Wednesday, March 31, 2010

An End to the 40 Days for Lies

This is a bit delayed, but the 40 Days for Lies ended on Sunday, March 28th. Last time I wrote about the 40 Days for Lies, quite a few anti-abortionists claimed that "it's not about harassment! All we do is pray!" or "40 days for life (sic) is a peaceful protest".

While it may be true that some of the protesters for the 40 days for lies are "just praying", and while it may be trust that some of them may have good intentions, that doesn't make the whole campaign any better. Their good intentions do not make the environment any less hostile, for the patients or for the doctors. Their good intentions do not mean that they aren't bringing a dangerous amount of attention to doctors. The good intentions of some protesters do not minimize the fact that this campaign is a hurtful one, whose main purpose is to harass women.

If the 40 days for lies campaign were just about praying for women who would have abortions, they would stay at home and pray. However, they choose to "pray" at the clinics. The reason? They want to make a presence. They know that making a presence will scare patients. They know that making a presence at abortion clinics will threaten doctors. It's not about life. It's not about helping people.

Some words about the 40 days for lies, from Dr. Warren Hern.

"We cannot use the front entrance of my office, and we can't use the front driveway exit of my office with the demonstrators present," Dr. Hern said. "My friend and colleague Dr. George Tiller was shot by a "peaceful" anti-abortion demonstrator in August, 1993 as he drove out of his office driveway in Wichita, Kansas in an assassination attempt." Shelley Shannon, the woman who shot Dr. Tiller, wrote to Dr. Hern from Kansas state prison telling him, "You're next."

Dr. Tiller was assassinated in church last May 31, 2009 by Scott Roeder, who has been convicted of first degree murder.

"The anti-abortion protesters in front of my office terrorize me, my staff, and my patients. 35 years of anti-abortion violence and assassinations have taught us that there is no such thing as a 'peaceful' anti-abortion demonstration. Every single act of violence, every single clinic bombing, every single assassination and murder by anti-abortion fanatics has been preceded by 'peaceful' demonstrations and 'prayer vigils,' Hern said. "This is target identification for anti-abortion assassins. The mere presence of the demonstrators is, as far as we are concerned, a 'threat of force' because of the history of anti-abortion violence," said Hern.

"The '40 Days For Life' demonstrators and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church is giving Boulder an unwarranted international reputation for anti-abortion fanaticism," Hern said. "The priest is orchestrating this medieval madness."

"The Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church was involved in the disgraceful theft of fetal ashes from my patients from different religious traditions for burial in the church cemetery on January 22, 2005, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade," Hern said. "This was outrageous political and sectarian exploitation of personal tragedy and willful violation of the privacy and personal grief of my patients," said Hern.

http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2010/03/boulder_abortion_doc_warren_he.php


Dr. Hern is right. There is no such thing as a "peaceful" anti-choice protest. Killing doctors and taking away liberty will never be peaceful.

Also, please remember that, even though the 40 days for the harassment of women is officially over, a lot of clinics still need your help. It's not to late to volunteer to escort!

19 comments:

  1. 40 Days for Life is not peaceful. But abortion is. Yeah OK, , , , ,

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  2. Having my wisdom teeth pulled was not peaceful.

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  3. But I'd bet everything I own that no one lost a life when your teeth were pulled. Too bad the wisdom was taken along with the teeth.

