Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Proxima Centauri · 06-14-2003, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rushianbeing
Now this week, my mother-in-law's anti-choice organization has started silent protests at the local abortion clinic (amazingly, we are one of the VERY few counties in the state of TN that has one!!). She was in the newspaper yesterday, being quoted as saying "All Christians in this community need to band together so we can rid our town of this evil". I was INFURIATED. This is a huge issue for me, as well-I am rabidly pro-choice, and have always bristled at the thought that ANYONE would honestly believe that they have the god-given right to take away others' rights based on their religion. My first instinct when I read this article was to slap pro-choice bumper stickers on my shirt, go down to the clinic, sit on the sidewalk, call the newspaper and say "come down here and take MY picture. Talk to ME!!". I would have done it in a heartbeat-but this is my mother-in-law, and they have already proven beyond all doubt that if I have the audacity to exercise the same rights as they freely exercise, they will punish my husband horribly. So my hands were tied. I did at least write a letter to the local newspaper decrying the ignorance of these people and disputing their claim that they speak for the desires of my entire community, and commending the doctor for having the courage to provide abortion services in this backasswards part of the country, but I used a different name. And I can't go down there and counterprotest, because, once again, these supposedly righteous godly people will take it out on my husband to the point that he will get dangerously ill.

Well, I have had about all I can take!!! I am sick of having to write letters to the editor under an assumed name. I'm sick of having to remove my pro-choice bumper sticker (which is taped to the inside of my back windshield to make this possible) whenever my car is going to be in view of my mother-in-law. I am sick of not being able to express MY opinion even a LITTLE, while she is out there freely exercising her constitutional right to publicly proclaim HER opinion everywhere she goes. I am sick of having my activist urges supressed while she runs anti-choice rallies out of my father-in-law's restaurant and stages protests at the abortion clinic. I'm sick of it ALL!!!!

If this were not a relative, I would be out there protesting her in a heartbeat, avidly. I have no problem personally letting this woman know what I think of her politics. But I don't want to make my husband's life a living hell. And they have proven that they will torture him emotionally if I make a peep. My husband, incidentally, is pro-choice and atheist like I am, but if his mother found out, she would be absolutely crushed beyond repair, and since my husband works with her, he doesn't want to take the grief that would come his way daily if she found out her son had rejected the big fairy in the sky.

Just needed to vent, as I said. Any opinions are of course most welcome. And I want to say again that I am SO glad to have this forum to come to-obviously there is no one I can talk to about this shit around here.

The quote comes from this thread.
Can Pro-choicers e-mail or PM Russianbeing and get something done? It would be great to make Russianbeing feel better and get those pro-lifers sorted.
I can't do anything either. I'm on the wrong side of the Atlantic Ocean, (the Pond). :banghead:

Toto · 06-14-2003, 09:45 AM

I'm on the same side of the pond but about as far removed as you are. Small southern towns tend to be miniature theocracies that do not tolerate dissent of any sort. Most of us have dealt with that issue by moving to places like California.

I think Rushianbeing is getting some good advice on that thread and is doing some good venting. Her problems come from the control that her inlaws have over her husband, and his unwillingness to rock the boat. There's a limited amount any outsider can do in that situation.

NonHomogenized · 06-14-2003, 12:43 PM

I'll help if someone organizes it, and I'm able, but even I'm half a thousand miles from there.

simian · 06-15-2003, 05:32 AM

One possible route is to enlist the help of a pro-choice Christian denomination. Have them do the writing to plainly state that one can be Christian and pro-choice, and if you are lucky, perhaps have them make a rather blunt statement about the type of Christianity represented by the anti-choice crowd. Unfortunately, the progressive churches are not often willing to speak up.

Simian

Toto · 06-15-2003, 10:28 AM

Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice

pro-faith, pro-family, and pro-choice

(The coalition includes Christian, Jewish, Unitarian, and Humanist groups.)

