Stanek weekend question: Do you view your time online as an opportunity?
I’m formulating a piece on online activism and have several questions for you.
When it comes to your opposition or support of abortion, do you view your time online as a place to say or do anything about it? What I mean is, do you view the Internet as a forum to engage in pro-life or pro-choice activism? Or do you spend your time here for information and news gathering purposes only?
Do you initiate and/or participate in discussion and debate on Facebook? Twitter? Comments to posts? If so, how do you handle opposition? On a scale of 1-10, 1 being worst, 10 being best, how to you behave online when on the receiving end of insults or obtuse comments?
Bottom line: Do you view the Internet as a place to make a difference, and are you a participant? Talk to me!
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 read and share news bits. I rarely add my own comments. I find that most ppl ignore anything that does not fit their preconceived views: those that are pro-death continue to be such, avid consumers of nuttitional garabe insist on their bad choices etc. It is rare that anyone I know would make an informed decision and change their outsets or lifestyles from social media. I concluded by saying that the majority exclusively form their minds by watching that modern oracle called TV. Afterall it’s called TV “programming” for a real reason.
The reason I love engaging here so much is that I hone my arguments against abortion. It is practice for “real life” for me. I also get to read the fabulous comments from other pro-lifers and use their arguments in “real life” as well. I also like to read comments from the abortion supporters because it lets me know what kind of responses I may encounter.
For me facebook is all about pro-life outreach. I’ve had quite a few friends already message me and say “I used to think I was pro-choice but I read everything you post about abortion and now I think abortion is murder.” WOW! That always encourages me so much.
Always, an opportunity. Sometimes, I want to engage when wisdom would dictate silence. For example, I posted on my blog recently about an assisted suicide bill in my state. I got a lengthy reply from a woman in a bad situation, demanding to know why I wanted to keep people suffering. I agonized over what to say, and consulted with other activists for suggestions on effective arguments. Their responses were unanimous: say nothing; “she’s just trying to get a rise out of you.” I noticed that some of them posted their own responses anyway.
So – opportunity!
I find that most people who come to the internet to discuss abortion are already hard-core ideologues who are unlikely to be swayed one way or the other. Still, I agree with Sydney M that the internet is a good place to practice one’s arguments. That has been the main benefit of the internet to me.
I see my time in the com boxes here as practice for discussions in the real world.
The trolls here are especially helpful — how would I handle such remarks in the real world?
The comments from pro-life feminists and post-abortive women are also very helpful — I will never have those experiences on my own to share.
These are good stories and experience to have, when helping young women who are frightened and feel trapped.
In the real world and out on the internet, I do not meet people who love abortion or think that it is good. But I do meet a lot of people who hate Christians and pro-lifers. That hatred is hard to overcome, and they don’t want to think or dialogue. The rise in hatred will lead to violence before we are through.
The internet is certainly a good place to have your say.
Twitter is so excessively “drive-by” by nature that I see little or no use to it.
Facebook – it would be better than Twitter for discussions, but still seems much more fractured than a dedicated online message board. Frankly, the Facebook interface does not seem very intuitive to me, either.
I give myself a 9 as to handling opposition. It is a given that one will encounter a wide range of opinions and behaviors online. What will that make you think? And will it change you, and for the better or for the worse?
Sydney M: The reason I love engaging here so much is that I hone my arguments against abortion.
Exactly – we learn about ourselves, we learn and remember, we think about our own thoughts. There is value in that.
JDC: I find that most people who come to the internet to discuss abortion are already hard-core ideologues who are unlikely to be swayed one way or the other.
Definitely agree. There will be some relatively few “conversions” back and forth, with respect to people’s stated positions and to their choices in their own lives, but the net effect is practically nil.
Ellen Kolb: Sometimes, I want to engage when wisdom would dictate silence.
If it’s out-and-out trolling, then perhaps no response is best. If not, then it makes you look like you have no answer. I think there has to be an answer. If your position is consistent and intellectually honest, then there will be, even if it’s “You and I simply disagree,” or “You are making different assumptions than I am,” or “I hear you, but I still see it being for the greater good in doing it my way.”
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Being online also gives us some tangentially hilarious stuff, once in a while, like “nuttitional garabe.” :P
I think it’s worthwhile. For every commenter, there are several people lurking in the shadows. Some of them are pro-choice or on the fence and might change their minds (or at least think about the issue in a way that they haven’t before). I usually avoid Facebook and Twitter though.
On a scale of 1-10, 1 being worst, 10 being best, how to you behave online when on the receiving end of insults or obtuse comments?
Lol, what kind of a question is that?
