Randall Terry serenades Elena Kagan
This from Christina Bellantoni at TalkingPointsMemo yesterday:
The lone protester from Elena Kagan’s confirmation hearings was back at it this morning, tormenting Hill staffers on their way to Senate office buildings with a mock “serenade” to Kagan.
Randall Terry, dressed as he often is in a “death” robe, sang a rendition of Only You, to Kagan through a bullhorn. Presumably this was to suggest that she’s death’s favorite person since she’s pro-choice. Or something.
Terry’s frequent antics on Capitol Hill have been well documented. He told TPM’s Evan McMorris-Santoro that other protesters are wimpy for not showing up to the confirmation hearings….
Randall, I wish you well, but I wish you’d stop disparaging other pro-lifers for not pursuing your strategy. For one thing, I can’t sing….
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.
Well, we are talking about Randall Terry. That guy wouldn’t know subtle if it came up and (very subtly) punched him in the nose.
Besides, nobody sounds good singing through a bullhorn. Even Josh Groban would come out sounding awful.
I just think things like this make pro-lifers look looney. Its one thing to stand outside a clinic and offer help to moms going in, its another thing to dress in a costume and parade around shrieking and singing. What good does it accomplish? Is anyone gonna look at Randall Terry and say “Hey yeah! I’m with that guy!” No one is gonna change their views on anything with this approach.
Sure would be nice if those 850 rabbis who denounced Kagan in the strongest possible terms would actually show up and hold a rally on the Capitol steps. That would probably bring her down.
http://www.thejidf.org/2010/06/850-orthodox-rabbis-slam-obamas-choice.html
You know the part of this blog post that says, “Continue reading “Randall Terry serenades Elena Kagan?””
The answer is no.
Randall Terry is certainly a unique act. I agree with Sydney that he sometimes comes off as rather looney, but then I’m just jealous of anyone who can sing ;-)
I’m with you Jill.
This gripe of Randall’s does highlight a more serious note for reflection. Last week at the NRL Convention Terry Sciavo’s brother Bobby gave a talk along with their friend Brother Paul O’Donnel. At the end of the talk Brother Paul spoke to the issue of growing territoriality and lack of cooperation between different ministries within the pro-life movement.
His exhortation was to share resources and be more mutually supportive of one another’s efforts-something I’m going to blog on for tomorrow. So, it really doesn’t do well to begin complaining that others aren’t out supporting our particular activity. Coordinating in advance is a better way to go.
That said, as Brother Paul was speaking, I couldn’t help but think of how Jill has been so very generous in suggesting that I begin blogging, and then mentoring me this past half-year, as well as promoting my blog in a very generous Christmas Eve post. Also, the mods here were wonderful in the beginning in helping me get off the launch pad, especially Bethany, Carla, Chris and Bobby.
I’ve also thought of the generous and invaluable advice I have received from other mentors in the pro-life movement, especially the post-abortive moms: Nicole Peck, Carla Stream, Margaret Sciarino, Georgette Forney.
Without a doubt these folks are walking examples of the generosity and cooperativity Brother Paul enjoined on us in Pittsburgh.
Randall’s work doesn’t beckon me, but perhaps we need a few like him who are about as subtle as a craniotomy or partial birth abortion. We never know the lives we touch, or how we touch them. He has suffered a great deal at the hands of ‘Justice’ for the sake of the Gospel of Life, more than most of us. We mustn’t forget that before we attempt to judge him.
You notice the media doesn’t show all the inappropriate and profoundly foolish pro abortion folks. And hey if they don’t show them they must not exist. Remember the goofy cheerleaders who showed up to counter protest the very sober display of aborted babies.
Hippie – Thanks for the link! I absolutely love: “It is clear from Ms. Kagan’s record on issues such as abortion-on-demand, partial-birth-abortion, the radical homosexual and lesbian agenda, the ‘supremacy’ of the anti-family panoply over religious liberties of biblical adherents, et. al., that she will function as a flame-throwing radical, hastening society’s already steep decline into Sodom and Gomorrah,”
Great to know someone else out there “gets it”.
Gerard – Well said brother, you nailed it. I couldn’t agree more.
Yes, he needs a life, like 40-50 million of them. This tactic may not appeal to some, but it worked for the anti-smoking movement. When I had my first jobs out of college, people smoked everywhere, at their desks, in the bathroom, lobby, offices, carrying their cigarettes around and lighting up indiscriminately. We never thought the no-smoking thing would catch on. But it did.
I agree with Gerard, too. What we need are not merely tactics, but long term strategies.
Gerard, thanks for the kind nod. :)
So, true, Hippie. Love living in America, where we have the right to protest. Becoming apathetic never helped any righteous cause.
I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. -Elie Wiesel
Great quote Carla!
MLK Jr. said, “A time comes when silence is betrayal.”
Randall Terry makes pro lifers look crazy and does not help our cause: to help moms CHOOSE LIFE for their babies!
How can we convince “on the fencers” that we are a peaceful group of people who just want to help these (mostly) scared moms if Randall Terry does stuff like this to make us look bad?
The Lord uses all kinds of people to “help our cause”.
I don’t think Randall Terry is on any young women’s mind when she is faced with a crisis pregnancy and scared to death. They aren’t thinking, “If only that Randall guy didn’t protest all the time, I might chose life”. What they are thinking is, “How in the world am I going to face this? How am I going to be pregnant, finish school, deal with family, raise a child, etc. etc. “.
What Randall does is hopefully cause the sleeping America to wake up and see what is really happening.
Liz,
I don’t doubt what you say about Randall looking a bit crazy, but I also think that people notice the March in DC every year, ~400,000 this past January.
God Bless
I have known Randy from the pro life movement for over 20 years. He was out there speaking for the babies and moms way before most people were saying or doing anything about abortion.
He helped bring the abortion issue to the forefront also spent time in jail making abortion an issue when most people were silent.
I may not personally agree with all he does, but that is between him and God ..remember, people thought John the Baptist was crazy too.
Randy has never been violent and as far as I know he always speaks the truth..maybe not in ways we all agree with, but it is still the truth and he has changed plenty of hearts. Maybe not in the way some of you want, but it takes all kinds to reach all kinds
Thanks Nadal for your comments…