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Original poster

SDLP leader comments on abortion

42 replies

Enormouse · 05/02/2015 11:51

www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/abortion-row-sdlp-boss-mcdonnell-claims-foetal-tests-for-fatal-conditions-never-accurate-30958551.html

I never usually post in FWR (I'm a bit scared of you lot) but these comments by SDLP leader Alasdair McDonnell really angered me and have overshadowed the recent NIHRC ruling. In the paper version of the Belfast telegraph, the article on McDonnell (and a huge photo of Bernadette Smyth) takes up much of the double page and the NIHRC gets a small box.

How is it fair that a judicial challenge that would go, admittedly a small but significant way, to changing the law for women is being dwarfed by the comments of one man?

OP posts:
Original poster
Enormouse · 05/02/2015 22:30

Well, fortunately, the vast majority of MN are sane and empathetic and reasonable. Drowns out the lone (or 2 or 3) anti women posters.

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PuffinsAreFictitious · 05/02/2015 22:28

Yes, Yonic.... with the same harmful bollocks as ever.

YonicScrewdriver · 05/02/2015 22:17

Oh goddess, is she back? Now she is scary.

Not us, we're lovely! Thanks for the article link, Enormouse.

PuffinsAreFictitious · 05/02/2015 22:14

Yes, that was the woman I meant.

That poster is the only person apart from obvious trolls I've come across on here, who I don't think I'd be able to remain polite to if I met her. Her views on women are so utterly repulsive. And she's so unkind to women who are in obvious pain.

So glad the ASN are continuing to be supportive, they are a truly amazing group of women.

Original poster
Enormouse · 05/02/2015 22:06

I remember her being horrible to babyfacedassassin on another thread. Is it her you're thinking of?

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Original poster
Enormouse · 05/02/2015 22:05

I know puffins. I recognise her from other chats where she's said similarly vile things. I almost threw my kindle at the wall at the suggestion of pro life counselling.

She's stopped engaging with me now but I do stand by what I did as it was my right and my choice

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LurcioAgain · 05/02/2015 22:00

Seconded. Flowers Enormouse.

PuffinsAreFictitious · 05/02/2015 21:49

Enormouse... on the other thread. There's nothing you can say to make that other poster see your situation in a positive light. She was utterly vile to a woman who was being forced to carry her ancephalic foetus to term by NI's laws. I applaud you for trying, but she simply won't care. Sorry.

noddingoff · 05/02/2015 20:48

Alasdair McDonnell was a crap choice of leader for the SDLP, which is pretty much a political irrelevance now. Nobody really listens to them any more- Sinn Fein is the big nationalist show in town - so they've found an issue which is a point of difference from Sinn Fein's stance and are banging on about it to get some publicity (and probably alienating the majority of the electorate in the process). When you consider the SDLP's origins in the civil rights movement, it's sad to see how far they have slid down the plughole.

TeiTetua · 05/02/2015 20:11

Yes well, that's how Savita Halappanavar was left to die of an easily prevented condition, wasn't it. Some bunch of medical types with an attitude.

Nothing to do with those Magdalen Laundry shops, of course, it's just a coincidence. Makes you wonder how different Ulster is from the Republic; doesn't seem like much.

MadeinBelfast · 05/02/2015 19:39

I spent a lot of time completing the online questionnaire for the DoJ consultation and am saddened that it seems to have received so little news coverage compared to the opinions of this rather ill-informed man.

Original poster
Enormouse · 05/02/2015 19:35

That's about it sardine. Oh and 'I know better than you, all of you, because I used to be a Dr'.

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SardineQueen · 05/02/2015 19:04

Well so I read the article and what the man said was "I'm a total bastard and I hate women with a passion and like to see them suffer" wasn't it?

That was what I got from it anyway.

PuffinsAreFictitious · 05/02/2015 12:09

Welcome to FWR, honestly, we're lovely here!

The words of men have always held more weight and been given more credence than those of women. There have been many examples of men who want to continue to have control over women's bodies and minds who have lied and skewed facts in order to continue that control.

Original poster
Enormouse · 05/02/2015 12:08

I do think it's a very calculated move to take the attention away from the ruling.

Hi lurcio Smile you lot are a little scary. I've lurked on a few threads and it seems to get pretty heated. But I know you're all lovely.

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LurcioAgain · 05/02/2015 12:04

I share your anger - not only does he get to spout utter rubbish, he gets an enormous double page platform on which to do so.

(We're not scary, by the way, we're really quite cuddly when you get to know us).

cailindana · 05/02/2015 12:00

Because what a man thinks and says is, in our society, more important that a woman's life.

Pretty much everything men do, say, think, believe, want is more important than anything to do with women.