Weekend question: Does “absurdity as activism” help or hurt in the abortion debate?
A chagrined but valiant Rachel Joy Larris (aka NewsCat_in_DC) attempted yesterday to defend her fetus cookies on the Abortion Gang blog in the post, “Fetus cookies, or absurdity as activism.”
Larris claimed 1 goal accomplished was “driv[ing] the anti-choice side a bit crazy,” namely moi. Well, no, we were simply disgusted, which Larris’s fellow pro-aborts frankly explained to her deluded self:
It also may crossed a line of good taste, even for ardent pro-choice activists….
Afterwards some of my pro-choice friends who aren’t activists, chided me for the prank. They said I was adding fuel to the antis’ fire and making the pro-choice side look bad….
Right. And such antics trivialize what reputable pro-aborts acknowledge: Abortion is bloody serious. Or not. Larris thinks mocking at our arguments helps:
When the other side is making an irrational argument, the best response may not be to make a rational argument. I know this can sound counter-intuitive, but… I think by highlighting the absurdity of the anti-choice movement we can gain more supporters, not less.
As an aside, the 4 “irrational” pro-life “myths” Larris cited as examples were that abortionists can cannibalize, an incident described by an abortion worker (photo left is of containers of aborted babies in Krishna Rajanna’s office refrigerator – see more here); that babies can be aborted whole and alive and left in hospital linen closets to die, which even Barack Obama acknowledged; that emergency contraception doesn’t cause abortions, when 1 has only to look at its own packaging to read “it may inhibit implantation”; and “that the healthcare reform act funds abortions,” which is true.
So Larris needs to dig a little deeper for irrational pro-life myths to mock.
Nevertheless, do you agree that reaching to the absurd “gain[s] more supporters, not less”? Bear in mind there are also absurd players on our side.
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
IMO, this can only help the prolife debate.
I believe that reaching for the absurd (on either side) can discredit your own position. A point being made will appear invalid and irrational by default as the audience draws conclusions based on the evidence you provide(i.e the person making fetus cookies appears mentally unstable therefore any argument she may have becomes discredited as not sane. She will be tuned out as an invalid source for intelligent discourse. Likewise for the pro-life grim reaper costumes).
It also inadvertently derails your own argument; as you distract with absurdity the message is lost.
It seems that the best course of action is to be peaceful, willing and open to intelligent discussion and always speaking the truth.
However, the pro-abort side may argue that the pictures used by pro-lifers are reaching for the absurd. This is ironic and very telling of what they innately know, but continue to deny; abortion is absurd. The pictures qualify as speaking the truth and not as reaching for the absurd as described in the above post, because they are not an inflammatory caricature of an argument like the cookies. They are the truth and the issue in pictures, and therefore a valid and rational part of the argument.
some time ago, I saw a video of Daniel Berrigan (of the famous Jesuit brothers). He was in prison (again) for protesting the Vietnam war.
The interview was ‘strange’, but it lingers …. A man with severe psychiatric problems (so severe that understanding anything at all was difficult) began speaking. Berrigan made it a point to deeply listen.
What did he hear besides total nonsence? Maybe he heard a little of the man’s anguish, and accepted that.
Pro-lifer’s HAVE TO listen; to be willing to embrace the absurd; to walk in the shoes of those bent-on-killing …
Is not part of pro-life to BRING LIFE (and witness to life) even in the chaos of abortion?
My last post was lost in cyberspace, oh, well. Here’s one more try.
Rachel,
I read your post and I give you credit for your honesty. I don’t get angry at your absurd stunts, mostly sad. If you are a pro-abort, well nothing we say will help that. If you’re a pro-choicer, wouldn’t you feel a bit of grief that an abortionist would keep fetal parts in his fridge and reportedly eat them or that a baby who by some fluke was born alive during an attempted abortion could be left on a closet shelf in a hospital to breathe his last breath? A pro-lifer couldn’t make up such things. Your pro-abort agenda is clear. When you mock our pro-life signage (at the link in your column) you look silly, not intelligent. It would be funny if we were trying to “save the cockroaches” or whatever. But we’re saving baby humans. Peace.
“Is not part of pro-life to BRING LIFE (and witness to life) even in the chaos of abortion?”
Posted by: John McDonell at July 10, 2010 2:14 PM
I think we’re all doing that. Against all odds we hope to bring a culture of LIFE back to this country of ours.
SecularProLife.org will soon film a promotional video that has a bit of an absurdist element– but it isn’t anything disgusting! Will keep you posted.
