Is it appropriate for a university to give out pro-life leaflets

[StealthPolarBear]

I genuinely don't know. Was a bit disappointed

or legally obtainable abortion on medical grounds might be even more accurate?

Mefdical grounds doesn't explain why non-Hispanic black women have the highest rates of abortion in the us

Do you support gender selective abortions too? You know where female foetus are aborted in favour of male ones? Being female isn't a medical condition.

Is that a no?

You can post partisan things on university noticeboards and the university is not obliged to have a countering leaflet - how could it really?

A lot of people are confidently asserting what happens in universities while apparently having never been in one... None of the noticeboards in the university I work at are free-for-alls, you have to ask before putting things up and unauthorised stuff (usually adverts for commercial services) are removed. This isn't weird or censorship - if your work staffroom has a noticeboard, are you allowed to put anything you like on it?

@Mumof56 - Mefdical grounds doesn't explain why non-Hispanic black women have the highest rates of abortion in the us

You really aren't making any sense here.

You really aren't making any sense here

Do you think that non-Hispanic black women have the highest rates of abortion in the US due to medical reasons?

@MargaretCavendish - it's the same where I work. There was a time when noticeboards were a free for all but that was 25/30 years ago.

"None of the noticeboards in the university I work at are free-for-alls, you have to ask before putting things up and unauthorised stuff (usually adverts for commercial services) are removed. "

I go into a university every other week so there was no need for your silly assumption. We are allowed to post on the public noticeboards there and I have done so. My card, not commercial but partisan, was not removed.

Mumof56 if people are having legal abortions their reasons are none of my business. I am pleased that the state rules abortion legal because I think its existence is necessary for women's well-being.

I don't really see why your 'non-Hispanic black women' "statistic" is relevant to the conversation.

@Mumof56 - my point is that you are just throwing out random statements that have no relevance to previous points. A pp stated that woman aborting because of a diagnosis of a chromosomal abnormality are doing so for medical reasons. You suddenly asked did we think black women in the US are aborting in larger numbers for medical reasons. I fail to see the connection. I suspect black women abort for the same reasons as any other group. In other words, for a wide variety of reasons, including medical reasons.

I was at university with one of Victoria Gillick's daughters and remember LIFE having a stall at Fresher's Fair and there being some blatant pro-life/anti-abortion leafleting and postering going on around campus.

@MmeGuillotine - there is a difference between (some) pro-life and anti-abortion leaflets/posters and blatant lies masquerading as information that helps a woman in a crisis pregnancy. At least straight anti-abortion literature is honest about its purpose.

We currently have loads of it in Ireland with the upcoming abortion referendum campaign. While I believe a lot of it is scaremongering and misrepresentation of facts, it's not preying on woman in a crisis pregnancy in the same way and preventing her getting the non-directive counselling she needs.

Oh, I'm sure there's a big difference. I was responding to the original OP and other posters specifically discussing instances of this material appearing on a British university campus. :)

There aren't any public noticeboards at my university (assume by this boards that allow anyone to post anything). Boards cost money to maintain. Ours are either academic (for posters and notices by academics only and usually maintained by academic departments) student support (posters and materials put up by student support services only) or administration (usually belonging to specific departments eg health and safety). There are some boards for students to put up notices about accommodation, tutoring etc in the main buildings (most are in the student union building and so belong to the union). These are less monitored but not a free for all. Non university things might stay up longer on those boards (especially if they are small) but they all have signs saying permission is to be ought prior to posting.

I don't think there is necessarily any problem with having pro life leaflets. Depends exactly what they say, but it's no different to eg. The vegetarians putting out some leaflets.

I can only assume you are ignorant of SPUC. They used to do a lovely line in 'photographs' of bin bags full of babies.

Mumof56

Do you really not ant women to have information that is true and may enable them to make a choice?

Does anyone remember a time when we weren't offended by everything.

Not the university itself unless it is privately funded. Tax payer money should not be used for propoganda

So be a good student and a good critical thinker. Else screw you.

Morningstsr I'm not offended by everything. Get back to the daily mail. I'm worried about the effects propaganda will have on vulnerable young women.

Making women feel guilty for considering abortion, especially young women at uni with their whole lives ahead of them, is not defendable in my opinion so I think it is inappropriate. I don't care about a balanced view on this issue as, as you have said OP, choice is the key factor here along with science and those kind of leaflets apply emotional manipulation and scaremongering to make their misguided point.

those kind of leaflets apply emotional manipulation and scaremongering to make their misguided point.

@Mummadeeze I agree with you but they are legal. There's lots of things I think are emotionally manipulative and scaremongering - all organised religion for example - but legally they can exist and print leaflets.

Mumof56 because said woman who takes women in is linked to pro life groups chances are she’s bullied the woman into keeping the child

To remove them and throw them in the bin is censorship - I hope no one would seriously do that.

The university should be responsible though, it should be explicit that there produced by a pro life society and an eg NHS leaflet about abortion should also be there.

I agree that this sort of thing shouldn't be hidden or dressed up as advice but perhaps if people were more tolerant of other people's views then they wouldn't have to.

I understand that they are legal Doris so you make a fair point. In terms of being tolerant of people's views, the way I see it is that everyone knows that if you don't abort a fetus it will eventually become a baby. It is legal in England to have an abortion but if people don't agree with having one or wouldn't have one themselves, that is their view. What I don't agree with is propaganda pushing those people's judgemental views onto others. I don't think it would be right having a leaflet telling women they should go and have an abortion either. The equivalent of that leaflet for the other side would be telling you all the negatives of having a child or telling you the world is overpopulated as it is or that you are incapable of being a good parent. A leaflet that is related to abortion should simply tell you where you can go or who you can call to discuss all the options.

"I agree that this sort of thing shouldn't be hidden or dressed up as advice but perhaps if people were more tolerant of other people's views then they wouldn't have to"

Could you say some more about this please?

I can only assume you are ignorant of SPUC. They used to do a lovely line in 'photographs' of bin bags full of babies

The quality care comission report on Marie stopes found aborted babies in unlidded bins in the corner of the room.

Mumof56

Do you really not ant women to have information that is true and may enable them to make a choice?

I'm not stopping anyone from getting information. The babies in the bin at Marie stopes is true information, what's the issue with that true information?