Anti-abortion protest signs - how far is too far?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tom444
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
OOOO…I think I might have a good idea. If anyone has the money to do this. Get some large tv’s and and large ecnoline van. Mount the tv’s in the side windows and in the back window’s. Play video tape of ultrasounds and pictures. And have positive messages in between each baby video. Go and park next to a death mill with the sound of a baby heartbeat in the womb blaring on a loud speaker. Also have a team of people to support and help these women in their desperate time of need. If I had the money I would so do this. This would non violent protest for prolife.

Dawn
 
40.png
SUNRISEDAWN:
OOOO…I think I might have a good idea. If anyone has the money to do this. Get some large tv’s and and large ecnoline van. Mount the tv’s in the side windows and in the back window’s. Play video tape of ultrasounds and pictures. And have positive messages in between each baby video. Go and park next to a death mill with the sound of a baby heartbeat in the womb blaring on a loud speaker. Also have a team of people to support and help these women in their desperate time of need. If I had the money I would so do this. This would non violent protest for prolife.

Dawn
Click to expand...
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this idea. What Mom doesn’t melt when she hears the “woosh woosh woosh woosh woosh woosh” of a beautiful little beating heart?
 
I think the photos should be seen by everyone - over the age of 12 or so. I don’t approve of using the posters in places where young children will see them. It i an attack on their innocence, just as pushing sexuality on them is. My oldest daughter knows what abortion is, but I still would not want her to see these images until she’s older… Handing out pamphlets with the pictures on the inside would be a better idea.
 
On this subject, I can speak as one who has some experience. My father became strongly involved in the pro-life movement about the time I was 8. As a result of his work in a local pro-life organization, I was exposed at that age to graphic photographs of aborted children.

Did it destroy my innocence? No.
Did it leave me forever traumatized beyond hope? No.
Did it give me an appreciation for the reality of abortion? Absolutely.
Did it remind me that this earth is not my true home? Absolutely.

Now that I am 21, (and know everthing…just kidding) I have not lost that appreciation for innocent human life, and I try to remain active in pro-life efforts as best I can.

Consider if the question at hand was whether graphic photos of the holocaust were “too much”. Who could possibly suggest that such photographs not be displayed without immediatly being denounced by Jews, liberals, and many others for being “anti-Semitic”? Yet many of these same people vigorously oppose the display of aborted children–perhaps as much as a Nazi would oppose public display of the cruel reality of the holocaust.

We live in a holocaust to which all the holocausts of history pale in comparison. If ever there was a time to display the reality of abortion, it is now.
 
Ecce Homo -
I don’t doubt that some kids can handle seeing these pictures earlier than age 12. The child’s own parent is the best judge of this. A stranger on the street has no right to do this to a child. What harm is there in not seeing these pictures at age 8? How many 8 year olds are having abortions? I think even liberals would balk at showing holocaust pictures to a kindergarten cless. There is plenty of time to teach children about the harsh and ugly things in life. I see no reason to dump it all on them at once. I take it you aren’t a parent - if you were you might see it differently.
 
BlindSheep,

I certainly respect your opinion, and it was not my intention to attack it, although, I see that I have to some extent. My intention was just to give my own experience as one who has grown up in an actively pro-life family. Nor am I trying to say that 8 year olds should be a target audience of graphic material. Contrariwise, I am merely stating that my own exposure to it did me no harm, and probably did me some good.

No, I do not have children (nor am I married), but I have not met a better human father than my own.

It is true that 8 year olds are not having abortions–but 12 and 13 year olds are, very sadly. Even at the innocent age of 8, children these days are immersed in a sin-culture, complete with “role-models” such as Brittney Spears and, in some places, sex-ed in kindergarden. For some, and accidental encounter with the truth may be a great grace for them.
– Ecce Homo
 
40.png
SUNRISEDAWN:
OOOO…I think I might have a good idea. If anyone has the money to do this. Get some large tv’s and and large ecnoline van. Mount the tv’s in the side windows and in the back window’s. Play video tape of ultrasounds and pictures. And have positive messages in between each baby video. Go and park next to a death mill with the sound of a baby heartbeat in the womb blaring on a loud speaker. Also have a team of people to support and help these women in their desperate time of need. If I had the money I would so do this. This would non violent protest for prolife.

