NO Welcome
There is so much I don't get. Was the American Revolution a one time thing or is it proper that we all revolt all the time? How much should we revolt? Or should we just sit back and enjoy? Are there degrees of revolt which are more acceptable than others? Where do you draw the line separating extremism from concerned citizenship? How do we know on which side of a dichotomy to stand and is it a good thing for us to choose a position black over white, white over black? I think we can all agree that killing babies is not good, but how many of us who believe that also believe in a woman's right to abortion?
It's the last big hurrah of Carnival this weekend through Tuesday in New Orleans and there is an influx of of people from all around the world. As a sign of the times helicopters fly over as a crowd control aide to a small police force who are fairly expert at it to begin with. Minor sins are forgiven here this weekend, extremism is not. So where fits those out of towners who come to Sin Central USA to promote pro-life issues? Ideally, they fit or don't fit anywhere they want. There's is a cause worthy of serious consideration by anyone with a smidgen of heart or mind. Whether we agree with each other or not is besides the point. Free speech must endure all challenges against it. But how do we address those who would willfully and knowingly incite riot, or those who would yell "fire" in the crowded theatre?
Or how do we address those pro-lifers who are in town this weekend driving around in panel vans with four by five foot glossy photo-murals pasted to the side depicting actual late-term aborted babies in all that reality's grisly detail? A woman wrote in to the local paper to complain that she had been stuck in traffic on Earhart Blvd. as a whole group of revolutionaries with large aborted baby placards paraded up and down the neutral ground. The woman's point was why should someone else get to dictate at what age her children are subjected to this material? Her four-year old and eight-year old were in the car with her. As an adult I believe I can come to grips with the point behind their message--look at what you believe in you pro-choice ninny. A couple of years ago a neighbor and I on Rocheblave confronted one of these vans on the last Sunday of Carnival as it made it's third pass down our block. We told the driver not to come back and he didn't. So they are not without reason, these extremists, or at least understand the concept of enough is enough, the van won't drive back to CA with a broken windshield and four slashed tires. Which is a thing, this altering of a person's vehicle, that I felt truly capable of at that moment. Who are we, really?
the 5 most caring states, based on measures of economic and financial well-being, education, charity, cival engagement, safety, protection of the enviroment etc (per the united way)
1 minnesota
2 new hampshire
3 connecticut
4 mass
5 maine
the worst?
louisiana
There was an article in, I think, NY Review of Books a few years back by an American historian reminding us that the "rights of the fetus" are a new creation. Until pretty much the 1960s, the abortion issue was candidly about keeping women barefoot and pregnant to make more menfolk. After women's lib, the antiabortionists cleverly adopted the language of civil rights, and started talking about the fetus as a little person. Bottom line here is they never cared about the feelings of the fetus until recently (and many of them still don't). It's just cover.
Yeah, we're at the bottom of most lists, which makes this a great place from which to philosophize, and consider dichotomies. Or get rich as a politican.
On the abortion front, you guys saw this recent court ruling, right?
Like everything, this cuts both ways, but it's discouraging to see Operation Rescue get any help at all. I'm guessing you'll see more pro-life vans in the future, not less. (Although maybe not on your block if they have any sense.)
As for the court ruling, to me it doesn't necessarily look like a major loss for pro-choice advocates as much as a lesson in jurisprudence. So you can't bar extremist protestors by using extortion/racketeering laws against them, try something else, you know, of course, shy of baseball bats and razor knives.
|
There is so much I don't get. Was the American Revolution a one time thing or is it proper that we all revolt all the time? How much should we revolt? Or should we just sit back and enjoy? Are there degrees of revolt which are more acceptable than others? Where do you draw the line separating extremism from concerned citizenship? How do we know on which side of a dichotomy to stand and is it a good thing for us to choose a position black over white, white over black? I think we can all agree that killing babies is not good, but how many of us who believe that also believe in a woman's right to abortion?
It's the last big hurrah of Carnival this weekend through Tuesday in New Orleans and there is an influx of of people from all around the world. As a sign of the times helicopters fly over as a crowd control aide to a small police force who are fairly expert at it to begin with. Minor sins are forgiven here this weekend, extremism is not. So where fits those out of towners who come to Sin Central USA to promote pro-life issues? Ideally, they fit or don't fit anywhere they want. There's is a cause worthy of serious consideration by anyone with a smidgen of heart or mind. Whether we agree with each other or not is besides the point. Free speech must endure all challenges against it. But how do we address those who would willfully and knowingly incite riot, or those who would yell "fire" in the crowded theatre?
Or how do we address those pro-lifers who are in town this weekend driving around in panel vans with four by five foot glossy photo-murals pasted to the side depicting actual late-term aborted babies in all that reality's grisly detail? A woman wrote in to the local paper to complain that she had been stuck in traffic on Earhart Blvd. as a whole group of revolutionaries with large aborted baby placards paraded up and down the neutral ground. The woman's point was why should someone else get to dictate at what age her children are subjected to this material? Her four-year old and eight-year old were in the car with her. As an adult I believe I can come to grips with the point behind their message--look at what you believe in you pro-choice ninny. A couple of years ago a neighbor and I on Rocheblave confronted one of these vans on the last Sunday of Carnival as it made it's third pass down our block. We told the driver not to come back and he didn't. So they are not without reason, these extremists, or at least understand the concept of enough is enough, the van won't drive back to CA with a broken windshield and four slashed tires. Which is a thing, this altering of a person's vehicle, that I felt truly capable of at that moment. Who are we, really?
- jimlouis 3-02-2003 9:03 pm
the 5 most caring states, based on measures of economic and financial well-being, education, charity, cival engagement, safety, protection of the enviroment etc (per the united way)
1 minnesota
2 new hampshire
3 connecticut
4 mass
5 maine
the worst?
louisiana
- Skinny 3-02-2003 9:14 pm [1 comment]
There was an article in, I think, NY Review of Books a few years back by an American historian reminding us that the "rights of the fetus" are a new creation. Until pretty much the 1960s, the abortion issue was candidly about keeping women barefoot and pregnant to make more menfolk. After women's lib, the antiabortionists cleverly adopted the language of civil rights, and started talking about the fetus as a little person. Bottom line here is they never cared about the feelings of the fetus until recently (and many of them still don't). It's just cover.
- tom moody 3-02-2003 9:32 pm [1 comment]
Yeah, we're at the bottom of most lists, which makes this a great place from which to philosophize, and consider dichotomies. Or get rich as a politican.
- jimlouis 3-02-2003 9:32 pm [add a comment]
On the abortion front, you guys saw this recent court ruling, right?
Like everything, this cuts both ways, but it's discouraging to see Operation Rescue get any help at all. I'm guessing you'll see more pro-life vans in the future, not less. (Although maybe not on your block if they have any sense.)
- jim 3-02-2003 10:10 pm [add a comment]
As for the court ruling, to me it doesn't necessarily look like a major loss for pro-choice advocates as much as a lesson in jurisprudence. So you can't bar extremist protestors by using extortion/racketeering laws against them, try something else, you know, of course, shy of baseball bats and razor knives.
- jimlouis 3-02-2003 10:27 pm [add a comment]