To be so upset about abortion protesters?

[CundtBake]

I have posted a few times about my pregnancy and my decision to have an abortion. I had medical treatment a few weeks ago that didn't work, and I had to return to the clinic today.

I've been an emotional wreck ever since I found out I was pregnant, it's not a decision I have taken lightly at all and the fact that my first treatment was unsuccessful has made it all the more traumatic.

On my way in today I was faced with protestors holding up huge pictures of unborn babies, shouting at me that my baby has a heartbeat and stuff like that. By the time I got into the clinic I was sobbing and haven't stopped.

My situation probably isn't an unusual one, it hasn't been easy and I will probably always feel guilty and upset. I feel so violated that these people think it's appropriate to make me feel worse, to judge me for a situation I assume they haven't been in (especially since a lot of them were men).

I then also thought, what about girls and women who have been raped? What about girls who have been abused and are way too young to carry out a pregnancy let alone give birth? How can they justify what they are doing without knowing every single persons situation walking into that clinic?

Their pictures are still haunting me. I just don't understand how people can do that and think it's ok. I understand everyone has their views on abortion which they are entitled to. But to actively go out and try to distress people like that, how can they think that's ok?

Myrtle, round of applause

I have read a number of people on the net who work in abortion clinics, talking about how they had protesters regularly outside, and then one day, one of the protesters came in herself for an abortion. Some people have a really hard time inagining anyone elses situation, until it happens to them.

I hope you are okay.

Name calling, swearing amd threats give the impression that you have no valid argument to make

Equally, emotive, saccharine-coated claptrap designed purely to appeal to band-wagon jumpers with no empathy gives the impression that you have been asked to write a piece for your year 9 PHSE class entitled 'in the mind of a thoughtless coward.'

This is not the place for your invective.

The OP is as sentient a being as those unborn ones about whom you claim to care.

Your post exposes you as unkind and emotionally under-developed.

Yanbu op, it shouldn't be allowed, I agrew eexclusion zones are a good idea.

Thinking of you xxx

Cundtbake I hope you feel better As the overwhelming majority of posts on this thread shows, anyone with a bit of intelligence and empathy realises that your decision to terminate is excruciatingly hard and absolutely no one else has the right to judge you for it.

It was the right decision for you at this time. Be proud of yourself for making that decision and don't feel guilty for it. You have done the right thing for you.

youre not good people, sassy. you're an asshat.

Sassysally just out of interest, I was raped repeatedly over a 5 month period 4 years ago, during which the only contraception I had was I'd already had a hysterectomy. If I hadn't been infertile and had ended up pregnant by the man in question, in your opinion would it have been wrong of me to have an abortion?

Thinking of you, OP, you made the right decision for you and your family, and no one else can judge you for that

May I respond to Sassy's 'legal is not moral' and 'what I'm saying is factual' argument.

I did a cheeky username search. I'd just like to quote something you posted yourself.

"Legal" is not the same as "right" or even "effective No but what is legal is fact, waht is 'right' is your opinion.You can not force other people to share it. If (for the purposes of example) you thought abortion was not 'right' would you stand outside an abortion clinic ordering patients not to go in?

That may get deleted. I don't mind. You're full of shit.

[Triumphant face]

Don't care if I'm reported for this, Sassy you're a cunt. Get your head out of your arse, it isn't a hat. And then fuck the fuck off and peddle your bullshit elsewhere. I'm not going to debate with you because there's no debate to be had; you are wrong and you are nasty with it.

OP I'm so sorry you had to go through that. Abotion protestors are the scum of the earth.

Just adding my support too. Those protesters (and the sanctimonious dickheads on this thread) are nothing but pious, compassionless, empathy free turds and lack the ability to think outside of their tiny minded simplistic worlds.

To you and I hope a bird shits on all their heads. Repeatedly.

Sassy, you are an abominable waste of intellect, deliberately trying to upset a woman who needs support.

OP, I am so sorry that you've found yourself in this situation. You have all my support, and you're in my thoughts.

Sorry to hear you're having a rough time of it lately, please ignore the likes of sassysally, sassy you could of easily passed by this thread, it is blindingly fucking obvious the OP was in need of support after a troubling time.

Women who have terminations aren't evil, the protesters that hounded her and people like you are though. You want to control another's body due to your own opinions/beliefs. Disgusting.

Thinking of you OP.

OP, you truely have gone through the mill today and my heart gors out to you. Know that you have our support and stand with you.

And despite being a sort of regular on hete and using MN for support myself I too have had enough. Sorry MNHQ but

Sassy my God teaches forgiveness. That we should love one another and be there for them in their hour of need. If you cannot behave in a decent manner to a woman who has been in one of the worst situations a woman be placed then shove off seeing as you think more basic anglo saxon discpunts a view othetwise I'd have told you to fuck off

YADDDDNBU. What a hideous thing to go through. As if it wasn't already hard enough for you.

