpiffy - If someone set up a stand in a junior high or high school and started handing out information that encouraged students to stay away from drugs, would you say that they are butting into the lives of the students that attend the school? Or would you say they are trying to do something helpful? People that pray outside abortion clinics as part of the 40 Days for Life campaign do so in order to 1) pray for the women who are going to the clinic to have an abortion, and 2) be available to the women going to the clinic to have an abortion in case they want information regarding alternatives to abortion that they might not be aware of. As others have said in comments to this post, participants in the 40 Days for Life campaign peacfully pray *near* abortion clinics, and don't trespass on clinic property. I attended a 40 Days for Life event last year, and all the people who participated were peaceful. How can you consider that harrassing, shaming, or intimidating? I think you and other pro-choice people are afraid that the women going to the clinic to have an abortion might decide not to if they see or talk to the 40 Days for Life participants.
ReplyDeleteImrita says:
ReplyDelete"Praying in front of clinics is just an attempt to shame and intimidate them. If you guys believed in prayer at all you would pray to yourselves privately, trusting that your god would listen. Praying in public is just showing off your piety while harrassing women."
How do you know the above to be true? Have you talked with anyone praying outside of clinics? You are judging those you are accusing of judging.
In turn, you are free to peacefully assemble near churches in attempts to convert those attending services to support abortions. All the churches that I am familiar with would most certainly welcome you inside with open arms.
"We call a man a bigot or a slave of dogma because he is a thinker who has thought thoroughly and to a definite end." GK Chesterton