I think a little absurdity and humor can be helpful when it makes a good point. For example, my stock response to the “just a clump of cells” line is to reply “YOUR MOM’S a clump of cells!” (All credit for this goes to the LifeReport podcast team–specifically Liz, if I recall correctly.) It’s pithy, it’s memorable, it’s hilarious, it’s a bit ridiculous, and it’s absolutely true, which is a good pro-life response to that line: everybody is a “clump of cells” no matter how old they are.
On the other hand, I don’t think that dressing up as the Grim Reaper and singing through a bullhorn is usually all that helpful, no matter how memorable it is. So I think it depends on the case. Sometimes it is helpful. Sometimes it’s not. Like any other tool, it depends on how you use it.
Poor taste is poor taste no matter how you dress it. Recall the “art” exhibition with the Crucifix in urine. The very clever “artist” called it “pi__ Christ”. I put this bloody fetus cookie thing in the same category.
Something is wrong in their hearts a few things missing upstairs as well.
As for the antics of some pro-lifers there is not a clear cut comparison with the above. We are dealing with people killing people, whereas they are dealing with an annoyance–us. Death is all around us–3000 times a day–we care about that, they do not.
Getting people to recognize the terrible reality of abortion does require some innovative, if not controversial tactics. Most of the MSM is brain dead, parroting the lead emanating from the NY Times and other leftist luminaries. Therefore because our message does not get out there in the mainstream we are required to do the job they are failing to do, i.e. educating the public.
Poor taste is poor taste no matter how you dress it. Recall the “art” exhibition with the Crucifix in urine. The very clever “artist” called it “pi__ Christ”. I put this bloody fetus cookie thing in the same category.
Something is wrong in their hearts and a few things missing upstairs as well.
As for the antics of some pro-lifers there is not a clear cut comparison with the above. We are dealing with people killing people, whereas they are dealing with an annoyance–us. Death is all around us–3000 times a day–we care about that, they do not.
Getting people to recognize the terrible reality of abortion does require some innovative, if not controversial tactics. Most of the MSM is brain dead, parroting the lead emanating from the NY Times and other leftist luminaries. Therefore because our message does not get out there in the mainstream we are required to do the job they are failing to do, i.e. educating the public.
This IS absurd, but this is America and here you can be as absurd as the law will let you… just look at Lindsey Lohan… now shes going to jail =)
Well, at least other pro-choicers had the common sense to tell RJL that this was a horrible idea. The cookies kind of chip away at the “pro-choicers all acknowledge that abortion is something very serious” myth.
I’m with Keli Hu on absurdity.
guess I’d best explain my previous posts.
The whole aspect of abortion is absurd = makes no sense. Its very much like having a bunch of people board a plane; then having them jump out at 10,000ft (without a parachute) and counting the survivors. Huh?
The PC rhetoric is around those still-on-the-ground and refusing-to-see those ‘chosen’ to die. And we PL’ers fall for this bs. What we hear is not normal. Every single word that defends such atrocity belongs in a dung heap!
Gross and evil. Our side is absurdity? I think I’m gonna puke. It’s a life and a mother’s lifetime of horror and shame. To make light of it in anyway is horrific.
Those cookies look absolutely delicious. Nothing like some milk and cookies right before bed. YUMMY!!!!!!!
The third cookie on the top right corner looks like it is smiling.
Jill, have you seen this GRAPHIC video? It was left on Joe Scheidler’s Facebook:
WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO OF A LATE-TERM ABORTION
http://www.truthtube.tv/play.php?vid=4109
Jake, Yeah your right, the third cookie on the top right really is smiling. Her mother is a prolifer.
I wonder if you smile when you watch the video that MLizzy posted? After all, this video represents the Reality of what is really behind your jokes, the psycho baker’s fetus cookies and comments made by your gal pals at the Abortion Gang. I you all support this Reality.
Jill, I believe exposing proabort absurdity is crucial to the prolife movement. These cookies and people holding signs that say things like ‘Hos before Embryos’ make the Grim Reaper prolife types look quite sane.
The younger generation is getting a glimpse of how truly mentally ill and spiritually deplete proaborts are.
“They said I was adding fuel to the antis’ fire and making the pro-choice side look bad….” Larris said.
LOL!
It’s the killing and supporting the killing of humans that crosses the line from looking bad to simply being bad. The cookies are just a symptom of that badness.
