There's a new documentary about forced-birthers opening this weekend.

[smokey nj]

I just heard one of the directors, Stephen Fell, discussing the film on the Rachel Maddow show. I found it rather bothersome that he often used the word "fascinating" when describing their tactics.

Here's a link to a review.
http://nymag.com/movies/listings/rv_57697.htm

"It's hard to believe anyone could watch the devastating documentary Unborn in the USA without wanting, at some point, to run screaming from the theater. It began as a thesis project by two students at Rice University, Stephen Fell and Will Thompson, who chronicle, without judgment, the activities of anti-abortion activists, from the most sorrowful to the most righteously murderous. Fell and Thompson largely concentrate on the people who stand on street corners and college campuses with blown-up pictures of aborted fetuses. These activists are getting smarter about engaging their foes—they take classes in empathy. They let those photos do most of the talking. At one point, the filmmakers cut between the erection of the billboards and the lifting of the gore-drenched Jesus in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. Let's rub their noses in the horror." snip

[bliss_eternal]

1. That sounds scary...

:scared:
What frightens me about it is the fact that most of the anti-choice crowd will see it as a validation of their tactics (((sigh))). A stamp of approval if you will. The far right is SO twisted. So many of them lack the ability to critically analyze anything.

I've seen discussions of songs that were quite CLEARLY anti-right wing declarations in one way or the other. Songs featuring an angry, sad, or frustrated progressive reaming aspects of conservatism they found disturbing. But in the hands of simple sheep they think it's approving of them. :eyes:

Can you imagine how they will all flock out to see this film? ...and think it's a wonderful affirmation of their "activities" to harass women? :puke:

[smokey nj]

3. That's my concern, as well.

[BlueIris]

2. I watched a Frontline documentary on anti-choice terrorism in 2002.

It was freaky. I was disturbed at how completely remorseless the pro-lifers in it were, how calmly and with what satisfaction they spoke of having shut down women's health care clinics, (by getting them declared "uninsurable," etc.) maiming or murdering abortion providers and otherwise engaging in wrong and violent behavior. And don't even get me started on their rationalizations. It was a laundry list of everything I'd heard from them before ("It's wrong to kill babies," blah, blah) with some new and bizarre justifications thrown in ("I just woke up one morning and realized it (becoming a 'crusader' for anti-choice organizations) was something I had to do").

[smokey nj]

4. Was it called "Soldiers in the Army of God? If so, I think I saw it, well part of it.

It made me so angry, I had to turn it off.

[bliss_eternal]

5. I can't watch that crap either...

...their rationalizations for abuse, harassment even murder in the name of saving a mass of cells--disgusting. :puke: I can't listen to those people talk for any length of time. I become enraged, and nauseous.

[smokey nj]

6. This one was especially bad. They proudly displayed their website

which featured prominently a "hit list" of abortion providers and celebrated their hit men as heroes.

[bliss_eternal]

7. Gee, remember the time when that was a felony...?

...in this great country of ours? :eyes:

I rue the day that the Reagan administration found a way to allow people to harass women--legally. I believe Roberts had something to do with that. One of the other reasons that I opposed his nomination so vehemently. :(

[ismnotwasm]

8. Assholes.

Trying to turn emotionalism into an ethical or moral position.

I had a miscarriage once. It was after a previous one that led to a D & C, and I had remembered the doctor telling me I should save any tissue from a suspected miscarriage. I got pregnant. I had planned on a abortion. (Long story) The "tissue" was a well-formed fetus. I put it in baggie and brought it to the doctor. I had no emotional attachment to the fetus, the little limbs or whatfuckingever didn't make me cry. But that's me. I understand there are women who would be devastated-- unable to handle a picture much less the real thing. I find these tactics beyond disgusting.

Another story; I had a nursing instructor who told about working in a hospital were they performed second trimester abortions. One of the fetuses was in agonal breathing (something like a fish out of water) she carried the fetus up to the NICU and told the nurses "to let it die with dignity" The experience obviously affected this women, and she is one while she would never deny an abortion to someone by law, she become far more ambiguous and conflicted about her feelings--She was a L & D nurse when I met her.

While emotional responses are perfectly natural and understandable, abortion is not a moral or ethical issue. It's a absolute right for women to choose, to decide whether to terminate a pregnancy. Why this isn't clear will never make sense to me.

One could always counter with pictures of abused children, staving children or babies in chronic pain, facing multiple surgeries to gain a few month of life, but like I said, these tactics make my stomach turn.

[noamnety]

9. Urgh

You all just guilted me into going back to the clinic tomorrow morning to do escort duty. Apparently the protesters at the local women's clinic have stepped up their activities. Some of them try to act like benevolent great white male saviors :eyes: who will help with expenses (until the birth happens, then you are On Your Own), and those are the empathetic ones generally. Then we have some that are very in-your-face.

I am gearing up for the awkward moment from hell soon, because I gave a hard time to one of the protesters during the winter when he was committing a petty violation of one of their rules - I threatened to call the cops on him, knowing he'd been arrested before for a minor violation (cutting through their private parking lot). I was a bit of a bully - not yelling, but I made his morning unpleasant.

I found out he and I both have a mutual friend and as a result we find ourselves at the same small performance venues. Eventually he will recognize me, and we will have to deal with being out of context, having to be sociable with each other, knowing I will be all squinty-eyed and on his case again the minute he screws up, the next time we are both at the clinic.