Anyone else see that Pro-Life Display on Campus?

[Hakan]

My 2 cents.

I was actively involved in the UBC Pro-Choice group for about 2 years where we successfully protested the Genocide Awareness Project (GAP) about 6 times. We used completely non-violent means but erecting a human perimeter locked with signs chastizing the heinous and offensive nature of the display while giving pro-choice messages. We were lauded by 95% of the students that came up to the display for our efforts and many women came up and joined the perimeter. We also served coffee and hot chocolate and had a bunch of literature in the form of pamphlets to hand out. In all honesty our cause was the one most benefited it would seem from these terrible displays. That's not a justification for them to have any place on a university campus at all just a testament that you can make lemonade out of lemons if you're organized.

I urge anyone at U of C who has interest in doing the same the next time the GAP shows up to do the same. You can PM me and I can forward you on to our groups organizers.

There's nothing more to say idealogically. The displays very much border the grounds of freedom of speech. We drafted a policy to UBC to have the University or the Student's Union to book the display to an empty room where students interested in viewing could make the choice to do. The problem with the GAP displays now (among all the other things) is that regular student have no choice to view the display on their way to class if they don't know that it's up. I see that as an infringement on my rights as I have the choice not to listen or see incredibly distasteful and offensive messages. If the display were in a room somewhere then I could walk by and not have to look at it but if I wanted to look I could enter the room and see. Seems like a decent compromise but I doubt that the campus pro-life group would be satisfied. Either way, time to start lobbying the administration or whomever makes the bookings for the public outdoor space!

[Reaper]

I was thinking about participating in this thread but I can't seem to find my ten foot pole...

[calculoso]

Originally Posted by evman150

I'm basing the conservative comment on any and all of the political threads on this forum, specifically leading up to the election. It seemed like damn near everyone was screaming "criminals", "corruption" etc. And those people sure as hell weren't NDP voters.

When you're as FAR to the FAR FAR left as you are, everyone appears to be conservative.

There are many posters who are on the left side of the spectrum, just not near as far as you are. If you'd stop thinking that your way is the only way, and realize that most others are far more centrist, you might just get some people agreeing with parts of your ideas.

Until then, you're no more relevant to any discussion than anyone on the FAR FAR right end of the spectrum - of which there isn't anybody on this board.

[Lanny_MacDonald]

Originally Posted by Reaper

I was thinking about participating in this thread but I can't seem to find my ten foot pole...

As long as the ladies don't find your ten foot pole you won't HAVE to worry about participating in this thread (rim shot).

[Hakan]

Discounting someone's opinion because they appear to be 'left' or 'right' is ignorant. Listen to the opinion, synthesize it, and then use logic or an argument to support or refute it. Don't hide being static arbitrary labels to easily (mis)define someone's political leanings to make it easier for you to understand.

I really hate the 'right' and 'left' taxonomy that seems to affect every single political debate and discourse.

[White Doors]

He's only 19 folks. Cut him a break.

"If you are young and a conservative, you have no heart. If you are old and a liberal, you have no mind"

[Lanny_MacDonald]

Originally Posted by Hakan

Discounting someone's opinion because they appear to be 'left' or 'right' is ignorant. Listen to the opinion, synthesize it, and then use logic or an argument to support or refute it. Don't hide being static arbitrary labels to easily (mis)define someone's political leanings to make it easier for you to understand.

I really hate the 'right' and 'left' taxonomy that seems to affect every single political debate and discourse.

That's the American influence on Canadian culture. Things are very black or white in this country (America). You're either Republican or Democrat. Conservative or Liberal. With us or against us. Its Us versus Them at everything. America MUST have an enemy at all times. There must be an Evil Empire. There must be an Axis of Evil to defeat. That's the way the country has eveoloved, that is the way the mass media portrays each issue, and it is spilling over into Canadian attitudes as well. You are ALL unwittingly being assimilated into the collective. Enjoy the slide!