    May all who read this come to know, see and love the humanity of our Unborn. I ask this in the Name of the Father, and of The Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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  4. What Men Want
    http://toylit.blogspot.com/2010/01/what-men-want-todays-news-poem-jan-29.html
    "My honest belief was that if I didn't do something they would continue to die."
    -Scott Roeder

    http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60S4UB20100129

    The ancient women, wise with feral ways,
    Passed matrilineal traditions down
    From ape to human—knowing men could slay,
    With lust, their daughters. Deaths wore bridal gowns

    Before connubial beds became their graves
    So brewing remedies these mothers saved
    All humankind. Resentful, men thought slaves
    Were made of them. He mastered war and raved

    Against his mother—burning her to ash.
    Denounced as midwife: now we call her witch.
    Their wives and daughters—mothers died—the clash
    Of sexes won. Thus Woman, made a 'bitch,'

    To breed and grieve perhaps before the next.
    The men would prise the fruit, more sons, from wombs
    That rarely lasted forty years. But text
    Reflected changing norms. In time, this grooms

    A kinder sort of man who seeks a peer—
    If only theoretically. Rights,
    If slowly, catch the rhetoric—so dear
    To many—bringing new and awful blights.

    I think I know this killer's thoughts, this guy
    Who shot that Kansas doc. He felt betrayed
    By fellow man: resolved to make him die
    And eased his guilt with Bible quotes. Unswayed,

    The jury found enough to lock him up.
    A shame, because a woman now, receives
    In joy or rage a life from carnal tup
    That soon awaits abortionist's coarse sieves;

    Because she knows she really wants what men
    Desire. To lust and grow and kill and feel—
    Not nothing—just flushing. She wants what men
    Desire: to fuck and kill and never heal;

    To harvest death for medicines and soups
    Or trashed in plastic bags in cans on stoops.
    http://toylit.blogspot.com

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  5. This poem is the best thing I have read in years. Thank you.

    Proud Pro-Life and Wise Feminist Mother

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  6. Great quote. I never understood how staring and judging and silently threatening vulnerable women and clinic workers is supposed to be "peaceful." You don't have to be loud to be menacing.

    On case you are interested, over at the women's rights section at change.org we are starting a 40 Days for Choice starting today.

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  7. Thanks for telling me about that, Foxy Roxy! Much appreciated!

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  8. "Pro-life" feminist? Right... and I'm a meat-eating vegan.

    Ignore the delusional commenters and keep blogging for our rights, PCG! :)

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  9. Exactly, Ghouldilocks! Thanks for your comment. :)

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  10. You are welcome, prochoicegal. The first post went up today: http://womensrights.change.org/blog/view/this_april_fools_day_dont_be_fooled_by_fake_clinics

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  11. Heart warming poem.

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  12. I agree. I know that most anti-choice protesters don't intend to hurt/kill anyone, but if they were really 'peaceful' they wouldn't congregate around clinics hissing and spitting and staff and patients with posters of miscar-er- 'abortions'. Or quote murderers and terrorists.

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  13. For anti-choicers not to harass women and doctors outside of women's health clinics (whether they provide abortion or not, it doesn't make a difference to them), they would have to realize that family planning decisions are personal and private. But since they insist on making what goes in and comes out of every woman's vagina their business, they're going to continue to hang around the clinics. They're about as peaceful as voyeurs.

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  14. FEMily,

    Since you are a porn addict who believes that the Vagina should be photographed and sold as everyone's business, your above statement is an example of Pot/Kettle.

    What you do with your or anyone else vagina is not my business. What you do with human beings' lives is.

    rachelsvineyard.com

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  15. And since you spread lies without even having the decency to tell anyone who you are, your above statement is an example of Ass/Hole.

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  16. Not a lie. Saw porn on your site with my own eyes and so did others. Only porn addicts do this. Who is being dishonest? You are. Don't fret, there is alot of help for sex addicts these days.

    What you do with your Ass/Hole or any consenting adult's Ass/Hole is your business. What you do with human beings' lives is my business.

    Why does it matter who I am? Is your given name FEMily!

    Just call me REALity!

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  17. FEMily

    Did you really use the word 'decency'?

    Anon not using a name is in your book not decent but you are a wonderful example of the word? So is it indecent if you don't tell us who you really are?

    Come on.

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  18. "family planning decisions are personal and private" so says Femily.

    Like Angie Jackson's??

    ReplyDelete

***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. :)