Dawn
Click to expand...
This is so brilliant that I can’t believe it!! And it is, indeed, completely nonviolent…This would be a very good way to educate all kinds of people, too, because it would be showing you unborn babies as they are: real people!! With heartbeats!! I love this idea!!
 
40.png
SUNRISEDAWN:
OOOO…I think I might have a good idea. If anyone has the money to do this. Get some large tv’s and and large ecnoline van. Mount the tv’s in the side windows and in the back window’s. Play video tape of ultrasounds and pictures. And have positive messages in between each baby video. Go and park next to a death mill with the sound of a baby heartbeat in the womb blaring on a loud speaker. Also have a team of people to support and help these women in their desperate time of need. If I had the money I would so do this. This would non violent protest for prolife.

Dawn
Click to expand...
That really is a GREAT idea Dawn! Really, people should definetly start doing this. I’m sure it would change a lot of minds.
 
40.png
felra:
Yes, and pray for them, especially for those who feel/felt coerced, pressured, and without life options. “Mary our Mother, pray for us”.

All prolife efforts need to be underlined, overlayed, permeated by pray and God’s merciful love, in this battle for innocent life against the pro-death forces whose commander in chief is satan.
Click to expand...
I agree. I truly feel that most women who get abortions are victims of society. It’s so sad that we live in a world where people make women feel that they arn’t competent enough to keep their babies. That they make you feel as if it’s more wrong to bring a baby into the world outside of marriage than killing the baby all together. We definatly have to keep all of these women in our prayers.
 
40.png
anjel13:
I agree. I truly feel that most women who get abortions are victims of society. It’s so sad that we live in a world where people make women feel that they arn’t competent enough to keep their babies. That they make you feel as if it’s more wrong to bring a baby into the world outside of marriage than killing the baby all together. We definatly have to keep all of these women in our prayers.
Click to expand...
This is so true. I know a young lady who had an abortion, thinking that it was “just a blob of tissue”. She has made at least one suicide attempt for depression. Another girl who had a terrible time getting pregnant because of the scarring from the abortion. These were sold a bill of goods by the abortion people.
Also I think of the young girls who do not realize that adoption is even possible. They often do not even realize that there are people out there who would love to take that baby to raise.
This is a great tragedy. My heroes are the people that are helping pregnant women/girls to carry those babies to term & give them up for adoption. What a great gift to all involved!!
It is easy for us as Christian people to assume that because we know about these things, that everyone does…Not true! These facts are carefully hidden from women. The pro-aborts have done a lot of brainwashing! We need to pray, pray, pray!!!
 
First, Dawn, you are not alone!! You are not the only one on these forums to have been sucked into the culture of death. And, yes, you should definately seek to become Catholic. You will be amazed at what the Sacrament of Confession can do for you. Just remember that no sin is greater than God’s mercy. It is the evil one who tries to convince you that you have commited the “unforgiveable sin”. This is not true! I know (from personal experience) how hard this is to accept. I still sometimes struggle with it, but that is what makes me so determined to fight the pro-abortion mentality in this world! We can be powerful witnesses for the pro-life movement.

Second, I voted that it depends. There is a time and place for such graphic pictures. I like the tracts that explain on the outside and warn the reader about the graphic contents inside. Also, where I protest, we have a small sign (poster size) with a picture of Jesus holding an aborted fetus in the palm of his hand. It is unbloody and hard to see if you don’t come close enough. I don’t think people can see it from their moving cars. But we know it’s there. I think that some of the new 4-D images being done through sonograms may be a better way of showing “reality” to people. If these young women were allowed to see their babies on a sonogram before they were allowed to abort, I don’t think most of them could go through with it.
 
I have thought about this a lot, and have organized a few Face the Truth tours in my city. We have signs that warn people about the graphic nature of our signs and you know what?