[Hakan]

Originally Posted by White Doors

He's only 19 folks. Cut him a break.

"If you are young and a conservative, you have no heart. If you are old and a liberal, you have no mind"

Shawnski, is that you?

Otherwise, just because a statement like that is funny doesn't make it meritorious.

[White Doors]

Doesn't make it false either.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by White Doors

Doesn't make it false either.

Yes it does, unless the person in question is either dead or in a coma. And if that's the case then you have some serious issues getting into debates with dead people.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Phaneuf3

I do like the green platform - even though some of their policies while well meaning were kinda not too well thought out - and probably would have voted for them if they had even a remote shot of at least forming the opposition -- not struggling for official party status

This is one of my biggest pet peeves. It's bandwagon voting! "I don't like the other guys so I'll vote for these guys because they have a chance of winning, even though I don't really like them either."

If everyone I knew who said this would actually vote the way they truly believe, our country might actually have proper representation. The Greens will eventually be a mainstream party. Look at Germany as an example of this.

Not to mention the fact that if you're voting in Alberta one less vote for the Conservatives is not going to deliver a crushing blow to their chances of a victory. I'm just so god damn sick of seeing anybody with Conservative under their name get in Alberta. It is an absolute joke that someone like Rob Anders still has a political career in this country.

Seriously, a mentally handicapped racist with a grade 3 education could win a seat in Calgary as long as they were running for the Conservatives (see: Rob Anders ).


Now that I've had my rant, I'll get back on topic.

I think these peoplehave the right to protest but they should be expected to provide appropriate material. If there was protest rally for pro-choicers with a poster of a fat single mom,on welfare with,six kids running around in no clothes and covered with chicken pox, and a slogan that read: "Jesus doesn't pay child support." There would be complete outrage.

It's pretty fair to ask these people to show some class when trying to debate an issue.

[Phaneuf3]

Originally Posted by rubecube

This is one of my biggest pet peeves. It's bandwagon voting! "I don't like the other guys so I'll vote for these guys because they have a chance of winning, even though I don't really like them either."

If everyone I knew who said this would actually vote the way they truly believe, our country might actually have proper representation. The Greens will eventually be a mainstream party. Look at Germany as an example of this.

Not to mention the fact that if you're voting in Alberta one less vote for the Conservatives is not going to deliver a crushing blow to their chances of a victory. I'm just so god damn sick of seeing anybody with Conservative under their name get in Alberta. It is an absolute joke that someone like Rob Anders still has a political career in this country.

Seriously, a mentally handicapped racist with a grade 3 education could win a seat in Calgary as long as they were running for the Conservatives (see: Rob Anders ).


Now that I've had my rant, I'll get back on topic.

I think these peoplehave the right to protest but they should be expected to provide appropriate material. If there was protest rally for pro-choicers with a poster of a fat single mom,on welfare with,six kids running around in no clothes and covered with chicken pox, and a slogan that read: "Jesus doesn't pay child support." There would be complete outrage.

It's pretty fair to ask these people to show some class when trying to debate an issue.

Woah woah woah... nobody is saying that I didn't agree with a lot of the conservative platform. I just said that the green party also looked appealing but in my opinion lacked leadership, experience, understanding of what it would take to be a major party and support. some of their policies, while i agreed with the intention and such, were absolutely impossible to implement which is why they didn't get my vote.

and as for your on topic part of the post, i agree with you fully. why is it that the normal pro-choice people are the ones making the demonstrations and not putting up signs like that while the wing nuts on the pro-life side are becoming the voice of that stance?

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by rubecube

poster of a fat single mom,on welfare with,six kids running around in no clothes and covered with chicken pox, and a slogan that read: "Jesus doesn't pay child support."

On another point who thinks this would make a great offensive bumper sticker?

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by Lanny_MacDonald

One thing I do find very amusing is that the radical pro-life groups here in the US (in the States I have experience in anyways) are the same clowns that are pro-death penalty. The irony always makes me laugh!

