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Post by MorningStar on Jul 20, 2004 8:17:59 GMT -5
<rant> Ok - this is driving me nuts. I find myself on Broad (a main street in Columbus) very often. I take it to work from the West side just about every morning. Well, being near city hall this past weekend, I noticed the pro-life people protesting outside the hall with huge graphic signs of dead babies. This reminded me of when that did that when I was in college in Cleveland.
Normally, it never bothered me. Now, a little further down West Broad (closer to home), I see more of them! WTF! How is this not considered obscene? A woman cannot show her breast on TV without tons of complaints and rebukes, but people can walk around town showing dead pictures of babies! What kind of country is this?
</rant>
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Post by LauraJean on Jul 20, 2004 10:53:59 GMT -5
...dead pictures of babies Wow. I wish I had seen that. I'm only aware of pictures of dead babies. (KIDDING!) Seriously now... People who mean to have a positive influence often choose negative ways to do it. Just look at the tactics of fire and brimstone fundies on the religious boards. Obviously these demonstrators are trying to show the real horror of an abortion to girls/women who are considering having one. While I doubt their tactics are effective, I understand their desperation. When you can have a national candidate for president say, in effect, "I believe life begins at conception but that life is not worthy of defending" the enormity of the battle can seem overwhelming. Just curious.... would the memory of these photographs play into your decision-making should your girlfriend get pregnant? Blessings, LJ
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Post by MorningStar on Jul 20, 2004 11:03:57 GMT -5
I understand this, having been exposed to things like it since highschool. I know they are not trying to offense (well, most are probably not), but just trying to get their message across in an extreme way.
Well, I'm the type of person who will take this and want to do just the opposite just for spite. Yeah, I'm 26 and sound like a 10-yr-old.
I think my biggest problem is that these pictures are allowed. I mean, the whole nation is in an uproar over half-a-second worth of nipple on TV, but its ok to show dead babies on the street. I think I need to print out a posted of the infamous Janet shot and go stand next to these people......
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Post by LauraJean on Jul 20, 2004 11:16:17 GMT -5
I think I need to print out a posted of the infamous Janet shot and go stand next to these people...... Heh heh heh. I understand your point about basic decency and fairness. I don't disagree! I wonder if anyone has ever studied the effectiveness of this type of practice? How many girls have turned away from the abortion clinic and headed to the adoption agency instead? Off the subject a squeence.... Have you heard/read the article about the unmarried woman who found she was pregnant with triplets and had two of them killed? How would you like to be the baby that lived? "You're alive solely because you weren't a twin." ugh:P I'll be back this afternoon.... my babies are needin' some direction. I love chatting with you, MS! Blessings, LJ
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Post by MorningStar on Jul 20, 2004 11:23:14 GMT -5
Heh - that would suck to be the only survivor of triplets and knowing that. Most likely (and to heighten the drama), that knowledge wouldn't come until like 20+ years into ones life and the person would just lose it or something. Hmmm - sounds like a good horror movie.
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Post by HomeAtLast on Jul 20, 2004 11:25:32 GMT -5
I understand this, having been exposed to things like it since highschool. I know they are not trying to offense (well, most are probably not), but just trying to get their message across in an extreme way. Well, I'm the type of person who will take this and want to do just the opposite just for spite. Yeah, I'm 26 and sound like a 10-yr-old. I think my biggest problem is that these pictures are allowed. I mean, the whole nation is in an uproar over half-a-second worth of nipple on TV, but its ok to show dead babies on the street. I think I need to print out a posted of the infamous Janet shot and go stand next to these people...... MS, I guess that my opinion is that you are comparing apples and oranges, here. The people with the pictures of the murdered babies are for the cause of trying to save lives. Janet's little incident had no good reason for it. Her display did not save a life, I guess is what I am trying to say. If the pictures save one baby, I see no problem with it. Odds are that it has. The Women's Choice Center in my area (which gives women alternatives to abortion) say that they have never had a women opt for an abortion after seeing the baby on an ultrasound. That is why I asked my family to donate money to them for women who can not afford an ultrasound instead of getting me birthday, etc.... presents and I encourage others to do the same. Blessings, Ann
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Post by MorningStar on Jul 20, 2004 11:45:35 GMT -5
You're semi-right Ann. I am not trying to compare the pro-life movement to an exposed breast. I guess that's how I came off.
I just don't understand how it can be acceptable to show a picture of a butchered child in public, but if I stood next to them with a picture of a naked woman (or man, but really, who wants to see a naked man? - heh), I'd get tossed in jail.
Why is blood and death ok, but nudity is just soooo evil?
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Post by Traffic Demon on Jul 20, 2004 12:16:36 GMT -5
I'd like to know who honestly found Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction offensive. Unless you had your nose up against the screen of a 97 inch plasma screen and were staring intently at her breasts already, you didn't see anything. If you were doing that, you've got no business complaining, and should seek help. The rest of us, we didn't even really know what happened until we heard the uproar afterwards on the news. So what if they kept replaying it, they blurred it out to the point that you could learn more about female anatomy by watching Starr Jones modeling parkas. Big deal if you could find the unedited version on the internet for a couple days after; if you have an internet connection and are really that desperate to see nudity, it's not that hard to come by. We're talking a drop of water in the Pacific here. Janet Jackson was nothing to get worked up about.
--DX TD Oh, you didn't know?
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Post by MorningStar on Jul 20, 2004 12:51:26 GMT -5
Some people are just scared their kids may learn that women actually have breasts!!!
