Stanek weekend Q: What if it had been pro-life activists who mailed that “glitter bomb”?
From JournalStar.com, March 5:
Lincoln police are investigating who sent a so-called glitter bomb letter to Congressman Jeff Fortenberry’s Lincoln office Wednesday.
The glitter was in a standard envelope sent to the office at 301 S. 13th St. and was “unleashed” when the envelope was opened about noon, Lincoln Police Sgt. Brian Agnew said.
The note, sent by the group Glitter Bombs for Choice, criticized Fortenberry’s stance on abortion and abortion rights.
“You’ve earned this for trying to deny women their right to choice,” the letter read. “Mind your own uterus.”
Fortenberry, a Republican who represents Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District, received the Nebraska Right to Life’s endorsement in 2014 and recently supported a House of Representatives effort to prohibit federal funding for abortions.
The letter had a fake name and was not sent from the return address on the envelope.
There were those headlines that credited “pro-choice activists” with the glitter bomb, but just as many omitted the ideology of the culprits, as indicated in the graphic above.
But imagine if it had been pro-life activists who glitter bombed a pro-abortion legislator.
How do you think that story would have played out in the media?
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.
I’d rather get glitter than handcuffs. Kind of a nice contrast, actually.
Years ago when my wife and I were dating I sent her some glitter on Valentine’s day (it had little heart shapes in it)…but I had the good sense to SIGN MY NAME.
“How do you think that story would have played out in the media?”
Well, for one thing this probably wouldn’t be the first I’ve heard of it.
You’d rather get glitter than handcuffs, yes.
The handcuffs mean that your boss (and yourself, by cooperation) are likely breaking felony laws; defrauding taxpayers, or covering up statutory rape, or trafficking drugs, or abetting sex traffickers. You could be arrested.
The glitter means that you are representing the public, and dangerous people are protesting your work. They could be arrested.
One is whimsy, and one is a threat. I would not mail either, but I know what kind of sender I would rather be.
Okay Charles, are you saying the letter where the sender sought to conceal their identity could not possibility be a threat…just whimsical fun? Like between friends or secret admirers or something. And the police are just wasting their time tracking down the sender?
And you would rather be something like a spineless anonymous prankster … avoiding rather than inviting constructive dialogue?
I don’t glitter can be perceived as a threat, any more than the paper usually contained would be. Plastic handcuffs carry an implicit threat. I don’t imagine the police are spending any real time on this, anymore than they do when they talk with protestors outside of clinics. They have to follow up on reports.
I don’t care how you characterize it, I would rather be laughing about glitter than sourly sending handcuffs. It seems obvious to me which one celebrates humanity more.
Charles, it is obvious that even you don’t believe what you just said.
You say glitter is no more threatening than sending paper, but then laugh about how whimsical it is. What is so funny about ordinary paper?
In comedy nothing is ever funny without some kind of underlying tension. The glitter cannot be funny to you without the perception of a threat.
I don’t know if sending the handcuffs was a good idea or not, but at least he was stand-up enough to sign his name. Right or wrong that took some guts…and invited dialogue, which he got.
I think calling themselves Glitter BOMBS for choice is creepy though. Bombs aren’t a joke, even if they are trying to be ironic as I suspect.
Tommy, I’m wondering if the humor that Charles sees is that glitter is harmless and is sent like it’s a big deal or something? I don’t get it. It’s not funny, just stupid imo.
Tommy, I don’t believe you have defined humor properly, or universally. I can fully imagine you not finding this funny, but it did “punch upward” and occur at the expense of someone ridiculous.
Regarding the paper, I meant that the payload was not anticipated to be any more dangerous that opening a letter containing only paper. I don’t believe glitter would be confused with something like Anthrax even for a moment. Since you and I are speaking for the first time, I have to say that this appears to be creating some dialogue as well.
I didn’t say it was funny, and I don’t think this glitter bomb is anything to really worry about. Likely it’s just so much nonsense.
If the glitter sender’s had SIGNED THEIR NAME it wouldn’t rate a second thought. But as it is – it’s creepy – and has to be followed up because it could be some part of something bigger…or who knows what.
As for this dialogue…it seems to have nothing to do with anything relevant and of no real worth.
If pro-lifers had done this? It would’ve been on every news network “Anti-choice activists mail BOMB to congressman”.
Oh and glitter bomb people? Hello–no woman is being denied “choice”. Well, except maybe my choice not to vaccinate the children I birthed. You all are fine taking THAT choice away from me. maybe you’re not “pro-choice” after all. But I think the choice you’re talking about is the choice to dismember your unborn child within your body. Why don’t you stop using euphemisms and just say what you mean?
Years ago, my ex and I received an anonymous letter stating that if our dog kept chasing deer, he would be shot. I had no idea the dog was leaving our property because he never appeared to have the energy to chase anything (but that’s probably because he was chasing deer!).
I didn’t feel personally threatened or find the letter creepy. If the letter said that they would shoot me or a family member, that would be a different story. There was probably a good reason the sender didn’t feel comfortable signing their name. Our dog should not have been chasing deer, and it is the owner’s responsibility to know where the dog is.
When I was a new driver, a note was left on my windshield regarding how I had parked in a parking ramp stall. It did use a swear word, but again, I didn’t feel personally threatened. After looking over how I had parked, I had to agree that the writer was correct, and I have been more careful about my parking ever since.
I’m not a big fan of anonymous letters but have written a few. I made it clear in my letters why I didn’t feel comfortable using my name.
I agree with DLPL that using the word ‘bomb’ is creepy. If the congressman saved the glitter, maybe he could have a couple little constituents make some artwork with it and hang it in his office as a reminder how wonderful Life is.
Apparently, some frustrated pro-abortion activists think that flooding pro-life congressmen with anonymous glitter bombs is going to somehow help their cause…
Among social activists in general, the farther out of the mainstream their views, the wackier and more bizarre the antics. I think the future will hold more examples of silliness from the pro-abortion crowd.
It would’ve been on every news network “Anti-choice activists mail BOMB to congressman”. – well there is some history there.
except maybe my choice not to vaccinate the children I birthed. You all are fine taking THAT choice away from me. – I don’t think you should be forced to vaccinate your children. They should be barred from places and events where there are other children though.
If it had been pro-life activists who mailed the glitter bomb, the headlines would have been identical, and the Stanek weekend question would be “Why are the pro-abort media calling glitter a bomb?”
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