Graphic prolife demonstration outside grocery store

Post by **Cairber** » 2007-09-12 08:57pm

Can someone please explain to me why boobs are a no no in public and pornographic material is not allowed anywhere near places where kids are but people can hold up signs depicting bloody 'aborted' fetuses outside a grocery store (which also happens to be right in front of a playground).

I took the kids with me to the grocery store today, and we can't get in without seeing these signs. I try to hurry past, but my daughter says "mommy, baby hurting...boo boo...what's wrong with baby?" So I told her "those are not babies" and the guy hears me and starts ranting. I didn't listen at all, just ran past to the doors.

I talked to the store manager and he said there is nothing he can do because the guy is on the 'public sidewalk.'

Really, I don't think it's going to affect my kids at all...I think it's just the principle of the thing. And I have read those pictures usually aren't what the prolife fanatics claim they are--for instance, they will say it is a 12 week aborted fetus when it's really 20 weeks or something and died of natural causes.

Ok, so that was kind of a rant. But do you think I would get in trouble for displaying a big picture of people having sex in front of their signs...or maybe if I draw a big picture of boobs on a sheet and have a friend help me hold it up so you can't see the guys anymore?

Darth Servo · Post by **Darth Servo** » 2007-09-12 09:15pm

Simple. The fundy mindset doesn't see anything wrong with blood, gore and violence if said blood, gore and violence helps their side. Such people have never had any problems with hypocrisy.

TithonusSyndrome · Post by **TithonusSyndrome** » 2007-09-12 09:29pm

Because they're promoting the "other side" of an issue.

Simple as that.

Mind you, I guess this still offers no explanation as to why your particular side of the breastfeeding issue is considered indecent...

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2007-09-12 10:40pm

Darth Servo wrote:Simple. The fundy mindset doesn't see anything wrong with blood, gore and violence if said blood, gore and violence helps their side. Such people have never had any problems with hypocrisy.

Fundies don't have a problem with blood, gore, and violence period. Their Bible is full of it.

Flagg · Post by **Flagg** » 2007-09-12 10:46pm

These cocksuckers used to come and protest at my highschool when I was in 10th grade because they were teaching "sex ed". I was in the "sex ed" class and it was essentially them telling us in detail about how different diseases make your dick fall off and how the only way to avoid them was not to fuck. This was well before Georgie The Stupider came into power, BTW.

Post by **Cairber** » 2007-09-12 10:50pm

Of course, with the number of fundie churches in the area of my house, I am not surprised that I was the only one who complained about the 'display' (according to the manager of the store).

I think a small part of me gets upset at stuff like this because before I woke up, I would have thought it was fine to use bloody fetuses in anti abortion protest. I remember there was a big issue at Villanova when the conservative paper ran a picture of an aborted fetus (in protest of a contract between the university and a bank which supported women's right to abortion). I wasn't there at the time, but others told me about it and I agreed with the action.

Now that makes me sick to think about it.

I also was teaching karate last night and two brothers (probably about 8 yrs old) were wearing "the run for life" T shirts with some website on them called something like "ababysbreath.com". I asked them if they particpated and they did. Brain washing...

And it also made me remember back to catholic school and this crappy poem we had to read where it's the story of a fetus growing from the fetus's point of view...full of lies (which at the time I believed) about the fetus being able to hear you at eight weeks and 'think about how I love you.'

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2007-09-12 10:51pm

I wonder how they would react to posters full of graphic depictions of burned and mangled bodies of Iraqi children, with the caption "Vote NO to the Republican Party in 2008".

Flagg · Post by **Flagg** » 2007-09-12 11:02pm

Darth Wong wrote:I wonder how they would react to posters full of graphic depictions of burned and mangled bodies of Iraqi children, with the caption "Vote NO to the Republican Party in 2008".

Probably with violence. Though I can almost understand that considering the fact that when I was in the 10th grade I wanted to go and beat those fuckers asses. Luckily I've matured beyond the emotional maturity of a 15 year old. I'm pushing 17 now, baby!

Eris · Post by **Eris** » 2007-09-12 11:49pm

Am I the only person who doesn't run into this kind of shit?

I can dredge up from memory only a single incident involving public display of foetus pictures. And that was an unusual one, since they were huge blow ups on a two story billboard on the mall of a 45,000 student campus. Kind of hard to miss, that one, and not at all done by a small group. Apparently they came all the way from California to southern Arizona to do the thing, claiming they were educating people.

