to think C4+1 was out of order RE abortion sabboter

[thekidsrule]

hi,at 9o'clock tonight i switched on the tv C4+1 and 5 mins before the programme i intended to watch was one of those 5 minute people speaking segments

tonights was a young guy talking about how he stands outside abortion clinics praying and trying to stop them entering the clinic, women that are about to IMHO make the hardest decision of their life

he spent 5 minutes saying his views and what is involved standing outside harrassing these women,also saying how he has had women not enter the clinic through his actions (probably to traumitised by him id imagine)

anyway should channel 4 air this,fair enough if its a tv programme you are probably aware what the content is and choose whether to watch or not,but this just came on,no prior warning i dont think

actually it made me pretty cross

I didn't see this, but he sounds like an absolute loon. This will not be a coincidence; Channel 4 are pretty right-on and from the sounds of it, he has not been portrayed in a sympathetic light.

Difficult one. I'm pro choice but can also see the other side. CH4 have always been quite controversial. I guess everyone is allowed their opinion and CH4 were just airing one person's. A lot of the 5 min sections (4thought is it??) could potentially upset people...

It's a controversial topic which is why they do it. Tomorrow's short film will probably touch a nerve with someone as tonight's has with you.

As cross as it made you it's free speech and the ability to express yourself and your opinion. As long as it's not breaking the law or inciting hatred etc then it will go on.

I saw it, I disagree with him but felt he was entitled to his opinion. Maybe the subtitles missed it but i don't remember him saying he tried to prevent women entering but he prayed for them.
C4 have very diverse opinions in those slots and alternate views, they're usually pretty balanced IMHO.

would they allow pro choice though to air in the same manner ???

Yes, undoubtedly.

He was a nasty twat, but those 4thought slots do give you a bit of an insight into the minds of these nutters - there was one recently by a bloke who was prosecuted for hate speech for harranguing gay couples while "preaching" in the street. He genuinely felt he was a victim and was basically doing gay people a favour by telling them they were going to hell.

i used to see these segments ages ago,didnt realise they have a fair few contraversal ones by the sounds of things

spoilt my enjoyment of Country House he did

The guy is a twat if he stands outside clinics harassing people, but it is his right to be a twat and that right is worth defending.

....but it is his right to be a twat and that right is worth defending.

I like it.

Agree with pretty much everyone - we should be thankful that we live in a country where a. he's free to do this if he wishes and b. it can be reported freely in the media that he did it.

Would you like it to be some other way OP?

i used to live a road away from a clinic years ago,most weeks a few of the same minded people use to be standing by the entrance waiting for the ladies to arrive,i couldnt think of a more horrible welcome

i was young then and just used to walk by,i think id find it very hard to bite my tongue now though

He's welcome to spout his views, but he should not be allowed to harass women going about their lawful business. Mouthing off on Ch4 is one thing, haranguing women outside clinics is quite another and should be stopped.

id rather of had a warning or something,any longer and i would of turned it of

clearly he has the right,but i still dont want to hear how he thinks he has the right to harrass these women But i guess thats another topic)

edam you could apply that flawed logic to any protest about anything legal though couldn't you?

There's lots of opinions and shite spouted by various fuckwits that I'd rather not hear but I have to anyway. You know where the 'off' switch is do you? I find that helps when something's annoying me on the TV

when I had to walk past these people to get to the abortion clinic I didn't actually think they did have the right to protest right there and right then. You can have your views and express them forcibly but the principle of free speech doesn't give you the right to intrude on people's privacy and grief.

You use your freedom to speak your mind in the press and that must be protected at all costs. But I don't have the "right" to march up to a bride on a wedding day and tell her she's ugly and her husband is a loser even if I think it's the truth. Bad example I know but no one would defend my "right" to do that. You must tell your truth, to be true to yourself, but that's not the same as insisting that you can impose your version of the truth on people, whether or not they want to hear it.

so actually, it's right that he should be on C4. But not that he should be allowed to impose his views on complete strangers who have not invited his opinion.

i did state it was 5mins and any longer it would be turned of Lentilly,i took me a minute or two to realise what he was spouting about,

Lentilly - no, I don't think what I said leads to the prohibition of all protest. If the sort of people who harass women outside clinics really wanted to protest with the aim of changing the law, they would be waving placards outside parliament, wouldn't they? They'd be marching up to parliament - up to the place where decisions are made about the law. The fact they hang around clinics deliberately causing distress and alarm to vulnerable women suggests that actually what is going on is not a genuine desire to change the law or 'protect' foetuses, it's about bullying.

Question Time has the same effect on me, people spouting out opinions about things I am against however I am strongly drawn to it because I want to and need to hear their opinions as it makes me want to stand my ground even more. If that makes sense!

People agree with Abortion, people disagree with it. Whilst I am pro-choice, this man obviously isn't and C4 are presenting one side of a two sided coin. Whilst he sounds like a lunatic, he is essentially, anti-abortion, as a lot of people are.

I think he should be arrested outside the abortion building for disturbing the peace.

i think they tend to run themes over the course of a week, so i bet there's the opposing view tomorrow night.

i find it quite interesting and thought provoking - does what it's aiming to! however there are quite often very random, IMHO nutty people on there and frequently seems to have differing religious positions on social issues.

remember one not so long ago on teens abstaining from sex before marriage and there was a serious gavel-bashing young woman lecturing/hectoring at camera.

why can they protest outside a clinic,ive never heard of an arrest regarding this though i should imagine there may of been,but if a small group of religious people stood outside a different faiths place of worship and protested they would be arrested