This is true, at least in one direction. Radical pro-lifers are nearly always pro death penalty. I wouldn't say death penalty advocates are always anti-abortionists.

I'm not a big fan of abortion on a personal level. I would do what I could to help someone close to me avoid that as a decision, but I do support the law. I do feel there should be restrictions on late term and don't think partial birth abortion is necessary.

I do find, though, that radical pro-lifers are some of the most hate filled and vile people I've ever met. They're tactics are often damaging to innocents. They are akin to the funeral protestors that Phelps trots out. Whackos who have absolutely no heart.

[White Doors]

And radical prochoicers are often anti-death penalty.
Just as much of an irony there too, no?

[rubecube]

Funny you should say that. Because often radical pro-lifers are pro-death penalty too. I'm just a pro-death person I guess because I'm for the death penalty and I'm pro-choice.

[Lanny_MacDonald]

Originally Posted by White Doors

And radical prochoicers are often anti-death penalty.
Just as much of an irony there too, no?

Where is the irony there? Pro-choice is not about killing, like the neo-conservative dittoheads like to natter on and on about of FauxNews, its about having the right to make choices that affect your body and your life without outside interference. Being anti-death penalty is being against the state sactioned murder of another human being. I do not see any irony there.

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by Lanny_MacDonald

Where is the irony there? Pro-choice is not about killing, like the neo-conservative dittoheads like to natter on and on about of FauxNews, its about having the right to make choices that affect your body and your life without outside interference. Being anti-death penalty is being against the state sactioned murder of another human being. I do not see any irony there.

You should ask someone who made the choice to have an abortion if they felt like they killed anything. I only know two people who've had an abortion, and both not only regretted it after it was over, they also felt like they had killed their own child. The pro-choice camp doesn't mention that the choice you make you may end up regretting for the rest of your life and cause you to feel like a murderer though. Wonder why?

And the irony is that being pro-choice you are for the state sanctioned murder of another human.

The issue is that many women tell themselves it isn't murder in order to get them through the procedure. After all, that's what pro-choicers tell them, it's not human. Then they end up feeling like it was a human, and not just any human, but their child.

[Lanny_MacDonald]

Originally Posted by FireFly

You should ask someone who made the choice to have an abortion if they felt like they killed anything. I only know two people who've had an abortion, and both not only regretted it after it was over, they also felt like they had killed their own child. The pro-choice camp doesn't mention that the choice you make you may end up regretting for the rest of your life and cause you to feel like a murderer though. Wonder why?

And the irony is that being pro-choice you are for the state sanctioned murder of another human.

The issue is that many women tell themselves it isn't murder in order to get them through the procedure. After all, that's what pro-choicers tell them, it's not human. Then they end up feeling like it was a human, and not just any human, but their child.

Wow, what a bunch of pro-life bull****.

[Superfraggle]

Originally Posted by FireFly

You should ask someone who made the choice to have an abortion if they felt like they killed anything. I only know two people who've had an abortion, and both not only regretted it after it was over, they also felt like they had killed their own child. The pro-choice camp doesn't mention that the choice you make you may end up regretting for the rest of your life and cause you to feel like a murderer though. Wonder why?

And the irony is that being pro-choice you are for the state sanctioned murder of another human.

The issue is that many women tell themselves it isn't murder in order to get them through the procedure. After all, that's what pro-choicers tell them, it's not human. Then they end up feeling like it was a human, and not just any human, but their child.

The pro-life camp also likes to gloss over the major changes and often regret that comes from having a child you don't want and can't properly support.

That isn't ironic if you don't consider a fetus to be human yet, which I don't think the majority of pro-choicers do.

Two people you know is a very very small sample size. Of course things like that happen, but they happen on both sides of the equation. I'm sure there are people who have done it that are equally convinced that it was the right choice.