Oh, where are my manners? There was specific questions in the post that I forgot to answer.
“Do you initiate and/or participate in discussion and debate on Facebook? Twitter? Comments to posts?”
I don’t really use Facebook or Twitter. My main online participation in the abortion debate comes from commenting on blog posts and things like that.
“If so, how do you handle opposition? On a scale of 1-10, 1 being worst, 10 being best, how to you behave online when on the receiving end of insults or obtuse comments?”
Well, by behavior varies from day to day between realy good and really bad. So it averages ot to five out of ten.
I’m definitely an active participant. For me, it isn’t only about debates, or about news-gathering, but perhaps most importantly about networking with fellow pro-life advocates. Secular Pro-Life would not exist without the internet. Our members live all over. So staying in touch through facebook, etc. is key.
How do you handle their insults? Brace yourself for them and realize that many are bitter and angry. They have never really said anything i couldnt handle. Its like talking to a bunch of angry 5th graders. They say their abortions brought them stability in life. They tell me they dont believe in my God who is anti life. Then they accuse me of having mental problems for not allowing choice.One girl called me a mysoginist and a w**re! And then one had me banned for 12 hours yet I keep talking. Some of them seem to be in a lot of pain so I just let them go off on me. Whatever.
I engage in pro-life activism when online.
I share those experiences, of my walk with the Lord, that may give hope to those caught in the snare of SIN!
Abortion is such a lie from Hell, I will shine the light of truth, to lead as many out of the darkness as possible. Them I tell them, they need to seek the Lord, to continue their journey until their judgement day….
Insults are seen as a feeble attempt to silence or intimidate me, and to make themselves feel superior in a progressive manner…
100 years from now, those insults will not be remembered by me, but will be, by those who haven’t received Christ as their Savior and Lord!
I try to talk about God to these people too. They won’t hear of it. To them he doesn’t exist. They mock me for believing in something imaginary.
‘Talk to me!’
Why? (who listens???) Isn’t this a waste of my time? If I can’t be ‘heard’ here, then I’M A DEAD MAN!
I have been hanging around with prolifers since 1970 (I was 7). In all that time I have never stopped learning new stuff. Not just news…I have changed my feelings on various prolife tactics from reading comments on this blog. I have never stopped learning from my fellow lifers.
Jill, your blog is awesome. Thanks to you and everyone who comments here.
Gosh Sydney M, I never realised how alike we are! :-) Please excuse what may seem plagiaristic but the most accurate way to describe it from my perspective is – The reason I love engaging here so much is that I hone my arguments for choice. It is practice for “real life” for me. I also get to read the fabulous comments from other pro-choicers and use their arguments in “real life” as well. I also like to read comments from the choice opponents because it lets me know what kind of responses I may encounter.
For every commenter, there are several people lurking in the shadows. Some of them are pro-choice or on the fence and might change their minds (or at least think about the issue in a way that they haven’t before) – some more common thinking!
John McDonell: (who listens???) Isn’t this a waste of my time? If I can’t be ‘heard’ here, then I’M A DEAD MAN!
John, I’m always glad when you post. I have learned things from you, and from other pro-lifers as well. I don’t think it’s a waste of your time, and I hope you feel that way too.
Doug, really wish I could, but can’t. You, Reality and a few PL’ers send my mind a spinning but I too thrive on novelty …. it’s just not there! We tend to pick arguments to placate our own observations, rather than look at what is presented, THEN try to formulate a response.
Reality, like you have continuously noted that the pre-born are HUMAN but you do not afford them HUMAN rights – like life. So The PL-edifice of reason does not translate into actually savoing babies from death. {Than I thought that a decision to abort was an emotional/feelings one that was irrational, and going to remain unchanged … so nobody listens to we-scientific-nerds.
Then I hit upon the work of Dr. Brene Brown and her elucidation of vulnerability. Especially revealing was her concept that our society, since 9/11, seems fixated on the myth that vulnerability = weakness and are attempting to stamp out all human-vulnerability. The whole bit about ‘every child a wanted child’ seems to stem from a mind demented with perfectionism.
The difficulty here is that I sense only a blank from most PL (almost a tacit approval).
Doug, really wish I could, but can’t.
Well John, you can’t change the whole world in an instant. I’ve always appreciated your posts.
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You, Reality and a few PL’ers send my mind a spinning but I too thrive on novelty …. it’s just not there!
I’d venture to say that the head-spinning deal works the other way, too, John. : P
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We tend to pick arguments to placate our own observations, rather than look at what is presented, THEN try to formulate a response.
You know, I don’t understand this, at least not fully, but somehow it rings true.