Abortion War

Here is an absolutely amazing photo and video documentary of the Walk for Life West Coast march and counter-demonstrations in San Francisco last Saturday, January 21. (Thanks, Karen!)

The documenter has taken pains to show the pro-choice counter-demonstrators at their least attractive, but doesn't have to try very hard: there are black-clad anarchists, socialists, flamboyant gays and lesbians (this is SF, after all) suggesting that heterosexuality is the problem. The counter-demonstrators don't merely demonstrate, exercising their own right to free speech, but actively (if ineffectually) try to block or disrupt the march. Police won't let them.

The pro-lifers mostly look more like regular people and are much more organized, some will say regimented: dress is neat and uniform, behavior disciplined, personally made signs are discouraged. (Pro-choice signs on display say things like "I (heart) Abortion," "Abort More Christians," "Fuck Your Agenda" and "Stop Breeding.") But a small group of religious zealots does show up: rather than "Abortion Hurts Women," their signs say things like "ATTENTION REBELLIOUS JEZEBELS," "WARNING: JUDGEMENT Queers Fornicators Adulterers," and "Support President Bush - Trust Jesus" -- the latter embellished with silhouettes of guns, bombs, and fighter planes! WTFWJD?!

It's a relief when the documentary ends on a more even-handed -- and humorous -- note. Yes, really. Go see.

A good counterpoint and supplement to this is the latest crop of stories on I'mNotSorry.net. I've been reading them as homework for the Rant. As you read these stories of abortion, notice how the more extreme tactics of some clinic protesters -- yelling "baby killer" (in a strange echo of the fate of Vietnam vets), throwing things, brandishing grisly posters of dismembered late-term fetuses -- alienate and disgust and harden the resolve of the women entering the clinic, the women they claim to want to persuade. The lesson I take from both of these documents is the counterproductiveness of extremes -- both extremes. They succeed in getting attention, especially the attention of sensation-seeking TV news cameras, but they spectacularly fail to win hearts and minds. Rather, they turn people off and close their hearts and ears to the human claims of the other side. I've argued against abortion here, and against its criminalization. The predicaments of the women on I'mNotSorry -- some of whom admit to being careless about birth control, others who were shocked when it failed, women who are in no position or condition to care for a child, or another child -- should be must reading for pro-lifers. As the smart and sane among you already know, you will never reach most of these women with shock tactics or blame. You'll only drive them away, just as signs touting socialism, radical queerdom, or violence don't do the cause of legal early abortion any good.

Comments

[karen]

I wasn't able to see half the pics and none of the videos (either I don't have the know-how- or my dial-up is waaaay tooooo slloooowwww), but by the 2nd page of the pics- i felt- pain and sadness; a heavy sadness.

I never knew that Christians were so hated and ridiculed. I'm thankful for living in this Kingdom (the NEK), that I don't encounter the likes of those hate-filled people- even if I happen to live next to one or two. i'm made to be an ignorant hick. Sorta.

I did wonder how you would take the ending- it seemed a tad sexist- but, I figured since it is about women to begin w/- it was funny in it's own way.

Men are men, after all ;0).

[realpc]

I have always felt that both extremes are wrong, in the abortion controversy (and many other things too).
Abortion is a perfect example of an issue that demands compromise, and a radical middle approach.
Abortion is bad and sad -- everyone with a shred of common sense knows that. But early abortions, and abortion pills, should always be legal.
No woman should be forced to have a child who does not whole-heartedly want to have it. And no woman should wait before making the decision. We don't know at exactly what stage the fetus has feelings, and/or a soul, but we can guess that after 12 weeks abortion becomes big deal.

The best compromise solution would be pills that abort embryos before they develop any trace of a nervous system.
No one with a shred of common sense could argue that's a complete human being with feelings.

Finally, I wish we could get rid of the idea that individual life begins at conception. How did that become religious dogma? They didn't even know about conception when the bibles were written.

[amba]

It will take me some days to get there, but I'll argue that individual life begins at implantation. There is no such thing as human life without relationship. (Relationship to God, you'll say? Why would that depend on incarnation?) It seems that a high number of conceptions naturally don't make it past that stage, at which the embryo is like a tiny multicellular sea creature. That's the point at which a . . . to use a technological metaphor, "handshake signal" is exchanged between mother and embryo. On her side, she signals her receptivity -- or not. Plan B adds a conscious element to the ways and reasons she can say, "Not now."

If you believe that a woman's conscious will should have no part in these decisions, then be a good Catholic yourself and take whatever comes. But I believe no one has the right to impose that extreme of the "right to life" on another.

[Melinda]

If you haven't seen a movie called "Citizen Ruth," then buy, rent or borrow it. It's a dark comedy that takes on the militants on both sides of the debate. (I was going to say "skewers" "pokes" or "lampoons," but given the subject matter, the words made me feel squeamish.)

It's no substitute for a good conversation like this one, but when it was released ten years or so ago, it was like a breath of fresh air. Sometimes that's enough to provoke conversation.

[Nick]

Thanks for the link to some powerful pictures. I was struck by the pro-lifers front-and-center carrying "I regret my abortion" signs. This doesn't strike me as a terribly effective argument tactic. I regret my choice, so I won't let others have the chance to make their own choice? It seems rather disingenuous, especially since part of the pro-life rhetoric is that women who choose to have sex should take responsibility for the consequences.

[amba]

It's a warning that you might regret it, and that the emotion might catch you by surprise. A lot depends on the circumstances. When an abortion is a byproduct of a poor or casual or unreliable relationship, or when you're very young, there's less ambivalence -- partly because the young woman is so preoccupied with other things that she can't stop to imagine what the abortion really involves. (I described it in one of the rants as "one life in precarious progress fending off a blameless hijacking by another barely begun.")

[Pastor_Jeff]

Amba - you are on a roll!

I've linked to Rants 1-3 and these other most recent abortion posts here. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I hope more people will read them.

[Natalie]

Amba, coincidentally, I've just written a post (part of the "memoir") about my own first experience of abortion. It happened twice in my life (my own decision) and it's the only two actions in my life about which I have deep and lasting regrets.

[*Christopher]

And some of us queers are actually pro-life, or rather promote a consistent life ethic. Considering that the pro-life folks were bused in, it would be more interesting to see pros from both sides from the City by the Bay battle it out. Probably some level of flamboyance on both sides, I'd suspect.

[karen]

Ahhh. Christopher- that just goes to show you can never judge a book...

I wonder how many pro-Life folk are from SF?

Amba- if life begins at implantion- then people in the cow business selling embryos are creating quite a racket- selling us something that isn't *alive*. I would say, my embryos wouldn't GROW, MATURE, EVOLVE, etc until implantation- but they are definitely worth the 400$$/unseen embryo we pay for the DNA.

I'm also certain that the Church has documentation as to why they profess life begins at conception. Maybe it's called *Humanae Vitae*? I'm just the sheep that believes it, s'all. As for being a good Catholic woman- I keep saying there is such a thing as NFP. Am I organized enough to follow the handbook? Not yet ;0).