Respecting Life, but not "Pro-Lifers"

So, this morning I decided to try my luck in surrendering Mamas and Chico (sans Baby because I already knew I'd be pushing my luck with two) to the Humane Society, which I know is nearly always out of space.  Although I've tried several times to make an appointment over the phone as the surrender process entails (and to no avail), I thought I'd just "stop in" since I've had luck once before in surrendering a stray as a walk-in.

Mamas ridin' shotgun.

Chico getting some fresh air in the backseat.

On the way to the Humane Society, I had to pass the Planned Parenthood on Babcock where the "Pro-Life" protesters always make my blood pressure rise.  Argh.  "I'm stopping in on the way back," I said to myself.  But not now.  I'm on a mission...

When I drove up to the Humane Society and saw others pulling on the door that wouldn't open, I already knew it wasn't a good sign.  Yup.  They don't open til noon.  Why didn't I know that???  However, an employee did let me go inside and ask if there was any space left and of course, there wasn't.  I was, however, handed their "surrender" instructions, which on the back has a convenient list of and directions to "Other Shelters." Great.

There was a woman there interested in adopting and when she overheard me talking about the strays I wanted to surrender, she asked if she could see them.  She came to the car to check out the "goods" when Mamas started barking her territorial bark.  Good girl, I thought.  But the woman who, admittedly, "didn't know anything" about caring for a dog was immediately scared.  "They're not gonna bite me, are they?"  I thought to myself, "God, I hope not."  Then I explained to her that Mamas is a German Shepherd mix and that German Shepherds are known for being good guard dogs.  She seemed to like Chico and asked where and how I found him.  I told her the story and also about Westside Dog Initiative.  She asked for my contact information and said she'd look for us on Facebook.  Hopefully she'll want him.  :/

So on the way back I decided to finally stop in to Planned Parenthood for some "investigative reporting."  As I drove in past the protesters, I told the dogs not to pay any attention to those "weirdos."  I walked in and ask the woman at the front desk sitting behind the plexiglass window if they have volunteer escorts for patients as a way of counteracting the demonstrators.

You see, I have a personal respect for these volunteers as I once visited a Planned Parenthood in Minnesota where a handful of protesters gathered including one man with a huge (like six feet tall) crucifix who badgered me with Bible verses as I made my way to the entrance.  I'm a pretty strong-willed person, but I can honestly say that this disturbed me.  Thank god (pun intended) for the volunteer who was there to confidently escort me from my car to the front door saying, "Don't pay attention to them."  That made all the difference to me.

So the front desk woman told me that she was the volunteer coordinator and that, yes, they are always looking for volunteers.  She directed me to their online volunteer form where you can sign up.  :)  She then told me that the protesters outside were part of the 40 Days for Life campaign, in which anti-choice demonstrators protest a woman's right to choose for...you guessed it, 40 days (Sept. 28 - Nov. 6).  Although at this location, they always have protesters...not just for special occasions such as this one.  She was appreciative of my inquiry and interest in supporting Planned Parenthood and asked for my name and contact information.  I asked her name and she responded, "Jane."  Thanks for the info, Jane!  Now time to get some pics of the anti-choice protesters...

So I go outside and ask two nice gentlemen standing behind a huge "Life" poster if I can take their picture.

"What are you taking the picture for?" one asks.

"For my blog," I answer.

"What is your blog about?

(Why was my gut reaction to say, "Stuff.")

"I blog about everyday things that I come across and write social commentary about them.  I'm taking pictures because I'm going to blog about y'all."

John (left) and Unnamed Sidekick very proud of what they do in their spare time.

"John" introduces himself, asks my name and hands me a pamphlet.  "Do you know about Planned Parenthood?" 

Apparently, Planned Parenthood isn't about providing safe, reproductive health services like I thought.
It's all about abortion, money and...snakes?

I answer him stating, "Yes, I do.  I'm a patient of theirs and an avid supporter of their services."

And let the debating begin...  Now.

"Do you know the percentage of women who walk into Planned Parenthood to have an abortion?"

To which I responded that it is a woman's right to choose what to do with her own body and asked if they were going to adopt all of those unwanted children.  John responded, "I have two adopted children."  "Yes, but are you going to adopt all of them?" I ask.  No answer.

I then asked if they thought it was right to stand here and judge women who have made a very difficult decision under circumstances they know nothing about.

"We're not judging anybody...it's God's job to decide if you go to heaven or hell."  (Really, John?  Because you're making it seem like it's your full-time job right now.)