But other than that rather unusual circumstances, I've never seen these people in person. Of course, I don't live in a very Church heavy region, and in the middle of a large city with the largest and best uni in the state, but it still seems odd.

Molyneux · Post by **Molyneux** » 2007-09-12 11:53pm

Eris wrote:Am I the only person who doesn't run into this kind of shit? I can dredge up from memory only a single incident involving public display of foetus pictures. And that was an unusual one, since they were huge blow ups on a two story billboard on the mall of a 45,000 student campus. Kind of hard to miss, that one, and not at all done by a small group. Apparently they came all the way from California to southern Arizona to do the thing, claiming they were educating people.

But other than that rather unusual circumstances, I've never seen these people in person. Of course, I don't live in a very Church heavy region, and in the middle of a large city with the largest and best uni in the state, but it still seems odd.

Don't think I've ever seen that kind of thing in person...I've been handed tracts, but just the general "Suck Jesus' Cock!" kind of thing. Then again, I am in New York - hardly the religious center of the USA.

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2007-09-13 12:53am

Darth Servo wrote:Simple. The fundy mindset doesn't see anything wrong with blood, gore and violence if said blood, gore and violence helps their side. Such people have never had any problems with hypocrisy.

I think the pervasion of religion in America helps, but it's the whole culture where nudity is infinitely worse for people than gratuitous blood and gore, despite the former being also infinitely more natural and present in daily life.

Rye · Post by **Rye** » 2007-09-13 05:00am

Violence and gore is great stuff in the work of God. Sex is something to be ashamed of. Boobs are to do with sex. Mutilated babies are to do with emotivism in the name of God and morality. In their perverse minds, one is far and away more justifiable than the other.

Post by **Broomstick** » 2007-09-13 06:42am

I'm willing to bet that most of these nutjobs would never dream of showing pictures of dead adults, including dismembered adults, in public. But feti? Yeah, let's show the gore - which is just proof they don't really think feti are full human beings.

Turin · Post by **Turin** » 2007-09-13 09:03am

Eris wrote:Am I the only person who doesn't run into this kind of shit? <snip> Of course, I don't live in a very Church heavy region, and in the middle of a large city with the largest and best uni in the state, but it still seems odd.

I live in one of the largest cities in the US and I see it all the time. The fundies have one of those mini-billboards-on-a-truck that they love to drive around Center City on Sunday mornings. Just the sort of thing I want to have with my Sunday brunch.

But I guess I'll take that over what they were doing a few years back, where they were intimidating patients at the local Planned Parenthood. You haven't lived until you've been surrounded by (literally) frothing religious fundamentalists while escorting in some poor woman who just wants to go to her OB/GYN.

Anarchist Bunny · Post by **Anarchist Bunny** » 2007-09-13 11:07pm

I live with in walking distance of about 5 or 6 "Abortion Clinics" and I see these ass hats all the time. I've for a long time said that someday I will, but I probably never be bored enough to do it, get a picture of someone blown up in a clinic bombing(or play by their rules and just find a picture of someone killed by a bomb) with the words "Pro-Lifers KILL" and protest their protest.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2007-09-13 11:24pm

Anarchist Bunny wrote:I live with in walking distance of about 5 or 6 "Abortion Clinics" and I see these ass hats all the time. I've for a long time said that someday I will, but I probably never be bored enough to do it, get a picture of someone blown up in a clinic bombing(or play by their rules and just find a picture of someone killed by a bomb) with the words "Pro-Lifers KILL" and protest their protest.

I think it would be funnier to hold up graphic pictures of butchered baby cows which are close-ups and which are bloody enough that you can't tell exactly what they are. And then, on the back of the sign, write "Oops, that's just veal."

Superman · Post by **Superman** » 2007-09-13 11:27pm

I've always wanted to gather some fellow atheists (or at least people who don't think fondly of Christians), and counter protest these types of protests... in Satan costumes. We could make picket signs that say things like, "I was framed" and "Remember: God knew you were bound for hell when he created you" (or something like that).

Christians tend to get a little wacky, so we'd need a good number of bigger guys... I could gather some of my old wrestling buddies... you know, good times.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2007-09-13 11:29pm

Superman wrote:I've always wanted to gather some fellow atheists (or at least people who don't think fondly of Christians), and counter protest these types of protests... in Satan costumes. We could make picket signs that say things like, "I was framed" and "Remember: God knew you were bound for hell when he created you" (or something like that).

