To think the tactics of CBR UK are disgusting? Trigger warning - pro life.

[MistressoftheDarkSide]

I've been seething since Saturday when I encountered the organisation CBR UK on one of the busiest parts of our town centre.

CBR UK are a fundamental pro-life organisation claiming to have the interests of women traumatised by abortion at heart. Actually their roots are in the US and are underpinned by fundamentalist Christian beliefs.

Their way of educating and supporting women is to display 6 x 8 feet technicolor pictures of the aftermath of abortion in full view of women and children to get their point across.

A look at their Facebook page will prove to you I am not making this up. They place a warning sign ahead if the images, and also warn that they live film their activities, but it's obviously lip service.

They hand out leaflets and try to engage people

I challenged one of the very smug beatific older woman and suggested they must really hate women, but no, it's because they love and want to protect us apparently. And "God" - which slipped out as I took my leave and she called out God bless you. To which I responded how dare you bring God into this - and her parry was - why do you hate him that much?

Anyway, I'm posting this to make you aware that you might come up against this while doing your Christmas shopping.

Whatever your views on abortion, (Mine are pro choice and pro it's noone else's Goddamn business except a woman and her doctor) can we agree that this kind of "awareness raising" is almost psychological terrorism and should not be on our high streets in such graphic forms?

Women who have been rated, suffered traumatic medical miscarriages and are possibly accompanied by curious children don't need this shit rubbed in their faces while doing their Christmas shopping - or at any time.

AIBU?

Agree and in the USA, where school shootings of actual children occur regularly, the same religious fundamentalists are opposed to gun control. Why aren't they trying to keep those children alive?

Do you mean the men who feel they have no say?

Ref the 'lives', the life of the woman walking around living must trump, their lives are at stake.

Do you know what happens to kids in the care system. There aren't wholly positive outcomes. Once you significantly increase this load, these kids, for want of a better word, are fucked. Who is lining up to care for all these kids?

We sometimes have to make unpleasant choices. For me, it would be unpleasant at a certain stage, but that's my feeling. At a certain point, I wouldn't give it a second thought. I think most of us don't I'm afraid. No one I know really gave their abortion a second thought.

Every ounce of sperm is a potential life. Let's gather all that shite up and protect it 🤷‍♀️.

That's a good point, I actually forgot about the death penalty in the US (and Japan), I'm not sure if it's still in use n any other "developed" countries.

And I imagine that, because that person has taken at least one life (unless I'm wrong in thinking execution is not used in non murder cases), they do not see it as killing in the same way.

Convenient, I know.

Because women matter more

No it isn’t. Women aren’t just vessels for superior zygotes. This is their body and it’s literally nothing to do with anyone else least of all you.

How does it actually affect you if another woman has an abortion?

I really do. Almost unbelievable

Can I ask why you are pro life please?

I don’t care about your choice. Why do you care about the choices of other women?

We'll get more of this over the next few years coming over from the USA.

Most developed economies are facing a population crisis - so few babies being born and growing antipathy towards immigration which is being encouraged by right wing propaganda. Also declining fertility. In the US adoption is an industry - lots of it private, and extremely dodgy. What they need more than anything else is a constant flow of (preferably) white newborns to satisfy demand. https://time.com/6051811/private-adoption-america/

I believe in not killing humans.

You would have aborted a fetus, not a child! Bringing morality into this discussion by using incorrect terms is a well known tactic.
Lack of accurate use of language amongst those trying to abolish abortions is staggering!

Good thing then that abortion doesn't involve 'killing' a "human" then.

The only human involved in abortion is the actual born human being, the woman. Not the blastocyst, zygote or embryo.

Ah, well known use of emotive language there. Do you preserve your darling partner's sperm, because we have potential humans there. What's the difference?

I'll hazard a guess you're religious; following an institution that rapes children systematically, and has a history of torturing and abusing people; mainly women. Thus often actually killing living walking humans. But let's sweep that under the carpet.

Define ‘justifiable’. And provide a bit of evidence to back up your nonsense.

Who’s doing that??

People who deny safe and legal abortions to women, thus forcing them into back alleys with coathangers and quacks. Does SoporificLettuce mind that?

I'm interested how Annabella started off by telling us abortion was a net negative for women and then, when reminded how many women fight for, have and don't regret abortions, suddenly decided the issue was actually about more than women. Keep trying, hmm, Annabella?

No doubt.

And this is why we do not allow religious rules to dictate our laws. Because laws involve compromise, nuance, and balancing of needs, and people who think they know exactly what the right thing is because God told them so are not going to compromise.

That’s what pro lifers do.

They take away a woman’s choice which leads to back street abortions that go wrong and result in their death or they take their own lives because they see no way out of the position they’re in.

An embryo is not a human, I say that as someone who went through fertility treatment and lost pregnancies, they weren’t babies, I did not miscarry a ‘human’.

I'd report them to the police for creating alarm and distress with the horrible pictures. And also for the fact they're equating it with religion when we all know it's nothing to do with that. I'd go round the local shops with a petition to say they're putting off customers and driving away trade, and give that to the council.

My family are RC and I went to a Convent school. I remember the pro life group coming in and giving us a lecture and a horrid leaflet. The main speaker was a really handsome guy in his 20s. Half the girls fancied him but I thought he was sleazy. Again in the late 70s.
I went home and showed my mum the leaflet. She was cross that we had been subjected to this at school.
Allowing some 'Man' to lecture us about our bodies and our right to choose. She said it was sheer manipulation.
I asked her if she had ever had one. She was shocked. She said no but she was lucky she had her children in a loving marriage, had never been raped or destitute. She did say that they were shocked when she fell pregnant with number 3. And that the rhythm method doesn't work! They were really short of money but made it work.
She was adamant that it was for a woman to choose and that these organisations don't help pay for a child.
She said you should never look down on a friend who has to make such a difficult choice in life and should be there to support not judge.

Dad later took the leaflet and put it on the fire. He said its propaganda and all propaganda should be burnt.

I like, my mum have never had to have an abortion but I will defend a woman's right to choose.

OP - I agree with the suggestion that you report this to the Council. And anyone else.

It is an act of anti social behaviour and if people report it they have powers to stop people gathering and causing ' harassment alarm and distress'.
One needs to use the words, harassment, distress etc.

@Gingerbee I wonder if it was the same leaflet? It was really horrible.

How terrifying the access that institutions ( usually religious, have in primary schools). It's better, but still very problematic.

Absolutely agree and I am the same. I had one too with absolutely no regrets. Only relief. I don’t ever even think about it now, other than when the topic arises of course.