Should Anti-Abortionists Be Allowed To Protest Outside Clinics?

[sp1814]

It’s an emotive subject, but if women/couples are being guilted out of attending appointments, surely it’s no more than a Pyrrhic victory?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/abortion-uk-protests-government-urged-change-laws-clinics-vigils-a7984601.html

Perhaps there should be an exclusion zone around clinics, so that patients could come and go without feeling harassed?

[vetuste_ennemi]

Thankyou, Jim.

I agree with you - "roughly".

So you and I at that point (though not earlier) would be with the "pro-Lifers": "No, you can't do that - it's wrong!"

[woofgang]

I think that's a difficult one....maybe there should be some kinds of caveat about how much intervention is required for the baby to survive and how likely the baby is to be undamaged....because otherwise I could see a situation where some women would say "ok you won't give me an abortion, so take this child out NOW and you be responsible for it. I think any abortion is sad and not the best ever option but maybe there are situations where its the least worst one?

[andy-hughes]

The essence of the argument here appears to centre around the point where perfectly acceptable free speech crosses the line into immoral intimidation.

I absolutely defend the right of anyone to express a view, but that does not mean I condone the behaviour of people who are frightening strangers into changing decisions with which they, not the protestors have to live for the rest of their lives.

Abortion is not easy for any woman, but the essential point is, that every woman has the right to decide if she will or will not bear and deliver a baby. No-one else, certainly not total strangers, have the right to influence that decision for her.

[ummmm]

Especially as they don't know the circumstances.

[albaqwerty]

didn't someone on here say life begins at conception?

err, I never knew I had conceived until 2 missed periods and a pregnancy test, but don't let that stop you from slamming women who can't/aren't able to continue a pregnancy.

[andy-hughes]

ummmm - // Especially as they don't know the circumstances. //

Indeed.

One of my daughters endured the pain and suffering of an abortion.

Did I wish she didn't have to go through with it? Of course.

Would I have countenanced interference from any opinionated stranger who doesn't know her from Adam? Of course not.

Did I, and do I still support her decision and love her as much as I ever did? Damned right I do.

[jno]

andy, I don't mean to be rude, but using your own name as you do, I don't think you should be discussing your daughter's private life like that.

[andy-hughes]

jno - I take your point, but I don't know of anyone who knows me personally who visits on here, and I am virtually certain that my daughter (I was careful not to mention which one of the three I referred to) does not know anyone on here either, and since two of my daughters have never shared my name, a link is extremely unlikely.

[douglas9401]

Andy Hughes, married to a Roman Catholic woman, (former?) music journalist, three daughters.

Nope, sorry guv, there's just no way for somebody with a spare hour and the internet to solve this one.

Right lads, we're back on the Lord Lucan gig.

[Old_Geezer]

Hardly Pyrrhic if it achieved the aim of the protestor without any loss by them.

[Peter Pedant]

are we saying you are allowed to throw opened tins of heinz spaghetti hoops over the clients and scream

this is how your baby comes out in an abortion

well that really would be free speech

(sorry OG clicked a switch in me -the mad switch)

anyway it cant be Pyrrhic as the baby loses and no one else

[woofgang]

PP I think that in most cases the woman who has the abortion loses too.

[jim360]

Probably not unheard of for the man involved to be affected somewhat by the experience, either -- although, of course, in the end it's the woman's well-being that is most important.

[woofgang]

True Jim, and often ignored, my apologies.

[andy-hughes]

It's interesting that the abortion debate throws up not only the issue of whether or not a woman has rights over her own body, but also whether society has right to judge whether or not a woman is behaving 'correctly' in terms of her behaviour and attitudes.

That leads to people tutting if they perceive that a woman is using abortion as 'a form of birth control' and similar judgements.

I don't feel it is society's place to stand in judgement on strangers and decide whether they are satisfying some arbitrary moral code dictated by other people - but being judgemental is a fundamental aspect of modern society, it pervades everything we do.

[jno]

andy, regarding my earlier suggestion, my concern wasn't just over whether your daughter might read your post. I was thinking more of someone who might know her and bear her ill will. Would such a person search social media posts (FB, Twitter, or just a Google search that might bring up AB) by her and her family to come up with information? Sure.

Of course the possibility is remote - but so is the possibility of most hacking, identity theft etc. Yet when it does happen, people may wish they'd been a bit more discreet in the digital world. (You yourself have warned of the dangers of tweeting often enough!)

Sorry, sp1814, ths is well off-topic, I know.

[andy-hughes]

jno - As I pointed out, anyone who is really interested on following up any of my posts on here (and straight away we are into the millions-to-one chance, let's be honest!) will have to climb over the sixty-six-to-one against odds of guessing which of my children I referred to, since I have three - and maybe I was just making it up because I need the attention!!

Who knows, and even less interestingly, who cares?

I think you have an over-inflated opinion of me in terms of my interest to the wider cyber-world, so let's leave it there shall we.

[jim360]

I don't care enough to make A-H's daughter's life a misery for a decision that is none of my business and that anyway I probably support unconditionally...

But where in blazes is the 66-1 against figure from? Assuming that you have three daughters and I know nothing else about them then it's at best 2-1 against...

[andy-hughes]

jim - OK, I don't know anything about betting odds - I think I can live with that.