Sunday, October 02, 2005

Rant about protestors

The idea of protesting has it merits and uses. I have myself been involved in a few protests or anti/pro something type marches. The ones I have been involved in all involve causes I have educated myself on and have developed strong opinions on in one fashion or another. So I do honestly have an understanding of why one protest something, even if I don't agree with the protestors opinion.
Today the traffic in Charlottetown was quite heavy and I was not sure why. I found out quickly enough though. The anti abortion, or what actually came across as the anti prochoice protestors. I don't necessarily agree with the opinion of these protestors but I do have a notion of where they are coming from and can accept their opinion as one of many out there. Today's protest was a silent one and I am cool with that too. Silent and non violent protest are definitely the way to go.
What has been getting under my skin is the tactics they were using. The streets where lined with people from many walks of life, fine, but they were also lined with small children who could not possibly understand the statements they were holding in there hands. By small children I mean toddlers who have probably had very little exposure to either side of the argument and probably have not developed the thought process to have a opinion. I know the children are the tools to let people see the results of not having an abortion. A cute little girl or boy who has never done any harm to anyone. But a child in a protest is a tool, they are being used and they should not be. I am willing to bet that the children there were all born to loving families or adopted by loving families and have not had to see the horrors which may cause one to consider abortion, or shake the high moral ground these people stand on.
I do support the idea of trying to raise awareness for ones cause, which ever side you are on. I have my own strong opinions, but I don't condone using the innocent child, who may yet grow to have an different opinion, as a tool. Use logic, simple truth, stories not people. Especially people who have not had the time or chance to review the information for themselves and create their own argument for or against the topic.

By Sabrina - 3:40 p.m. |

Comments:
"Silent and non violent protest are definitely the way to go. "

True, if your aim is to say public opinion, though hiring some marketing weasels could do a lot of causes some real good.

Not so much true if your aim is to disrupt the operation of some government or corporation. Non-violent but civil disobedient interference is how India got its independence, after all. But that's a different context entirely.
 
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