Let’s ask these anti-abortion protesters in Libertyville, IL:
( The video above’s been removed, probably because it wasn’t posted by the filmmakers; they’ve posted it here.)
It’s interesting because most discussions of abortion usually involve people on either side yelling at each other, trying to convince the other side they’re wrong. For the most part, this video seems different—the really interesting protesters are the ones who seem to grapple with a side of the abortion issue they’ve never actually considered before.
(via Metafilter)
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seven comments
This is a fantastic video. I am completely speechless.
Posted by Stacey May
July 30, 2007, 9:02 PM
I think the video is really interesting but I don't trust that all the people asked hadn't thought about it before. I'm pretty sure that many of them were lying. It may be part of their strategy to appear "forgiving" of women who have abortions.
Some of the reasons I think a few of them are lying are:
- different people repeating the phrase "I'm not a lawyer". since when do you have to be a lawyer to make a judgments.
- refusing to talk more about it, suggests that they don't know what to say rather than they honestly "haven't thought about it"(another phrase often repeated).
- and the last woman referring the interviewing to someone else. Which sounded to me like "that guy knows our organization's policies more throughly than me, ask him what "we" think"
It appears to me that these individuals have thought about what punishments should face women that have abortions but as a political strategy do not advertise it.
But maybe I am just a cynic.
Posted by Talia
July 31, 2007, 9 AM
Interesting related article at Daily Kos: "The Only Moral Abortion is My Abortion," where anti-choice women choose:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/200...
Posted by Stacey May
July 31, 2007, 9:39 AM
Haven't been able to watch the video yet (mostly accessing the internet from public places that would frown on me listening to loud videos related to abortion), but read the Daily Kos article.
Stunning and distressing how good people can be at separating themself from "the bad guys" - like a friend of mine who listened to my explanation that, Gwen Stefani makes me angry because of 100s of years of sexualised oppression and exoticisation of East Asian women, and then responded by saying, "yes, but what does Gwen have to do with that?".
At the same time it would be nice to read the testimonials of people who were anti-choice, but were able to compassionate and change their minds after being pregnant. I think too often we paint pro-lifers as this angry, congealed mob who don't have hearts (just as I'm sure many pro-lifers look at pro-choicers that way!).
Posted by Thea
July 31, 2007, 11:53 AM
i don't think they were lying, Talia, i think they'd honestly never thought about it. You could really see them trying to puzzle it out...if they'd been forewarned, don't you think they would have come up with better answers?
It was nice to see that some of them at least tried to be open-minded, but they still cling to the belief that it is more important to protect new life, rather than support a mother's emotional health, and what life will be like for the child if it is born.
Posted by Taylor
July 31, 2007, 5:28 PM
I think there's a huge difference between being pro-life and anti-choice. I would even say that there are three sides to the debate: those who believe in abortion being an option, those who believe abortion should never be an option, and those who believe abortion is not an option for themselves.
Interestingly enough it was my father who enlightened me to that idea - he once told me that he didn't believe abortion was right, but that it wasn't his decision to make for other people, primarily because he isn't a woman. That kind of belief system I have a lot of respect for and you can see some of the people grapling with that in the interview.
I think their rhetoric is "make abortion illegal so it won't ever happen," but when questioned they suddenly realize that a lot of illegal things happen every day. They don't want to hurt anyone; their agenda is to (in their minds) save a life, and when they realize that their logic comes with a heavy price, it's confusing for them. That's why the video is so powerful...
Posted by Stacey May
July 31, 2007, 8 PM
Oh rats! The video got removed. Never got to see it. So sad.
Posted by Thea
July 31, 2007, 9:37 PM
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