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Post by LauraJean on Jul 20, 2004 13:54:38 GMT -5
Some people are just scared their kids may learn that women actually have breasts!!! WHAT?! They DO?? The thing I found so bizarre about the "Janet Incident" was that if this had happened someplace other than in front of millions of people, Mr. Timberlake would be on trial for sexual assault. Where was the outcry of a grown man ripping at the clothing of a woman (regardless of what was or wasn't exposed in the process)? Is this the example of proper family entertainment? Lordy, I hope not! Blessings, LJ
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Post by MorningStar on Jul 20, 2004 16:52:34 GMT -5
WHAT?! They DO?? Well, not totally sure, but I should run some tests. Unless it was planned or consensual... I'm still trying to figure out how the Superbowl becamse 'family' entertainment...those darn marketing people! Blessings, LJ[/quote]
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Post by Traffic Demon on Jul 20, 2004 21:32:35 GMT -5
MorningStar - "I should run some tests."
Been running tests all night long, but since it would only take one counterexample to prove the statement wrong, the painstaking search continues. I'll keep you posted.
--Y2Traf Pretty. So pretty
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Post by HomeAtLast on Jul 20, 2004 22:06:11 GMT -5
You're semi-right Ann. I am not trying to compare the pro-life movement to an exposed breast. I guess that's how I came off. I just don't understand how it can be acceptable to show a picture of a butchered child in public, but if I stood next to them with a picture of a naked woman (or man, but really, who wants to see a naked man? - heh), I'd get tossed in jail. Why is blood and death ok, but nudity is just soooo evil? MS, I do see your point. I think that the media has ruled on that one. Just look at the movies where a practically naked woman is in there for no other reason than she is half naked. It usually does not contribute to the story of the movie at all. Heck, even prime time shows have it a lot too. Yet they do watch the violence that is on at prime time now. So, it is actually reversed in that respect. Blessings, Ann
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Post by MorningStar on Jul 22, 2004 15:10:37 GMT -5
From a friend's journal (which will go unnamed), based on the OSA's protests/rally here in Columbus, OH
Hate is an amazingly powerful thing. Until this week, I had no idea how powerful it could be.
Over the past three days, I've been bombarded with more vicious, spiteful rhetoric than I ever have in my life. I've been overwhelmed by it.
I have always considered myself a pretty strong person. I don't give two ***s what strangers think about me. I don't even care what people I know think about me. I have stood outside an abortion clinic and had sick, insulting things shouted at me for quite a while, and I have never been nervous or upset. I was grabbed and shaken by a protester on my clinic's private property, and after the police arrived I went right back to escorting patients inside. I have seen the bloody fetus pictures so many times that I practically have them memorized, and I have heard every argument ever presented for or against abortion rights.
But right now, I'm bothered.
The other day, I started to get mad at myself because I found myself resenting Christianity. I found myself in a grocery store, looking at Christian greeting cards and being filled with anger. This upset me, because I don't hate Christians and I don't hate Christianity. I wondered why my mind was betraying me, why my anger at OSA was translating into an anger at Christians. Not all Christians are members of OSA. Very, very few Christians are associated with OSA -- and OSA are not Christian people by most standards, anyway. I was mad at myself for not being able to divorce OSA from the religion they have been using -- and abusing -- for their political purposes.
Last night, Katie and I went to the OSA rally. I had a pkmtyolmive headache, so much of a headache that I had to ask Mike for some aspirin. I felt tired, weary, and exhausted. After Katie and I left, I started to feel nauseous. Last night, after we left the rally, I threw up for the first time in years. It happened again even later. It was probably due to standing out in the sun all morning, but how much of it was stress brought on by these people? I think OSA made me sick to my stomach -- literally.
Today I had a very long conversation with a twenty-year-old woman from University of Dayton who was here for the OSA event. She was trying to present herself as this nice, sweet, caring young woman -- just like me! -- while trying desperately to convert me. I treated her with as much respect and politeness as I could. Afterwards, though, I kept thinking: you are here with a group that thinks gay people should die, Muslims should not be allowed to practice their religion, and women should not be allowed to control their bodies in any way. You can use your sweetest "trust me" voice and compliment my eyes and my skin as much as you want, but none of that changes the fact that you are a bigot. You are a hateful bigot. Trying to win me over with fake smiles will never change that. And now I feel nauseous again.
If these people are coming your way, be warned: although they're famous for being loud, obnoxious hatemongers, they're not above using slicker, slimier tactics. And even a pretty, young face and a soft voice does not negate bigoty and hatred.
edit: I am now finding it difficult to recount the last couple of days' action, as if remembering all this hatred is the same as reliving it, and I don't want to relive it. I can't stand it. As powerful as the positive energy radiating from my friends is, the negative energy coming from OSA and their allies is just as strong, if not stronger.
That said, I have met and spent time with a tremendous number of amazing, wonderful people this week: Cheryl, Katie, Dave, Biff, Natascha, Carrie, Heather, Eileen, Mike, Sabina, Drew, Trina, Jen Y, all the other escorts, all the other anti-OSA people at the rallies, and the doctor, nurses and staff at Capital Care. Peace.
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Post by MorningStar on Jul 23, 2004 12:21:47 GMT -5
'YOU'RE A SICK CITY' Baiting cops, bashing gays and bearing a fetus, Operation Save America is having a fine week in Columbus By Kristen Convery / July 22, 2004 www.theotherpaper.com/cover.html
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