From Dr. Monica Miller - Citizens for a Pro-Life Society:
The face of Obama's America is shocking but we were not there to shock. We were present at every main gate leading into the stadium. Literally droves of people passed by those holding signs of the abortion victims. It is no exaggeration--at least 50 thousand people saw the posters on their way into the stadium! Those who censor images like this are trying to frustrate movements that are built on reason and nature and logic. The images present reality to the world and those who censor them are at war with reality.
Abortion and the USCCB
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/may/10051809.html
Although I'm an avid pro-lifer and do not support the pro-abortion policies of President Obama I DO NOT support the signs that "Obama = Abortion". They are not accurate and I feel they hurt the pro-life movement by reducing a human person made in the image and likeness of God to something inhumane and worth stopping at all costs. Isn't this what we are pro-lifers are arguing? That there is more than meets the eye? That we shouldn't reduce a person to a meaningless mess like a blob of cells or abortion? The signs equating Obama to abortion should be thrown away and never used again.
ReplyDeleteIn contrast, the signs of choice showing aborted babies SHOULD be shown and it pains me to see them but I do approve their use. These signs show the horror of abortion, but maintain our consistency as pro-lifers. I'd accept a much more reasonable and accurate sign like "Obama's Choice Is Abortion" or something that properly seperates the POLICIES of Obama with the PERSON of Obama. Obama the person must be loved at all costs, and Obama's policies supporting abortion must be fought at all costs.
Thanks,
-John
Another acceptable sign would be "Obama's Policies = Abortion" or something along those lines.
ReplyDelete@JohnnyK
ReplyDeleteI respectfully disagree.
"Policies" is a word that doesn't have any impact. Obama = abortion is quick and accurate.
"Punished with a baby" are his own words. Mexico City Policy, votes against the Infant born alive Protection Act, taking money away from adult stem cell research and giving it to embryonic stem cell research, passing health care that gives money to abortionists, 100% planned parenthood endorsement.
You can't put all that on a quick sign. Signs that try to do that have very little impact. The majority of the people are quickly walking by in the video. The message needs to be as distilled as possible. A picture of an abortion and the current presidency that makes those images possible.
When you hear or see the name Obama, you immediately think president don't you? You don't think of Michelle Obama or Obama's mother or father first.
Obama=Abortion does not reduce Obama's humanity. It encapsulates the abuse of presidential power to enable abortion thus causing more abortion.
When Obama became the 44th president, his person became the most powerful secular vocation in the world. When the average person hears his name they think president and not the theological truths surrounding his humanity.
When his time in office is up, he will still be known as the president of the U.S.
When he dies, he will forever be referred to as the president.
I do not agree with your assessment of the Obama=Abortion sign. I don't think whoever made it had any intention to reduce anybody's humanity. Rather summarizes the greatest horror that the United States commits in the world and gives an added purpose for the protesters being there.
Respectfully,
-Justin
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME ANYONE HAS RAISED SUCH AN OBJECTION. WE ARE NOT SAYNG THAT HE IS AN ABORTION-- IT'S QUITE CLEAR THAT, SINCE HIS SUPPORT FOR LEGALIZED ABORTION IS WELL KNOWN, THAT THE SIGN MEANS THAT HE SUPPORTS THE INJUSTICE OF ABORTION. IT WOULD BE THE SAME AS IF HE SUPPORTED SLAVERY AND THE SIGN SAID: "OBAMA = SLAVERY."
ReplyDelete-Monica Miller
I fully agree that when anyone on earth hears Obama they think President Barrack Obama, but we are pro-lifers we are the champions of "more than meets the eye" and above initial word associations.
ReplyDeleteI think the best solution would be since Obama the politician made himself into a logo, instead of using his name equate the LOGO to abortion. This would maximize impact while remaining truthful and respecting the God given dignity of Obama's name.
You could even just make your own symbol of O'bortion with the Obama O which is even more simple.
Monica,
ReplyDeleteI truly respect all the work you do and I have attended many many of your events and listened to you on the radio. I don't think that sign (Obama = Abortion) best promotes our cause though for the reasons I mentioned. Like I said I think people know the point we are trying to convey, but I worry that it stretches our accuracy beyond what is reasonable.
Obama is a man of achievement. The first President of the United States. Unfortunately history is full of leaders who succeed to the greatest heights while championing the destruction of the innocent. The abortion issue as you so correctly discern is most about showing the true humanity of what others degarde to sub-human status. I think this guiding principle should be the focus of all pro-life work and anything that doesn't follow that principle should be realigned so that it better meets that goal. I think this sign is worthy of a realignment consideration.