Rushianbeing · 06-16-2003, 07:28 AM

You guys are fantastic!! I can't thank you enough for starting this thread. It has given me a lot of good ideas, and has definitely motivated me. I spent all weekend trying to think of ways to motivate and organize people in this little backasswards burg. There HAVE to be some like-minded people here, I'm sure they're just afraid to say so in public. I'm thinking of trying to start a NARAL chapter here-there's a little independent newspaper that I could put an ad in and see if anyone responds. I will DEFINITELY check out the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice-I think that organization could really give me some insight. That's the problem-people around here AUTOMATICALLY associate Christian with anti-choice. It never occurs to any of them that there is such a thing as a pro-choice Christian-it would blow their minds if they met one.
There is ONE intrepid Episcopalian church here amid the roiling sea of Southern Baptists, and I may contact them to see if any members are interested in organizing.
Thank you so much!! Seriously! It's nice to not be thought of as the enemy for a change.

Rushian

Jewel · 06-16-2003, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rushianbeing
I will DEFINITELY check out the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice-I think that organization could really give me some insight. That's the problem-people around here AUTOMATICALLY associate Christian with anti-choice. It never occurs to any of them that there is such a thing as a pro-choice Christian-it would blow their minds if they met one.

I know what you mean -- I've run into that before and it just makes me shake my head.

I do wish you much success in hooking up with some local pro-choice people. I'm sure there must be others.

Jewel

Viti · 06-17-2003, 09:04 AM

Just wanted to say good luck to you.

I still shudder at the memories of working as a pro choice activist. Being in the middle of a protest is the ugliest and scariest thing ever...'specially because some of those nuts have guns.

Rushianbeing · 06-17-2003, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by LadyShea
Just wanted to say good luck to you.

I still shudder at the memories of working as a pro choice activist. Being in the middle of a protest is the ugliest and scariest thing ever...'specially because some of those nuts have guns.

Yikes! I admire you for the work you did in the face of this kind of life-threatening bulls**t!! Thank you for your good wishes!! I need to be more mindful of the dangers involved, for sure. I was talking to the director of the sexual assault crisis center I volunteer for last night, and she told me that she'd be worried if she were me about the safety of her loved ones in this area. She obviously has a point.

I am going to try to do everything I can safely do-join NARAL, contribute, write letters to congress, and continue to write local letters, even if I have to do it under an assumed name. It was pointed out to me by someone in the know that the local protesters are protesting a doctor who did ONE abortion all of last year, so they are not really affecting much of anything. And as it turns out, this particular doctor is such an unscrupulous ass in other ways that the crisis center I work for regularly sends people to Asheville or Knoxville for abortion services rather than to him. Not that I am going to quit promoting local awareness to the extent that I can!

This really all amounts to a bunch of bored women "showing their ass to God", as my husband put it.

It's really easy to stage a "protest" when you KNOW you are not going to meet with any opposition, as in this particular small Southern-Baptist-dominated town. I'd like to see them go to a nearby large city where they are sure to meet with counter-protesters, but they do not have the courage or conviction to take THAT chance.

And Toto, FYI, I did manage to get a letter published that suggests that people in this area check out the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice-I am very happy about that!! I really honestly believe that a good number of people around here WILL look at that, even if out of morbid curiousity at first, and it will change some minds.

Thank you!!

Onward!

Viti · 06-17-2003, 04:22 PM

I re-read my post and realized how dire and negative it sounded...I am sorry. It was not always like that...only when those nutburgers Operation Rescue were in Denver as an extension (luckily much smaller) of their Summer of Mercy in Wichita. Some of my other work was quite fulfilling, I went down to DU to hand out flyers about the counterprotest and the worst I got there was "No, thanks, I am pro-life"...I made lots of phone calls. I helped raise funds when Reagan put in that stupid bill where federal funds were denied to clinics who even MENTIONED abortion. I feel a small sense of accomplishment.

Here, there was a small group that hung out in front of the jewelry store I worked at (the clinic was at the very end of a culdesac and not visible from the street)...it looked like they were protesting the Jewelry and Furniture stores there in the front LOL> Anyway I screwed with those mouth breathers big time, asked them why they were all men and kids...where were their wives...in labor for the 12th time? I was rude.