We recieve MORE THUMBS UP than other fingers, even from families with children in the car.

People say to me all the time; those are disgusting pictures. I reply, you’re right, but they’re not as disgusting as the procedure that makes them.

I think this from the PLAL explains it well:

People are sometimes outraged that we would expose children riding by with their parents to this graphic display of abortion. But we have found that it is not the disturbing pictures themselves that trouble children so much as the injustice that they reveal. Children are by their very nature sensitive and com-passionate. They don’t want to see other children suffer. They will naturally be concerned about the unborn children in our graphic display.

Until someone tries to convince a child that abortion is okay, he will know in his heart that it is wrong to take the life of an unborn baby. You may see children among the ranks of those holding signs out on the street today. These children want to do their part to help stop abortion. They don’t want to see any more unborn babies killed.

In the end, the only way to protect our children from seeing these images is to eradicate abortion, which takes the lives of one-fourth of their brothers and sisters. Only then will our children be free to grow up in a world that respects the value of each and every child.
 
I am very active in the pro-life movement. I believe graphic pictures are EXTREMELY powerful tools and should be used with discretion.

I present a fantastic program put out by Stand To Reason called “Making Abortion Unthinkable”, this program is aimed to teach pro-lifers the most effective ways to speak about the issue. I completely agree with their stand on graphic pictures being used in a careful thoughtful manner.

I do not believe these pictures should be out where children can see them. I believe it is my job to know when my children are ready to hear about the evil of abortion. I have a 5 year old daughter, and 3 and 1 year old sons. My children come to both the CPC I volunteer with, and the Educational Pro-life Resource center I work for. Neither place has graphic pictures on display. Both places have pictures of unborn children from ultrasound pictures, both have the “Touch of Life” fetal models. During my pregnancy with my 3rd child, my then 3 year old (almost 4) daughter carried around a 12 week fetal model (when I was near that stage) and told every stranger in the grocery store, bank, PO etc. that “My mommy has a baby just this size in her tummy.”

I have no doubt that my children will know that abortion is wrong, b/c they know all about unborn babies. My daughter asks me to give fetal models to all my friends when they announce pregnancies. The older 2 came to all of my OB check-ups and listened to the heartbeat, they were there for my ultrasounds.

My kids WILL know about abortion, and- I dread the day and the talks killing their innocence. I work closely with upwards of 20 dedicated pro-life activists between the 2 places I volunteer my time, not a single one of them is comfortable with exposing young children to graphic images in this way. I have talked to a large numver of them about my dread of telling my kids what abortion is, and they all assure me that as a good-connected mother, I will know when the time is right for my children to learn of this horror.

I ask that people truly consider children like mine when they choose to use the pictures in the way outlined in the OP. I am all for graphic picture use, surely for some, it is the only way they will ever see, but, please don’t put them out there for my sweet children to see. My kids cry when they see someone smack their child in a store, they are far to sensitive for this.
 
Jess,

You have stated this better than any of us could. Thank you!
 
40.png
Zooey:
I have to respectfully disagree. After posting earlier, I dug out my copy of Dr JC Willkie’s “Abortion: Questions & Answers”. There are a couple of pictures in there that are especially bloody/gruesome. Yet they are the least convincing to my way of thinkling.Why?? Because the baby is so chopped up & mangled, there is little or no resemblance to a human being. If I didn’t know bettter, I could easliy be persuaded that the one especially is a pic of “a bunch of tissue”.
When I see a picture of a baby that looks like a baby, I find that another story.
And as for myself, I am just concerned about their affect on children. I think that drawings (or, as someone said here, B&W pix) are much more effective. The photos that move me are the ones from sonograms! (This is probably why, I am told, that abortionists try never to let women see the sonograms of their babies…Which says to me, that protesters outside of abortion mills ought to have huge signs of** sonograms of babies** . )
Click to expand...
Ill be happy to send you some if you wish, they look exactly like babies, cause they are babies. and even though they are in pieces, you can still tell they are babies…just got to google, click images, and type in abortion or aborted babies and you will get plenty of nightmares.
 
