To have a weeny bit of sympathy for the poo smearers?

[ProPooSmearer]

NCed as very identifiable.

In my town there is a sect, founded by someone in the town who thinks they see the Virgin Mary in their garden. The main thrust of the sect, which has a lot of followers all over the world, is anti-abortion, and that aborted children are martyrs. They have parades barefoot around town carrying a statue of Jesus and carrying anti-abortion banners.

Anyway, a sect member lives down our road. On their car they have a huge sticker covering half the back window which says something like "Aborted children are martyrs to The Truth, G-d forgive you". It's parked on the road as we don't have driveways. Walked past the car today and someone has smeared poo all over the front windscreen.

Obviously this is vile and disgusting and horrible and if someone wants to make the point about not having to look at that sticker every day surely a reasoned and polite debate is the way to go. And I feel terrible for the family who have lots of children who will have to look at that today knowing someone anonymous did it to them.

BUT, on the other hand, they have been intolerant and a bit vile with their anti-abortion stuff for YEARS. Maybe someone just snapped today? I can't help having a weeny teeny bit of sympathy with the poo smearers and thinking, "well yes, if you're going to be sanctimonious and ram your message down people's throats, someone IS going to retaliate one day?"

AIBU?

[FeckOffCup]

YABU, it's not nice for the anti abortionists to force their views on others but the person who did that has totally lost the moral high ground with their action, it makes them as bad as those they are protesting against IMHO.

[confusteling]

A friend uploaded a video on facebook of a fetus being aborted, probably third trimester. I won't discuss what the video showed except that the abortion shown was not one which would be routinely carried out in the UK, even, I would assume, for medical reasons. I was very nearly sick and cried my heart out.

It painted this as something that routinely happens. The website also had another page of images of "abortion tools" - most of which were medieval in nature. They had a picture of a vaginal speculum made out of bronze ffs.

One young girl commented on my friend's post asking if this was what these instruments really looked like, if this was the reality of abortion - and an "anti abortion counsellor" assured her that these instruments were definitely used in abortions and that surgical abortions were routinely carried out in the UK, etc. It's worrying that with such opinions she can "counsell" people on the subject.

I did get involved and said I felt that they shouldn't market surgical instruments as evil and murder weaponry - simply as speculums are used every day, D&C tools are used in all sorts of procedures, other tools are used after miscarriage etc. I argued it could upset people in general, not to mention those who have had D&C etc - to which I was told "perhaps we need to upset women to put them off abortion".

I'm Catholic, proud to be and apparently so are these people. I don't actively support abortions at all for religious reasons but there are ways of reducing the number of terminations through sensitive education, better sex education, better support for parents of disabled children, single mothers/post rape pregnancy, etc.. Thrusting images of abortion and anti abortion slogans etc will IME only serve to put people off getting involved!!

So I can understand the frustration - but poo smearing's not the way to go about it, it's just stooping to their level really.

[sieglinde]

Erghs all round. I'm Catholic too, but some of my erm brethren are really nauseating. DON'T get me started on same-sex marriage and their f*ing lordships.

confusteling, anyone can call themselves a counsellor or a therapist; it's completely unregulated.

[Brodicea]

I think OP is just saying she just has a 'weeny' bit of sympathy, and TBH I can empathise. Someone did clearly snap, and the very primal and visceral response says a lot about how deep and complex feelings about abortion are.

confusteling, although anti-abortion, is sensible when she says what's needed is education to cut down on terminations and I like her considered response to the scare tactics used by many campaigners. I believe in choice, but agree that what's needed is prevention of unwanted pregnancy.

Abortion is never easy, but it is as old as time itself, and we need to have sympathy for the women who go through it not hate. Unfortunately tactics like these make women who have experience it feel attacked, and unable to talk about the issue.

[ethelb]

people are allowed to hold views that are contrary to popular opinion you know

[HeadfirstForHalos]

"people are allowed to hold views that are contrary to popular opinion you know "

I agree. I don't necessarily want these views to be thrust in mine or my children's faces though.

[twofingerstoGideon]

Nor is allowing the UK to have such a high and late abortion rate.
Have you considered the reasons why most late abortions are carried out?

[ethelb]

@head these people have abhorrent and hurtful views, but allowing people to have a bumper sticker airing those is part of living in a democratic society.

[SolidSnake]

YABU, no need for poo, there is always paint for that

[ethelb]

@two one is the lack of access to early abortions. Some people who have been in the system feel it is almost deliberate.

[andubelievedthat]

must assume person who smeared da poo has no recent(last ten years) criminal record cos the police will have their d.n.a.on file AND if a complaint has been forcefully made !poo smearer, man ,he/she ? they in the shit !!!

[BerthaKitt]

You can't get DNA from poo unless you're lucky and find some skin cells on there. Would make for an interesting Jeremy Kyle special though.

[Birdsgottafly]

Were would it end if we all did aggressive damage to each others property, because we didn't agree with the views held, though?

I've lived through a time when the property of EM families were routinely targeted. The worse part is that the residents, children as well as adults, which this family has, never know to what level the acts will escalate to.

Anyone who has Tory support stickers on their windows, would be my target, but i like to live in a safe society, so abide by the law.

[DeSelby]

I really don't agree with poo smearing, but surely they don't use their own poo!