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catsittingstillSome people may wonder why I'm beating a dead horse. Because as long as there is one person left who says "I'm quite relieve(sic) someone killed him. When I think of how many babies he killed everyday, I think it's a small price to pay." the horse isn't dead.
Now, I agree it is possible to honestly believe that a fetus is a human being. Say, when it's five weeks along, and a half inch long, worm shaped, obligate parasite, for instance. I don't buy it myself, but I can picture someone believing it, and while I disagree with this belief, I don't think someone is evil for holding it.
And I suppose it's possible that someone could weigh the wrenching choice of enslaving over a million innocent women a year versus murdering over a million obligate parasite human beings a year and come to the conclusion that the enslavement, while horrific, was necessary to save those lives, and a price they were willing, with deep regret, to force women to pay. I disagree with this belief too, and like anyone staring the prospect of enslavement in the eye, I find it harder to sympathize with people who hold it. But I guess they aren't evil either.
I just don't think that, for example, Operation Rescue are those people.
Here's an article that explains some of the "peaceful, legal" means that Operation Rescue used, not just on George Tiller, but on anyone associated with him in any way--not just the people who worked at his clinic, whether guard, administrative assistant, or janitor, but on his dry cleaner and on taxi companies that women might hire to take them to his clinic.
Tactics like this:
These are some of the people who oppose abortion. If Dr Tiller's colleagues re-open his clinic next week, these are the howling hypocrites who are going to continue their campaign of intimidation and harassment, against his grieving colleagues and family, against the secretaries and janitors, against the dry cleaners. These are the people who are going to publish "collaborator's" addresses and phone numbers, to recruit their neighbors to make their lives miserable, and--oh so coincidentally, I'm sure--to make it easy for the next murdering bastard with a gun.
Ladies and gentlemen; one face of the "pro-Life" movement.
What can you do?
1) Write your Senators and Representative (get their contact info here: (enter zip to get names, then look in the lower right corner of the page their name-links produce)--they get astonishingly few letters, so your letter *does* make a difference) to repeal the "Partial-Birth Abortion" Ban, or, if you can't bring yourself to promote that, at least to rewrite it so that it specifically exempts women whose fetuses have died inside them, women whose fetuses have some serious and incurable medical condition that would prevent their living for more than a short time if delivered, and women whose health would be endangered by continuing their pregnancy. That's only reasonable, right?
Because until that happens, there will be cases like this.
2) Donate to Medical Students for Choice (the site has "exceeded its CGI resources" at the moment so I'm guessing 1) that you'll have to wait a few days and 2) that response has been good so far--but that doesn't mean you should stop!) If you want to do something right now, there's always Planned Parenthood.
Why? Because Terror Shouldn't Pay.
Now, I agree it is possible to honestly believe that a fetus is a human being. Say, when it's five weeks along, and a half inch long, worm shaped, obligate parasite, for instance. I don't buy it myself, but I can picture someone believing it, and while I disagree with this belief, I don't think someone is evil for holding it.
And I suppose it's possible that someone could weigh the wrenching choice of enslaving over a million innocent women a year versus murdering over a million obligate parasite human beings a year and come to the conclusion that the enslavement, while horrific, was necessary to save those lives, and a price they were willing, with deep regret, to force women to pay. I disagree with this belief too, and like anyone staring the prospect of enslavement in the eye, I find it harder to sympathize with people who hold it. But I guess they aren't evil either.
I just don't think that, for example, Operation Rescue are those people.
Here's an article that explains some of the "peaceful, legal" means that Operation Rescue used, not just on George Tiller, but on anyone associated with him in any way--not just the people who worked at his clinic, whether guard, administrative assistant, or janitor, but on his dry cleaner and on taxi companies that women might hire to take them to his clinic.
Tactics like this:
A week later, hundreds of Phares' neighbors received an anonymous postcard of a mangled fetus. "This is abortion!" read the big block letters. "Your neighbor Sara Phares participates in killing babies like these."Or this:
In Wichita, members of the group rummage through employees' garbage in search of incriminating information. They tail them around town as they run errands. They picket clinic staffers at restaurants while they're inside having dinner ....Or this:
The collaborator list is constantly growing. Just a few days earlier, Newman added a place called Elite Cleaners after his aide-de-camp, Cheryl Sullenger -- who spent two and a half years in federal prison for conspiracy to firebomb a clinic -- spotted Tiller's wife, Jeanne, turning into a strip mall near her house.But hey--I don't want to make this so long I have to cut it. The link above has the whole thing, and there's a good set of excerpts here at Hilzoy's blog.
These are some of the people who oppose abortion. If Dr Tiller's colleagues re-open his clinic next week, these are the howling hypocrites who are going to continue their campaign of intimidation and harassment, against his grieving colleagues and family, against the secretaries and janitors, against the dry cleaners. These are the people who are going to publish "collaborator's" addresses and phone numbers, to recruit their neighbors to make their lives miserable, and--oh so coincidentally, I'm sure--to make it easy for the next murdering bastard with a gun.
Ladies and gentlemen; one face of the "pro-Life" movement.
What can you do?
1) Write your Senators and Representative (get their contact info here: (enter zip to get names, then look in the lower right corner of the page their name-links produce)--they get astonishingly few letters, so your letter *does* make a difference) to repeal the "Partial-Birth Abortion" Ban, or, if you can't bring yourself to promote that, at least to rewrite it so that it specifically exempts women whose fetuses have died inside them, women whose fetuses have some serious and incurable medical condition that would prevent their living for more than a short time if delivered, and women whose health would be endangered by continuing their pregnancy. That's only reasonable, right?
Because until that happens, there will be cases like this.
2) Donate to Medical Students for Choice (the site has "exceeded its CGI resources" at the moment so I'm guessing 1) that you'll have to wait a few days and 2) that response has been good so far--but that doesn't mean you should stop!) If you want to do something right now, there's always Planned Parenthood.
Why? Because Terror Shouldn't Pay.
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no subject
Date: 2009-06-02 01:59 pm (UTC)What needs doing is counterterror. When Fred Phelps makes it known he's gonna protest a funeral, organized, peaceful motorcycle people step in and shield the families from the idiots. (I forget the exact name of the group, but they're out there.) The protest is rendered totally ineffective. We need the same kind of thing for these pinheads. When they do stuff? Render it moot.
Don't get me wrong; I don't advocate countering violence with violence unless no other option is viable. I would definitely advocate AGAINST the death penalty for the guy who shot Tiller, and I'm normally a hang-em-high kind of guy. (No martyrs here!) Just step in, get in front of them, and get between their toughs and the general public. Blot their message from the face of the earth. And if they *then* initiate violence? Well, as David Sheridan said, never start a fight, but ALWAYS finish it. No killing... but it's perfectly ok, once the battle is joined, to make them wish they weren't born. Words chosen very carefully.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-03 12:58 pm (UTC)If friendly bikers wanted to follow Operation Rescue operatives around with cameras, publish mugshots, addresses and phone numbers to the web so that nobody will hire one in the belief they are reasonable people, put up signs encouraging their neighbors to confront them with their evil ways "Jane Doe is stalking Janice Smith--she might stalk YOU next. She recruits innocent children to vilify Ms Smith. She might recruit your neighbors' children to vilify YOU next. She brings in outside agitators to picket her Ms Smith's spouse's workplace to get her spouse fired. She might do that to YOU next. Are you uncomfortable with that? Tell her so at (123) 456-7890" for example.
Maybe we can turn their own weapons against them?