I’m older than the cookie monster; I remember when pro-abortion advocates screamed that if we wanted women to choose life, then we should help them. Now, I see that some posters on cookie monster’s blog plan to ‘protest’ outside CPC’s. What amazingly lame hypocrites!!
And the p*** christ reminds me: what is the artist’s name? That’s right, we don’t remember. I’m sure I could look it up on wikipedia. Now, who painted the Mona Lisa? Who painted the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling? Everyone knows. Get the point?
MLizzy,
They are devils. And the people who keep them im business are the devil’s helpers. Specifically BHO, Planned Parenthood, and the Democratic party.
I’d rather die than vote Democrat.
Yeah, it seems pretty hypocritical for pro-choicers to oppose/protest pregnancy resource centers, as they’re seeking to take away a valuable community resource for women who choose to carry to term and parent.
“I’d rather die than vote Democrat.”
Great quote! :)
“Yeah, it seems pretty hypocritical for pro-choicers to oppose/protest pregnancy resource centers, as they’re seeking to take away a valuable community resource for women who choose to carry to term and parent.”
Posted by: Rachael C. at July 11, 2010 7:47 PM
This. And that’s outside of the fact that if the turn-out trends of pro-choice protests holds up, we can expect any such protests to go *fizzle* *fizzle* *spoot* with a vengeance.
Keli, et al. — uh, what are they going to say on their signs? STOP HELPING WOMEN?
And I wonder when we’re going to see signs in Planned Parenthood’s windows depicting what services they don’t provide. After all, if it’s about truth in advertising and not just about targeting CPCs or politics, shouldn’t Planned Parenthood and private family planning clinics be held accountable as well? When are we going to see signs in PP, et al’s windows which say: We don’t provide infertility services, parenting support services, adoption services, or post-abortion counseling?
“Absurd” is in the eye of the opponent. There are no rules. This is not a sport.
Rachel cheerily mimics what is truly in her heart. And yes, prolife activists sometimes reveal their own purposes and understanding (or lack of) the matter when they do “absurd” things, too. Yes, we’re talking to you Paul Hill & Co.
For the fact is that nearly any outward activity that may reduce or eliminate abortion as an option is viewed as “absurd” by the pro-choice movement, particularly those involved in the trade. Whether it’s crisis pregnancy centers advertising “abortion alternatives”, or blockades of clinics, or residential picketing, or simply visibly praying in plain view of an abortion clinic and its customers, it’s all viewed as “absurd” by their side. Once you accept as fact that the adult woman reigns supreme over all other, that she is no longer a nurturing vessel, but a power broker, any prolife activism is “absurd”.
However, there may be some merit in Rachel’s cookies. In her effort to “make a point” as a counter to what she already, by nature, views as absurd, she unwittingly shared her true heart and, it can be believed, the heart of many in the prochoice movement. While some prochoice activists may question the effectiveness of Rachel’s tactic, particularly the public nature of it, it is doubtful that many on her side question the motivation of what frustrations propelled her to bake the cookies and post her comments about them online. That is something nearly all prochoice activists will agree upon – that the human baby in the womb , already defenseless and dead to them, is as much an appropriate source of humor and stress relief as a jack o’ lantern.
We take some encouragement in stories like this.
First, it demonstrates most of all that we are winning. Clearly, the stress of the battle has overwhelmed Rachel and her cookie-eating friends. One can only imagine what further goofy antics they will concoct as they go quietly (or perhaps shrieking) into the night. To a certain degree, one can only feel even more pity for them. If you’ve ever watched a movie about the end of WWII, sometimes, for a brief moment, you find yourself having a moment of pity, just a moment, for the German officers who seem to be blissfully unaware of how little time they have left before they are completely overwhelmed. These cookie-making jokes have to be viewed similarly.
Second, baking cookies of fetuses and writing about them online has to be a sure sign of a hollow movement. It almost says, “We have nothing of substance further to argue.” Their side is desperately throwing mud at anything that it might stick to these days. Isn’t this the same movement that spurned stay-at-home moms baking cookies? One has to wonder how bad things must be in their camp if they are tempting fate by playing so close to the edge.
Lastly, the pro-abortion movement has absolutely misunderstood the battle. It is a war. From the prolife standpoint that victory must be obtained, there is some sweet satisfaction that comes from knowing the other side is sitting around having baking parties and sharing them with their friends. If they want to come to a war dressed for a bake sale… well, we can’t help but be just a little pleased with their decision.
Awesome post Prolife Florida!