I casually drove past the lady and her protest sign, walked into the elevator, rode to the 2nd floor and donated the $10 I had in my pocket to Planned Parenthood.  I also told them to go to Olyblog.net.

http://thurstonblog.blogspot.com/

A child seeing a horrible picture of a dead child.

That child, either then or a few years later when they can think about it with better cognitive skills, realizing "that could have been me, and my mom thinks it's alright."

Course, the second won't happen at all as long as the truth is shielded from them.

Catholic baiting is the anti-Semitism of the liberals.
Peter Viereck, Yale Professor

(Disclaimer: I don't think this will work with quite a number of pro-life activists, who are driven more by misogyny than reverence for life... but it could be very powerful with some of them.)

What if prochoice/feminist activists got to talking with some of the authentic (see disclaimer) pro-life/pro-family folks down at that protest? 

Could there be common ground around supporting organizations like Welfare Rights Olympia, the Family Support Center's homeless services, or building a new tent city for homeless families?

Or maybe some coalition building in opposition to war and capital punishment (see the seamless garment ethic of the Roman Catholic church)?

I, for one, would love to see some organizing outside the bubble... a coalition of "unusual suspects" doing something cool.

Just a thought. 

The Canaanite's Call

the foster care system.  I'm utterly amazed at how many women have admitted they wish they'd had an abortion instead of giving birth to the children they ultimately abused and neglected emotionally, physically & emotionally.  Those children were eventually removed from their homes and placed with strangers.  Some of these children have had to move from schools they've attended for several years only to be placed in a new school system with more strangers.  Younger children go to foster adopt homes and when parental rights are finally terminated (and it can take several years to achieve termination) they are adopted by their foster families while most of the older children live out their lives in & out of various foster care homes only to be placed on the streets at 18 and wished good luck.  Those kids turned out into the streets seek out all the things they missed out on during their childhood - love, care, companionship, stability, a home, activities, etc.  They end up seeking them out with the same type of kids and ultimately another pregnancy happens.  The cycle never ends.   Some of these unwanted children turn to a life of crime and are currently incarcerated in both juvenile and adult jail systems. 

When a drug or alcohol addicted woman or a girl 16 or older finds herself in an unwanted pregnancy, the right thing to do is consider &/or seek out abortion &/or adoption.  Adoptions are becoming so politically and financially corrupt that most women fear it.  Some chemically addicted women don't know the harm they're causing their unborn baby and the future affects their drug use will have on that child long term.

While some see abortion as killing children, I see it as a means of preventing future tragedy in that childs life.  Like it or not, there are just some women who aren't maternal, have no business having a child financially or age wise and ultimately are the very ones who's children end up in foster care, jail or dead either by the hand of the parents or a life of crime.  These are the women who seek abortions.  What about the victims of incest who end up pregnant?  Does the 12 yr. old who's father, brother, uncle or cousin who raped her really need to suffer through that pregnancy?  Does the adult woman who was violently raped really deserve to go through a pregnancy that is a constant reminder of a traumatic event in her life and have to look at the face of that child and see her rapist over & over and take her anger at him out on the child?

Where are all these abortion protesters when children need immediate & long term foster care placement?  Why haven't all these abortion protesters signed up to be foster or adoptive parents?  Where are all these abortion protesters taking in all the throw away kids living on the streets?  You feel the need to prevent them from not being aborted but turn your noses up & forget about them once once they are. 

I know of a current case where the mother with a long history of drug abuse was talked out of getting an abortion with promises by the activist of help her with rent, food, diapers, formula & parenting skills.  This mother knew she wasn't capable of being a good mother and giving this child the best he deserved but the abortion protesters convinced her they'd all be with her every step of the way.  The boy was born 9 months ago and in those 9 months, not one activist or member of the church they were associated with ever bothered to even check on this woman after the first couple of weeks after they convinced her not to abort.  This boy was removed from his home his home recently with 2 broken legs and traumatic bruising all over his body as well as other fractures in other areas of his body that were never medically cared for that have been determined to have happened within the last 6 months.  That boy was at least 3 months old when one of his parents started abusing him so bad he had broken bones.  He could of been days old when it started but his healing fractures can't precisely determine that but the mother admits she started hitting him within the first week.  He is currently in a half body cast when he should be learning to crawl and is in the care of a loving foster family.  Where were all you protesters and your promises in this case?  You use scare tactics, horrific visual graphics, promises and bullying on these pregnant women hoping to cause fear & submission and that they'll walk away.  Just like you walk away from all the unwanted babies born each year.  Shame on you, shame on your churches and shame on your belief you're doing the right thing.  You're not.  And all the children in the foster care system and those living on the streets prove that shame. 

I only hope you sleep well at night and can look yourselves in the mirror knowing you've encouraged the birth of a child who ended up being worth nothing but a badly beaten, burned, starved, cut, or dead child because the people involved in the pregnancy were bullied into keeping that baby knowing they couldn't deal with it's crying, feeding needs, health problems or expense of raising it and they took their frustrations out on it.

"Do not mistake for conspiracy and intrigue what can best be explained by stupidity and incompetence." - Unknown

 Even among the enlightened. I am pro freedom. This is a country founded on freedom. We are supposed to have freedom of speech, so the protesters can protest if they wish. Their methods may be volatile and unacceptable to some, but they have the freedom to do so. And we as citizens of this country are also free to counter-protest if we like. It's pretty cool to live in the USA sometimes. I also believe that we should have a right to choose whether or not to have an abortion, raise a child alone and poor, or give up a child to adoption. Once again, free country.

 Individual opinions on this matter can get very heated, and understandably so. I don't see where there is a right or wrong in this case, that's why I believe we should all be given freedom to make choices that work for us. Forcing a religious belief system on another person is just plain anti-freedom. Disrespecting the deeply religious beliefs of others is wrong as well. I wonder how we, as a country and a society, will ever come to terms with this issue.

 I find it refreshingly ingenius to use this opportunity as a positive for the Planned Parenthood clinic - making monetary donations during the 40 days protest is great. We should all be so generous, kudos to you Larry. I intend to follow suit, thanks for the inspiration. And, if possible, do something nice for the individual people who work there. This is surely very stressful for them. Anyone made cookies lately? Human kindness goes a very long way to ease stress and anger. And as to whether they were/are out to eradicate the poor....less than likely. Unsupported and strange conspiracy BS about Planned Parenthood is out of line, and unappreciated. I imagine that if the folks who work there read that, it would hurt some feelings.

 This little protest isn't going to shut down Planned Parenthood. It could galvanize a community to support them, though. Taking negatives and turning them into positives is healthy, pro-active, and leads to good will. It also doesn't lower us to the level of waving gruesome banners and trying to scare people. As the old Black Flag song goes - "Rise above - we're gonna rise above!"

Merwyn, I don't believe there was any indication that one should be ashamed to adopt. If you look around this great planet of ours, we indeed have a surplus of already-born children, who, as many have pointed out, are in desperate need of a loving and supporting family. If I ever felt the need to have a mother-child relationship (beyond being the crazy cat lady I plan on becoming), I would most certainly make the choice to adopt rather than have a child myself.

All non-profits have money in the bank.  It's called prudent reserves for operations if funding dries up.

Ask the Vatican to make their finances public, as American non-profits must do.

http://thurstonblog.blogspot.com/

Let's shift the discussion to a new thread.