Thank you again for standing up and laying down your life for the unborn. I agree with you and Fr. Frank Pavone that America won't reject abortion until it sees abortion.
-John
first *black* president that is
ReplyDelete@JohnnyK
ReplyDeleteGiven the limited real estate of signs and the requisite curtness of their wordage, I suggest you put your well thought out objections to larger goals. Seriously!
RB2
RB2,
ReplyDeletePerhaps you missed my solution of making the Obama O = Abortion. Realestate and curtness problem solved in fact IMPROVED.
I have been a pro-life protester from before I could walk and I devote significant portions of my time toward this goal and Monica Miller and others like her also devout serious energy in this regard. Getting our message right is of the utmost importance and I think one of the highest goals and thus it is worth critiquing to perfect our message.
A high school friend of mine who attended the graduation stated "Ignorance at it's best" and posted a picture of the "Obama = abortion" sign, although he carefully avoided taking a picture of the aborted baby below which of course is the greater example of ignorance to an unparalleled degree. Why give ammunition to those who seek to discredit us?
-John
All of this aside, I deeply respect and commend all those willing to stand up so courageously for life in such a challenging situation. One could not read the Obama sign without seeing the aborted and this was the real victory and this is owed to all the protesters there. Thank you for what you did on a cold rainy Saturday in Michigan.
ReplyDeleteI didnt miss a thing! If your going to guide the Pro-Life movement it should be off more than your personal opinion. There might be a future for you if you have a statistical background, can do polling and put all that immense talent into 'religiously correct' (RC or PC) slogans/symbols for personal signs and banners. All that aside, the current polling of this forum, which is not scientific, has you fighting the tide. At best I can sum up is that you are engaging and/or promoting a sort of PC or RC language within the world of personal signs and banners. None of these signs are egregious and are much self-censored within the group. If you think you are going to change hearts and minds about abortion with better targeted, better messaged banners, then your just like the democrat activists, liberals and secularists who want to change hearts and minds with their banners that want you to honk for peace. From what I see of these roadside demonstrations, no where is there a banner or sign saying pray for peace, nor do any of them appear to engage in prayers, all they want is 'honks'.
ReplyDeleteObviously banners and signs are not the answer or the problem, but prayer. And I've dilly dallied with this thread enough. Nit pick away.
RB2
I understand there are people reading/writing on this blog that stood out in cold rainy weather, or donated money to have the signs made, or held up the very signs I was critiquing in an effort to save the unborn and that effort was of infinite value, but it could have been better directed.
ReplyDelete"If you think you are going to change hearts and minds about abortion with better targeted, better messaged banners..." yes in fact I do and this begins first and foremost with more pictures of cold-hearted truth and violence of abortion.
If we are not accurate and truthful what good is our message? Hyperbole has a place since this is politics and impact is important but hyperbole can be stretched too far and when it does we are not grounded on truth we are grounded in politics and that is a terrifying domain. In my opinion that hyperbole was stretched too far or tended towards confusion in those signs....but I think there are many who could still justify using the signs like Justin said because "When you hear or see the name Obama, you immediately think president..."
In having many discussions with those who support Obama I felt highly convicted that I was often so focused on opposing such obvious perpetuation's of evil that I lost sight of who the true enemy is. Did I hate Obama or his policies? Could I different between the two? "Forgive them Lord they know not what they do" is one of the many themes of abortion and it not only applies to the women but also the politicians especially Obama who I feel have never faced the truthfulness of abortion in it's innocent, naked, broken, frail, shamed, severed and bloody reality like those who pull aborted babies out of dumpsters and let us FEEL and see a small piece of their anguish through the pictures of the aborted babies.
I am convinced abortion coming demise is through the avenue of prayer, but praying is also holding signs that change hearts.
Peace,
-John
JohnnyK,
ReplyDeleteI like your idea.
Would something like this be more acceptable?
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CemyuP7JYW-K7I7W0s1TXw?feat=directlink
-Justin
Yes that's it. I think all pro-lifers know exactly what is meant by the quote (and the complete ignorance and insensitivity shown by our President by that statement)but I wonder if some might not which side we are taking. Someone who thinks abortion is great and we should increase the amount might just as easily sport a similar sign with opposite intentions. The Obortion alone right next to the aborted baby sign would have the effect I was thinking of. Thanks for throwing that together.
ReplyDelete-John
If it were me I'd throw in the tag-line "End Support of Obortion!"
ReplyDelete