Christians tend to get a little wacky, so we'd need a good number of bigger guys... I could gather some of my old wrestling buddies... you know, good times.

I would dearly love to somehow arrange for a collision between a PETA protest and a Pro-Life protest, and watch them both angrily decry each others' tasteless methods.

Superman · Post by **Superman** » 2007-09-13 11:39pm

Darth Wong wrote: I would dearly love to somehow arrange for a collision between a PETA protest and a Pro-Life protest, and watch them both angrily decry each others' tasteless methods.

It's funny; I bet doctors who spend their entire careers in mental hospitals never see half the amount of chaos and/or mania that a "PETA vs fundies" situation would stir up...

Spin Echo · Post by **Spin Echo** » 2007-09-14 12:30am

Eris wrote:Am I the only person who doesn't run into this kind of shit? I can dredge up from memory only a single incident involving public display of foetus pictures. And that was an unusual one, since they were huge blow ups on a two story billboard on the mall of a 45,000 student campus. Kind of hard to miss, that one, and not at all done by a small group. Apparently they came all the way from California to southern Arizona to do the thing, claiming they were educating people.

Apparently the pro-life movement where my parents live (near DC) has been drawing ire for trying the aborted fetus picture tactic. Round Wellington, you just get people standing next to the entrance to the hospital with pictures of in utero fetuses and trying to hand people pro-life leaflets.

Johonebesus · Post by **Johonebesus** » 2007-09-14 01:44am

Eris wrote:Am I the only person who doesn't run into this kind of shit? I can dredge up from memory only a single incident involving public display of foetus pictures. And that was an unusual one, since they were huge blow ups on a two story billboard on the mall of a 45,000 student campus. Kind of hard to miss, that one, and not at all done by a small group. Apparently they came all the way from California to southern Arizona to do the thing, claiming they were educating people.

But other than that rather unusual circumstances, I've never seen these people in person. Of course, I don't live in a very Church heavy region, and in the middle of a large city with the largest and best uni in the state, but it still seems odd.

I've never encountered anything worse than a bumper sticker or a lone nut waving a placard. I don't know if it's because I'm in a heavily Baptist town and no-one thinks it is necessary, or because I'm in a two college town between Atlanta and Chattanooga, so there are too many sane people to tolerate it. Probably the former.

There was one billboard I actually liked. It had a shirtless guy grimacing and clutching his head. There was something about curing meth addiction through Christ, but I found the cute boy much more interesting than the text. I ought to find out who put up that sign and send them an anonymous note thanking them for the eye candy. I'm sure they'd love that.

The_Saint · Post by **The_Saint** » 2007-09-15 02:36am

We don't have any major problems with the billboards (/insert other large graphic image holding object) out here in Australia.
Might also be because I live out on an isolated island but anyway.
The right to life groups out here don't seem to be religious, pretty much the same argument though (it's murder). Just leaflets and the occasional annual article in a newspaper.

I think that large graphic images of "abortion discharge" (as my girlfriend humouredly calls it) probably wouldn't go down so well out here... though we have no problem with nudity or the like. Heck as a national tourism campaign we had a bikini clad girl asking "where the bloody hell are ya?"

Plekhanov · Post by **Plekhanov** » 2007-09-15 02:56am

The_Saint wrote:We don't have any major problems with the billboards (/insert other large graphic image holding object) out here in Australia.
Might also be because I live out on an isolated island but anyway.
The right to life groups out here don't seem to be religious, pretty much the same argument though (it's murder). Just leaflets and the occasional annual article in a newspaper.

Your anti-choice groups will almost certainly be religious it's just that they've taken the political judgement that it will be to their political advantage not to advertise that fact. Anti-choice groups in the UK (where invoking religion is generally not a smart political move) act in just the same way, I spoke at a debate against a LIFE (the biggest anti-choice group in the UK) employee a few years back and she actually denied 'going to church much' when challenged about her motivations during the debate, she was being far from honest though.

If you want to see just how religious they are their stance on contraception, LIFE actually distribute anti-condom propaganda. This would clearly be an insane thing to do if your stated aim is to lower the number of abortions and only makes sense from a religious point of view. The 'non-church going' LIFE spokesperson I was up against incidentally defended the anti-condom propaganda and advocated an abstinence only approach to birth control.