To which I responded, "Well, that's if you believe in God" (I knew I'd get their goat with that one) and then, pointing at their huge "Life" sign ask, "And that's not judging?"  (By the way, they used the nice "smiling baby" side of their sign for my picture.  The other side of the sign, not so nice.)

They didn't have an answer so... Quick, distract her with props!

Trying to think of how I can re-gift this.

John: "Do you now what this is?"

"A pin?"

"It's the size of an unborn baby's feet at ten weeks.  Do you know how you were created?"

At this point I'm thinking, "Dude, I got dogs in the car."

John continues: "God created you."

"I believe that." (As I do fancy myself a child of God.)

"Did you have any choice in whether you were born?"

Unnamed Sidekick chimes in and asks, "Do you believe in capital punishment?"

"No."

His follow-up question: "Do you believe in capital punishment for innocent people?"

I thought to myself,  Dude, I just said no!  If I don't believe in capital punishment for guilty people, why would I believe in capital punishment for innocent people?  (Unnamed Sidekick is not a very good debater.) 

Then I said, "The problem I have with people who claim to be "pro-LIFE" (pointing at sign) is that they usually adhere to conservative, Republican politics which means that they are also probably pro-war and pro-capital punishment, which means that they are not pro-life at all.  You're against a woman's right to choose to have an abortion but you're more than willing to send thousands of 'innocent lives' to die at war.  I consider pro-life to mean respect for all life including women and in their right make healthy decisions that allow them the highest quality of life.  Therefore, I consider you all to be 'anti-choice,' not pro-life."

*blink*

Quick, distract her with little Baby Jesus!

Unnamed Sidekick tells me that baby Jesus was born to an unwed mother (insinuating that had Mary had an abortion, we wouldn't have our Lord and Savior), at which point John interrupts, telling Unnamed Sidekick "No, she wasn't unwed" (insinuating that she was indeed wed...to the Lord) and chuckles at the ridiculousness of his statement.  To which Unnamed Sidekick responds, "Well, I can argue with you on that.  We can split hairs on that one later."

Sheesh.  Why was I now in the middle of these demonstrators' own "pro-life" debate?  Get it together, gentlemen!

I'm thinking John was like, "This moron's ruining my pitch!  Allow me..."

*Bam*

John: "Do you know what this is?"

Is it Halloween already?  Yikes.

(At this point I'm like, how much stuff does this guy have in his pockets?!?  He was like a goddamn clown!  Why do I kinda wish he had pretended to pull the plastic fetus out from behind my ear?)

"A rubber doll?" I answer sarcastically.  Unnamed Sidekick stifles his chuckle.  

"It's an unborn baby at ten weeks.  One more question and I'll let you go." (Why don't I believe this?)  "What would be the difference if there was a baby lying in the middle of the street versus a stray animal?"  "What makes people any different from a dog or a cow or any other animal?" (Um, that was two questions, John.)

Me: "Logical reasoning skills?"

"A moral conscience."

To which I answer, "Well, that's why humans were given the ability to think and make the best moral decisions in order to prevent unwanted babies in the street and that's why we need services like Planned Parenthood to educate people on how to prevent unwanted pregnancies."  Zing, old man!

And I drop the mic.

I thanked the men for their time and told them that I would look into their "40 Days" cause and include it in my blog.  John shook my hand and wished me well.  The sad thing was that John was a nice man.  He reminded me of that grandpa in the Werther's Originals commercial.  In talking to him I thought I might like him...if he wasn't such a religious nutbar, that is.

Ironically, it was the two white men who felt they had the authority to preach to me about their political quest against a woman's right to choose, while women protesters sat quietly next to them in lawn chairs, one praying the rosary non-stop.  Ah, good ol' white male privilege is alive and well on the sidewalks of Planned Parenthood.  I also found it interesting that it was "Jane" and "John" (as in "Doe") who respectively represented the two ends of the "choice" spectrum.  Very interesting...

Lucha Dora's Final Thought:

Although, the law protects every person's right to free speech, this type of demonstration is a negative judgment on women (and the staff who who serve them) who, due to various circumstances, are often forced to terminate unwanted pregnancies.  These demonstrators don't do anything to support resources to help prevent such pregnancies and, in fact, advocate the eradication of such preventative resources.  Hence, these demonstrators don't really try to prevent unwanted pregnancies or abortions, but are merely enforcing an "after the fact" judgment on women, which does nothing to help these women and merely feeds their personal sense of moral self-righteousness.  And although they use "God" to bolster their argument,  what they are doing is often anything but "Godly." 

As I drove off with Mamas and Chico looking out the window at the protesters, I thought about how these people's time could be put to better use by really helping to increase the quality of life of community members (both human and animal).  Guess mine is a different take on "pro-life" politics.