I agree that the truth should be known…and shown to those who can do something about it…But…Do you really want children to be exposed to such graphic pictures? That is my main concern in this matter…When you carry such graphics into the public square…busy streets and sidewalks, malls, etc…You are running the risk of having a child who is not equipped to deal with such an ugly reality. It could seriously traumatize a child to see something like that…Reality is fine for grownups, but not for little ones.
 
Catholic Heart:
I agree that the truth should be known…and shown to those who can do something about it…But…Do you really want children to be exposed to such graphic pictures? That is my main concern in this matter…When you carry such graphics into the public square…busy streets and sidewalks, malls, etc…You are running the risk of having a child who is not equipped to deal with such an ugly reality. It could seriously traumatize a child to see something like that…Reality is fine for grownups, but not for little ones.
Click to expand...
Uh huh. Now tell me if your parish has a crucifix. I imagine children might well be more traumatized by looking at a lifesized statue of Jesus on the cross with nails through his hands and feet and an expression of agony. Someone’s made this point before on this thread but I think that this makes a lot of sense. Should we ban crucifixes? Some of the ones I’ve seen are pretty gory looking…

Lisa N
 
Lisa N:
Uh huh. Now tell me if your parish has a crucifix. I imagine children might well be more traumatized by looking at a lifesized statue of Jesus on the cross with nails through his hands and feet and an expression of agony. Someone’s made this point before on this thread but I think that this makes a lot of sense. Should we ban crucifixes? Some of the ones I’ve seen are pretty gory looking…

Lisa N
Click to expand...
Lisa,

I, as a small child, was never once traumatized by the crucifix. That’s right. Not once.
 
surf(name removed by moderator)ure:
Lisa,

I, as a small child, was never once traumatized by the crucifix. That’s right. Not once.
Click to expand...
Good to hear and that’s my point exactly. I am not sure we should fail to act based on a fear of what MIGHT happen. If we don’t act to stop abortion on demand, we KNOW what WILL happen. I am still a bit on the fence about these photos being widely used. OTOH I think that they do address one of PP’s major arguments, that an abortion is little more than removing unwanted ‘tissue’ thus dehumanizing the baby that is killed. These images not only demonstrate that even at the earlies stages the unborn baby is VERY human, they also demonstrate the violent procedure that takes their lives. This is not an inobtrusive procedure for the BABY although the mother might be sedated or anesthetized.

I do understand concerns about children or even adults being traumatized by gruesome images, although I do wonder how many of these same folks watch violent TV shows or allow their kids to participate in violent video games.
 
Lisa N:
I do understand concerns about children or even adults being traumatized by gruesome images, although I do wonder how many of these same folks watch violent TV shows or allow their kids to participate in violent video games.
Click to expand...
My kids are not exposed to any violent TV, video games, etc. I explained how my children are being raised to be “pro-life” just a few posts up. I am just pleading that people consider children like mine when displaying these images.

Also- as I stated before, I am part of an educational pro-life group
www.friendsforlifeinc.org. Our other presenters (other than me that is) have been doing this for 20+years. We present in high school, public and private, we present to all kinds of community groups. We do get our message across without using pictures of aborted fetuses. I highly doubt we would ever be allowed into the public high schools if we wanted to show such images. What we do is first- a thorough explanation of fetal development (including pictures of babes in utero), we then explain abortion procedures quite graphically with words. Believe me- the students get the message, they wince and some cry.

It is possible to educate on this subject without graphic pictures. I do not deny that they have a very important place (I myself have used the Silent Scream video for college students). I just believe very strongly that young children should not be exposed to these images. MY children should not be (at this point in their young lives) exposed to these images.

BTW- the idea proposed by a previous poster about a bus with ultrasound images and the heartbeat blaring, complete with sidewalk counselors—THAT is one of the best ideas I have heard in a very long time. I hope someone takes that and runs with it. You should contact ALL and other groups about this.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top