I agree with others who have said exclusion zones would be a good idea. I think this is something which needs to be seriously looked into. I'm all for freedom of speech (whether I agree with what's being said or not), but this is nothing short of bullying. Bullying a woman at a time when she has never been more vulnerable and has probably made one of the most difficult and traumatic decisions of her life.

I've fortunately never been in your position so can only imagine what you've gone through and indeed are still going through. Unfortunately, some people are so small-minded that they're incapable of imagining anything outside their tiny world, much less being in someone else's shoes.

It's funny...in a way I wouldn't wish this sort of thing on anybody, but at the same time some people seem to be so ignorant, sanctimonious and lacking in sympathy/empathy that I think the only way they would ever understand or appreciate the difficulties other people face is if they were forced into the same situation themselves. This doesn't just relate to abortion; ignorant people are fond of voicing their opinions about all sorts of subjects. I think they actually pick on the most vulnerable/upset people as they are less likely to argue back.

I hope you are ok OP. I imagine your emotions are all over the place at the moment, but you know you've made the right decision - however difficult it's been to reach that decision. You have my full support and I am thinking of you.

When I went to my doctor who I used for 32 years and asked for a termination he told me the baby was a gift from God and had picked me to be it's mother. I was straight out the surgery and registered with the other practice in town. I wasn't upset but very angry he had said it knowing I had thought it through and was comfortable with my decision. Afterwards I wondered how many people he has said this to over the years.

I'm so sorry you have had to face such idiots at this difficult time OP. It is beyond cruel and the law needs changing urgently to keep these abusers away from vulnerable women.

Please take no notice and look after yourself

TBF to sassysally even though what she is saying is harsh and i dont fully agree, when its someone whos miscarried a pregnancy they wanted even if its at some stage like 6 weeks where its nothing like a baby at all yet merely a bunch of cells, everyone talks of 'im so sorry for your beloved baby' 'that was your baby growing inside you' etc etc but when it comes to a woman wanting/having an abortion its described as a foetus constantly and spoke about rather aggressively and like it is a mere pest like having rats in the house by posters. Its really hypocritical I think.

I feel very sorry for you OP, I dont think its nasty to protest etc (dont agree with pro life whatever anyway), but as said they do have the democratic right to protest.

It makes me feel rather angry women who have been forced to terminate for medical reasons being bombarded with this though.

Cundtbake just wanted to add my support to all the messages here. I was raised a Catholic, sent to a Catholic girls' school where we got all the usual anti-abortion propaganda in religion class (and the only sex-ed was natural family planning taught by a nun ) I've always known intellectually that I was pro-choice but until I became pregnant (I'm 11 weeks) I never knew if my feelings might change. I can honestly say they haven't. In fact I feel more pro-choice than ever before, and I will raise my children to be as well. This is a much planned and wanted pregnancy. I really hope I don't have to make any hard choices about it but I am very, very grateful that we live in countries where safe abortion is an available option. It's not a right we can take for granted - look at the U.S. and the continued efforts to undermine access to safe abortion there. I was researching the history of the area where I lived and the newspapers from 1911 were full of a murder case - a back street abortionist had been charged after the death of a woman at a house just 2 minutes round the corner from where I live. Is this what these protestors want? It makes me furious.

I don't equate the potential represented by my 11 week foetus to human life. I don't believe that a women's wishes and capabilities are overridden by the "rights" of a foetus that is not capable of living independently outside the womb.

Bit of a novel here as it's a topic I have had years of practice arguing. Lots of love and support to you, and know that the views of those protestors are not the views of most normal, informed, intelligent people.

well 22honey I do refer to my pregnancy as a foetus currently, and in fact had a heated argument with my staunchly Catholic anti-abortion aunt who insisted I call it a baby. It's not a baby at this point. (Moreover I disliked being lectured on abortion by someone who has never been pregnant or had children.)

I watched a documentary on abortion in the States once and there were some campaigners I could respect, even if I didn't agree with their views. They worked to provide real tangible support and options - a place to stay, food, money, baby clothes - for young women who might not have wanted an abortion but felt due to their circumstances they didn't have any other option. They seemed to me to be doing more Christian work than the vile campaigners spreading misery and misinformation outside the clinic.

Also - why do you only feel angry for "women who had to abort for medical reasons" 22honey?

YABU, these protesters are there to be a voice to the voiceless and have every right to be there (sorry).

Gennz your Aunt is childless not brainless, she can be anti-abortion if she wants to be, she has as much right as a parent.

I didn't say she was brainless, I said I disliked being lectured by her. Absolutely she can be anti-abortion, she has every right to freedom of expression. Her view is, however, wrong, as are theirs, and I have every right to disagree with her (and with them).