Abortion clinics under attack

[zz]

God bless America!

[Guerilla poster]

One view I have considered is that fanaticism of any kind is the enemy. It seems the issues in any country (and the world) are driven by the fanatics because they are not willing to accept any middle ground mostly because they are so firm in their beliefs that they will not cave.

Take the abortion issue, the fanatical right-to lifers are willing to do anything to stop abortion because they believe it is the ultimate evil just as OBL believes America is the ultimate evil and wants to see us destroyed at all costs.

If we look at the Israeli issue, who is driving the policies there - the extremes on both sides. The right in Israel will not accept any deal with the PLO other than ultimate destruction and the hardline Palestinians do not accept the right of Israel to exist. It is these parties that are responsible for the escalation.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to stop fanaticism because many people are looking for meaning in their lives and fanaticism takes advantage of this search for meaning by directing people's energies to these goals.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Guerilla Poster on 2001-10-23 15:06 ]</font>

[Hierophant]

Well, let's tally up the body count:

Pro-life extremists - between 1 and 5 abortion doctors killed.

WTC Round 1 - A few killed, thousands injured.

McVeigh, OK City - A few hundred killed.

WTC Round 2 - 6,000 killed.

Pol Pot, Cambodia - 2 million killed

Hitler - 6 to 12 million killed.

Stalin - 10 to 20 million killed.

Abortion doctors - over 40 million unborn babies killed in the U.S. alone.

Given the current situation, I don't agree with the harassment technique being used. However, there is a legitimate moral issue at stake here, one which the partial birth abortion issue puts into high contrast.

If you consider only abortions in the third trimester, you have deaths far exceeding the 9/11 attacks EVERY YEAR, and with the legal sanction of the government.

[Guerilla poster]

hiero,

would you be willing to settle for getting rid of third-trimester abortions only and allowing all other abortions to be legal?

If not, why?

[Hierophant]

GP - Alas, I am morally weak. I find it difficult to make the preservation of a few cells post-conception a matter of public policy.

Where do I draw the line? I don't know, but well before birth.

Traci, on the other hand, is unwilling to have any lines drawn on the abortion issue. This is consistent with the extreme pro-abortion proponents. They have no concept that the unborn baby has any rights, and will not permit the unborn baby to have any voice in our legal system. The Roe v. Wade "right to privacy" is, in effect, a muzzling of any voice of advocacy for the unborn.

Free speech, life, liberty - but not for the defenseless!

[The Mister]

<font size=2>Hiero, you could have also mentioned the 2+ million killed in Zaire (excuse me, the "Republic of Congo") in whatever the heck conflict that was/is.

(I couldn't bring myself to read the details in the U.S.News article due to the graphic pictures that made me sick.)

[Aaron Brachowitz]

On 2001-10-23 15:05, Guerilla Poster wrote:
One view I have considered is that fanaticism of any kind is the enemy. It seems the issues in any country (and the world) are driven by the fanatics because they are not willing to accept any middle ground mostly because they are so firm in their beliefs that they will not cave.

Let's draw a distinction between having firm beliefs and committing murder or other violence in "support" of those beliefs. There's nothing inherently wrong with believing that abortion equals ending a life or that America is evil. People are entitled to think whatever they want. Bombing an abortion clinic or flying a plane into a building are what needs to be condemned, not having firm beliefs. Having a world full of fuzzy thinkers and moral relativists isn't going to make life better.

[Guerilla poster]

My point is that if you believe so strongly that you are right (either for moral reasons or religious reasons or whatever) then you are willing to do whatever it takes to achive your goal. Is that fuzzy thinking?

If I think that America is an evil place and corrupting my people, why will I stop short of convincing others to ram a plane into a building for the cause?

If I think abortion is evil, why will I stop short of killing abortion doctors?

[an2001on]

Don't you think it is possible that a person firmly believes (s)he is right, however, does not have hatred towards any opponents? Maybe in this case "do what it takes" could have somewhat different meaning.

[Guerilla poster]

It is the extremists that drive policy and I do not think that is the best thing for the world (israel and palestine being a prime example).

People who are so driven by their beliefs tend to take uncomprised positions which are usually bad public policy.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Guerilla Poster on 2001-10-23 16:21 ]</font>