Yesterday was a strange day, it was hailed to be the end of the world, the day of final judgment by the sect Family Radio Worldwide and it was predicted to occur at 5 pm (EST?) on the 21st May, 2011. It didn't happen. On a personal level, what did happened were some interesting exchanges outside of the Allston, MA center of Planned Parenthood (or, more accurately Aborted Parenthood). I stood on the corner of the side-walk with two signs - one saying "Face it : Abortion Kills a Child" and another sign which read "End the Abortion Holocaust" on which was pictured a graphic depiction of an aborted baby. I stood within in 35 foot zone (after having been informed by the security guard, who, after having informed me that he saw nothing wrong with my standing there and having my say, told me to back off a little to be outside what is called the 'bumper zone'. Obviously this facility has had problems in the past with crowds of conscientious objectors and protesters outside who were clogging up the street access and thorough-fare.
I received well wishes from about two groups of people who expressed solidarity and moral support. While about 6 others expressed great discontent my presence and the signs I was touting. The first was a man who complained vigorously that the graphic picture of one of my signs could have disturbed his young daughter. He said : "I don't need my 5 year-old daughter seeing this (expletive)". Well, I sympathize and I was glad that he valued his daughter's innocence and upbringing such that his blood would boil to that degree. But, while it's distressing that his daughter might see these images - they are just images. If that depiction of those dead babies shocks and appalls him
, then the actions performed to get them to that state should outrage him all the more. I am just depicting what they do, they actually carry out what they do. I'm only there because they murder and destroy innocent ones like his daughter and younger. Don't bother getting angry at me, get angry at them. I'm not sick, what they are doing is sick, and murderous.
Another accosting was received from a woman who obliquely yet angrily heckled (I shall omit the expletives here)- 'we should not hear from these men....who don't even know what its like to be pregnant'. I'm not sure why this comment was made. I don't have to have first hand experience of something to know whether it's right or wrong. I don't have to be pregnant and undergo abortion to criticize this action anymore than I have to commit murder to know that killing an innocent human being is wrong.
Anther altercation came in the form of a man asking whether I was aware that we (Christians) were supposed to have been raptured already. But Catholics don't believe in the rapture, at least not in the way that the Family Radio Worldwide understand it. Another man was most disturbed by the sign about the current holocaust. He took a picture with his iphone as evidence of crazy people like myself. For an instant I thought that he was supporting my efforts. But no - he yelled 'you're sick' and said that I should not use the term 'holocaust' and his opined that that word is somehow reserved for the Jews. But there have been many many holocausts throughout history - the Russian exterminations during the Stalin era, executions under Chairman Mao and Pol Pot or the Pagan child sacrifices of the Aztecs to the Cromwelian destruction of the Irish peasantry. There are many others, alas. And my antagonists inability to recognize the abortion holocaust as such indicates he probably would have remained silent and uncritical during that more recent holocaust of the Jews in Nazi Germany as well. One other woman said simply ' get over yourself'. There was hope, however. One group of people who looked like tourists or those in town for a graduation, were looking over and seemed to want a photo opportunity as they began to flank me from both sides. As they edged up, they said 'we're with you', words I was more than happy to hear. It turned out they were from Santiago de Compostela, Spain, which was emblazoned on my shirt depicting Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the pilgrimage site. Their solidarity and moral support was a nice surprise. A well dressed businessman noticed my sign, stopped, shook my hands and asked whether I was a follower of Christ. Amongst other things he said that 'abortion is a stain on the conscience of America'.