Anyhoo, there is much that can be done without the full frontal attack/confrontation with the protesters...but you may want to stage a silent counterprotest...help train clinic escorts and set up some sort of schedule and completely ignore the idiot pro lifers.

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06-14-2003, 09:45 AM	#2
Toto Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Los Angeles area Posts: 40,549	I'm on the same side of the pond but about as far removed as you are. Small southern towns tend to be miniature theocracies that do not tolerate dissent of any sort. Most of us have dealt with that issue by moving to places like California. I think Rushianbeing is getting some good advice on that thread and is doing some good venting. Her problems come from the control that her inlaws have over her husband, and his unwillingness to rock the boat. There's a limited amount any outsider can do in that situation.

06-14-2003, 12:43 PM	#3
NonHomogenized Veteran Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: no longer at IIDB Posts: 1,644	I'll help if someone organizes it, and I'm able, but even I'm half a thousand miles from there.

06-15-2003, 05:32 AM	#4
simian Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: St. Louis, MO area Posts: 1,924	One possible route is to enlist the help of a pro-choice Christian denomination. Have them do the writing to plainly state that one can be Christian and pro-choice, and if you are lucky, perhaps have them make a rather blunt statement about the type of Christianity represented by the anti-choice crowd. Unfortunately, the progressive churches are not often willing to speak up. Simian

06-15-2003, 10:28 AM	#5
Toto Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Los Angeles area Posts: 40,549	Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice pro-faith, pro-family, and pro-choice (The coalition includes Christian, Jewish, Unitarian, and Humanist groups.)

06-16-2003, 07:28 AM	#6
Rushianbeing Regular Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: the holler, y'all Posts: 243	You guys are fantastic!! I can't thank you enough for starting this thread. It has given me a lot of good ideas, and has definitely motivated me. I spent all weekend trying to think of ways to motivate and organize people in this little backasswards burg. There HAVE to be some like-minded people here, I'm sure they're just afraid to say so in public. I'm thinking of trying to start a NARAL chapter here-there's a little independent newspaper that I could put an ad in and see if anyone responds. I will DEFINITELY check out the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice-I think that organization could really give me some insight. That's the problem-people around here AUTOMATICALLY associate Christian with anti-choice. It never occurs to any of them that there is such a thing as a pro-choice Christian-it would blow their minds if they met one. There is ONE intrepid Episcopalian church here amid the roiling sea of Southern Baptists, and I may contact them to see if any members are interested in organizing. Thank you so much!! Seriously! It's nice to not be thought of as the enemy for a change. Rushian

06-17-2003, 09:04 AM	#8
Viti Contributor Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Down South Posts: 12,879	Just wanted to say good luck to you. I still shudder at the memories of working as a pro choice activist. Being in the middle of a protest is the ugliest and scariest thing ever...'specially because some of those nuts have guns.

06-17-2003, 04:22 PM	#10
Viti Contributor Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Down South Posts: 12,879	I re-read my post and realized how dire and negative it sounded...I am sorry. It was not always like that...only when those nutburgers Operation Rescue were in Denver as an extension (luckily much smaller) of their Summer of Mercy in Wichita. Some of my other work was quite fulfilling, I went down to DU to hand out flyers about the counterprotest and the worst I got there was "No, thanks, I am pro-life"...I made lots of phone calls. I helped raise funds when Reagan put in that stupid bill where federal funds were denied to clinics who even MENTIONED abortion. I feel a small sense of accomplishment. Here, there was a small group that hung out in front of the jewelry store I worked at (the clinic was at the very end of a culdesac and not visible from the street)...it looked like they were protesting the Jewelry and Furniture stores there in the front LOL> Anyway I screwed with those mouth breathers big time, asked them why they were all men and kids...where were their wives...in labor for the 12th time? I was rude. Anyhoo, there is much that can be done without the full frontal attack/confrontation with the protesters...but you may want to stage a silent counterprotest...help train clinic escorts and set up some sort of schedule and completely ignore the idiot pro lifers.

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