response 76 of 404:

Oct 19 14:25 UTC 1998

Chirst, people, take a heated post of mine during a debate with a specific
person, and jump all over my ass, when my viewpoint has been made clear
repeatedly in less absolute tones elsewhere... 

Fine, since y'all need it spelled out in calm, explicit words, here's the
force-fed PC pablum:
(1) The most public component of the "pro-life camp," specifically Operation
Rescue, is generally closed-minded. It often hides behind the religious
rhetoric of loving the fetus in order to encourage an atmosphere that spawns
hatred of abortion doctors and clients, so much so that some of its fringe
members have used extreme violence, including murder and extortion, the latter
of which has been allegedly linked to specific Operation Resuce suggestions.
(2) I do not consider somebody who views abortion as a non-choice for
themselves, but who is not actively seeking to ban it or to force others not
to get one, as a "pro-lifer." I suppose the argument could be made that they
are "pro-life," if they think abortion is abominable but think that they don't
have the right to tell others how to behave, but what is the abortion debate
about, anyway? It has two components:
  (a) Whether a woman has the right to choose
  (b) Whether abortion should be a viable choice
For me, a "pro-lifer" says "no" to *both* (a) and (b), not just (b). If you
say "yes" to *either* (a) or (b), you're placing more importance on the issue
of choice than the issue of life, in my opinion. Hence, when I'm talking about
"pro-lifers," I'm not talking about people like Jiffer.
(3) I have been consistent;y using the term "gay-hater" (rather than
"gay-basher") throughout. There are plenty of people who despise homosexuality
but who would not bash, or otherwise constrain, homosexuals. In fact, a post
a few back said basically that... and was ridiculed as insensitive in the same
breath that I was ridiculed for making the same generalizations about
"pro-lifers" as senna's made about "gay-haters." 

Let me make this completely clear:
THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH HOMOSEXUALITY AS A
LIFESTYLE CHOICE ARE NON-VIOLENT.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH ABORTION AS A CHOICE
FOR OTHERS ARE NON-VIOLENT.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH HOMOSEXUALITY AS A
LIFESTYLE CHOICE DO NOT GENERALLY GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO PROHIBIT THAT
BEHAVIOR IN OTHERS.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH ABORTION AS A CHOICE
FOR OTHERS DO NOT GENERALLY GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO PROHIBIT THAT BEHAVIOR IN
OTHERS.

**NOW THEN, PABLUM LOVERS:**
The fringe groups which oppose homosexuality as a lifestyle choice and the
fringe groups which disagree with abortion as a choice for others are very
similar to each other in that they teach a doctrine of hate, violence,
intolerance, and closed-mindedness, while hiding behind a doctrine of religion
and love. The fringe groups have even more fringe groups who think it is their
place to physically restrain, and even kill, people who disagree with them.

Sheesh. Honestly. I'm offended that ANY of you would think FOR A FUCKING
MOMENT that I would even come CLOSE to believing that everybody who dislikes
abortion is an intolerant violent savage. **I** don't like abortion, and if
**I** got pregnant, **I** wouldn't get an abortion, but guess what, kiddies,
I ain't got that kind of plumbing, so I don't have to make that decision.
**NOBODY I KNOW** thinks abortion is a good thing, or should be used as a form
of birth control.

I thought it was clear that I was speaking of a specific group of people,
"pro-lifers," who espouse a certain belief system, in the same way that senna
has been speaking of "gay-haters"... both groups being the fringe that are
*actively* attempting to prevent other people from acting.

I hope for GOD'S SAKE that it's clear NOW.

And now that Dr Gunn is done spinning in his grave, I'll shut up.