Today I was driving home from a difficult day at the office, wending my way through an area which is largely devoid of power thanks to an amazing storm on Sunday. I found myself barely into Maryland in bumper-to-bumper barely moving traffic when I was faced with, standing/sitting in the easement between the sidewalk and street, a seemingly endless review of people wearing "pro-life" shirts and propping up pictures of aborted fetuses. They were seated/standing maybe every thirty feet for about a mile. We, those in vehicles, were trapped, waiting for many turnings of a traffic light ahead. You can get the flavor of the posters and their size from the example on the right which is an exact duplicate of the most frequently occurring one.
These people were not subtle. Being the excellent researcher that I am I have found them on the web and even identified this particular gathering. Here is their flyer (PDF) in case you wish to attend a showing. I am told that they have a right to demonstrate in the easement. I am told they do not need a permit to demonstrate in the easement, although I will check that with the County Executive.
They surely did tick me off. But then one got her ass off of the easement and approached my car. Her breath touched my right passenger's window. I slid the windown down -- surely she saw my beet red face and the steam coming out of my ears -- and she began to move a flyer toward me. I'm afraid I hissed that she should get her fucking bullshit Jesus crap away from my car. She didn't have a heart attack but I think she swallowed her tongue as my window closed.
These people claim that showing these images to children isn't their fault. They blackmail us. Their web site (which I won't link further to) tells me "The images themselves don't harm children, particularly when they have parents who take the time to answer their questions. in fact, we have had parents bring their children to participate in showing the images to the public! And the children do so with pride."
This is obscene by any standard I know. So my mission will be to (1) do everything I know how to do to have these materials declared legally obscene and off limits to anybody under 13 and (2) have anybody who uses their children to engage in these protests declared an unfit parent.
Sorry about the rant, but stay out of my face and you won't force me there.
3 comments:
These people (or people like them) were in the park nearby the place I work. As I was waiting to leave the parking lot, a man approached my car and attempted to give me their propaganda literature.
I told him that I would love to stay and talk, but I was late for my abortion appointment.
So, y'know, anything I can do to further your mission, let me know.
(word verification word: dised)
They have a right to protest whatever they want, IMO. If you don't like it, tough cookies. Or would you prefer they get the Free Speech Zone treatment?
If the pictures are obscene, then the reality is much more obscene, wouldn't you say? Probably very effective.
Do you seriously think that a child seeing this image is somehow scarred, or are you just mad that they don't believe what you believe? If the former, any evidence?
They don't have a right to block traffic or put their hands on my car. As for effective, do you seriously think that a person having a personal crisis about what to do about an unwanted pregnancy is 'effective'ly lobbied by an insensitive mob?
No, the reality isn't more obscene. The reality of any surgery is hard to look at, especially for children. We don't stick pictures of brain or open heart surgery in the faces of children because they aren't ready to handle it. But holier-than-though Christers think they get to force their opinion on other using any means necessary.
I don't give a big rats ass what they believe. If they don't like abortion, don't have one. I do, however, give a shit what they stick in my face.
Post a Comment