A couple of comments on this, the advice of Joyce Arthur and Jane Cawthorne, two pro-abortion activists, to those who want to counter-protest The New Abortion Caravan.
1) Whether pro-lifers use the term “poor-choicers” or my opponents use “crapavan;” I am consistently against the use of lame “catch phrases.” “Crapavan”? Really?
2) The pro-choice movement thinks that the Canadian public will resonate well with “dancing genitalia” as an example of “positive actions, satire, or costumes.” (See tip number two for what to do)
3) Tip number three includes drowning out The New Abortion Caravan. Because when you don’t have anything logical or meaningful to say in response to someone else’s points, the next best thing is making sure those points simply aren’t heard. This is a strategy of totalitarianism everywhere.
Finally, on a hopeful note:
4) Anything they do to counter-protest helps The New Abortion Caravan. Why? Because the media loves a controversy. Pro-lifers out on the street is not as good a story–isn’t even much of a story–as pro-lifers surrounded by protestors.
I have yet to hear one single pro-choice activist address the real issue at hand and that’s who the fetus is and whether it matters. Get on your dancing genitalia garb and keep on dancing if you must, but at bottom, we have a serious issue here, and it’s one Jane and Joyce ignore in favour of lame catch phrases, rhetoric and euphemisms. They can do better.
by 
I’m glad you mentioned this! Truthfully one of the greatest deterrents for me to become involved in any social movement is cheap shots, sarcasm, and character assassination toward anyone in the opposing camp. It is the quickest way to annihilate true discourse and we do a disservice to our own intelligence by utilizing tricks and quips in place of honest level headed conversation.
Unfortunately, that takes place on both sides of the life debate; I have heard pro lifers and pro choicers use manipulative conniving or cheap emotional tricks to sway the audience. I know that I withdraw from the table of persuasion as soon as it begins; I imagine that it works the same both ways. Knowing this, I wish all pro life individuals would check their attitudes before publicly mocking or stereotyping the other camp. Not all pro-choicers are liberal. I know pro-choice individuals who sincerely believe in the mercy of abortion. If we see pro-choice people as adversaries to be bested, rather than people stuck in the same broken world, well first off we’re just arrogant, secondly we’ve lost them before we even begin to speak.
Leah,
I used to think as you do, but I’ve become a lot less tolerant of the other side of late. If you see the prolife movement as a modern day abolition movement (as I do), you have to ask yourself: in the U.S. of the 1800’s, how ought one to have treated slave owners and pro-slavery folks? At some point you have to be honest and react appropriately to the atrocities they commit, the atrocities they support, and the atrocities they force all of us to participate in through our taxes. Anything less, and they are not inclined to believe in the seriousness of our position. This is not just another political debate.
This is tough. I think I may agree with both of you. You can fight with Dan’s conviction, being earnest, honest and forthright throughout. I remain weary of lame cliche’s like “poor-choicers” or the ever-ridiculous “fetus fetishist” from the other side. Yes, indeed! Many pro-choicers sincerely believe in the mercy of abortion–I know countless such people. They are wrong. What do we do with that? It is a broken world.
Hi Dan
I agree with you- at least partially I suspect. My comment should not (and I hope does not) in any way justify abortion or the belief or support of it. I’m not making an argument for the softening of truth but rather the quality of the character of those who speak it. And I think you point out exactly the reason why: the seriousness of the position. If we submit a message, no matter how true, that is disregarded or tainted, because of classless and immature rhetoric and mockery we have ourselves diminished the seriousness of the issue. Not to mention compromised our own integrity. To make my point, an illustration. I know a group of picketing pro-life individuals who speak an unbending message with clarity, gentleness and grace. You will never sense judgment or disdain in their presence. They are most commonly met with insults and rage- but they do not match their opponents behaviour. It’s something truly inspiring to witness.
Hi Leah,
Yes, I think we actually agree… we shouldn’t use cheap one-liners that don’t actually reflect the truth of the pro-life position… I do agree with that.