Posted on 10/31/2005 2:02:40 PM PST by Pyro7480
Many key cultural and political issues these days are debated and at least temporarily-settled within the marble halls of the Supreme Court. Protesters advocating various points of view on a variety of topics have made the plaza in front of temple-like ediface their battleground. The nomination of Judge Alito to the Supreme Court itself is no different.
Since I work in DC, within walking distance of the Supreme Court, I decided to walk there to see what was taking place on the steps in front of the building. I arrived there shortly before 4 pm, when the National Organizaton for Women was scheduled to have a rally against the nomination of Judge Alito.
To my surpise, there was no one from this organization there. In fact, a group of about 16 college students were lined up side-by-side in front of the steps of the Court, most of them with red tape taped over their mouths. The word "Life" was printed in marker on the piece of tape. Also present were members of the press corps, with cameras and folding chairs.
I talked to two young women who were serving as spokesmen for the students who had their mouths taped shut. They were members of a Christian ministry who hold a vigil every day in front of the Supreme Court. Students come down to DC from many parts of the country for a semester to take part, and while they are not doing that, they live at a study house. I had talked to one of the women before, at an earlier vigil of theirs. She is a nice woman.
Four o'clock came and past, and the NOW gang didn't show up. I talked to one of the spokesmen, and she said that they had heard 4:30 as the start time for their opponents, instead of the 4 pm widely reported (I had heard it on Rush Limbaugh's show).
I started talking to a tourist from Minnesota, and as I was talking to him, the NOW gang finally showed up. The group was almost entirely female, and most of them appeared to be of college age. Only one college-age male, who I think I've seen before at past NOW protests, was with them. None of them fit the "bull dyke" stereotype, though by their appearance, they were pretty readily identifible as left-wing activists. They were holding the typical NOW signs, that feature the NOW logo, and the "Keep Abortion Legal" slogan. There were also a few hand-made signs. One had some kind of saying about Alito being a "trick" instead of a "treat," referring to Halloween, which is today.
The NOW gang started their typical chants like "Hey hey, ho ho, right-wing judges have got to go," and "Racist, sexist, anti-gay; right-wing judges, go away!" Their group numbered about the same as the pro-life group, so instead of facing off with the pro-lifers (which wasn't possible, since they were facing the Supreme Court, and the officers guarding the entrance don't allow activists on the steps), they marched in a circle. Initially, I actually ended up in the center of the circle, since I was still talking to someone. I made my way out of there quickly.
The press ate up their little protest. The cameramen came over and took shots, while the sound technicians recorded their chants. They were chanting so loudly, that I could still hear them more than two DC blocks away while I walked back to work.
As I reflect on the whole event, I find it interesting that both groups consisted mainly of college-aged people. This is a key battleground in the fight over abortion, which is the issue that both groups focused on. The current under-30 generation is a lot more pro-life than their parents are. The equal numbers of protesters on both sides of the issue aren't exactly reflective of the actual statistics. I've been to the March for Life in DC seven times, and the hundreds of thousands who march every year are overwhelmingly under 25 years old. I contrast this with last year's "March for Women's Lives," which also drew hundreds of thousands, but many of them were middle-aged women. The odds are definitely in the favor of the pro-life cause.
"Don't fear the Reaper!
Dimmies take his hand...
Don't fear the Reaper!
C'mon and kill all your babies
Don't fear the Reaper!
Don't even try to under...stand!
Caaa CaCa Ca Ca..."
Great minds think alike!
That sentence needs a little tweaking. How about saying "The current under-30 generation is a lot more pro-life than their parents' generation was."
After all, the current under-30 generation was mostly born to people who oppose abortion. Surprised? Don't be.
Invest in abortion-rights activists for the same reason you invest in land: they ain't makin' any more!
Thanks. I should start the habit of typing threads in Word.
freakanomics in action! ;)
Live and learn...well...*Republicans* will :o)
Excellent post! Thanks a LOT for the great first hand account. I find it interresting that the media talked about the NOW rally, which was late, but I didn't hear any mention of the Pro-Life rally. And the Pro-Life rally seems much nicer and respectful than the typical liberal radical NOW group that usually is seen, just like the ones you described that showed up late. As more time goes by it becomes more evident that the pro-death crowd is on the s*^$ end of the stick.
That's because MSM a;so stands for: 'Media Soviet' Maggots.
That's a VERY accurate acronym! 8)
bttt
Without a digital camera, your report is a view that we could not have had without your effort. Thanks!
NOW= Nasty Old Wenches
Great report, Pyro7480!
To your point about the generational difference, the older generation had no choice about having a child out of wedlock, because it was simply not socially acceptable. Women with unplanned pregnancies in most cases "went to visit and aunt" for 5 months or so (after the pregnancy began to show), had the baby in an unwed mothers' home and had to give it up for adoption.
Now, it has become more understandable for a woman to keep the child, even if not married. I don't think it is as good for the child as if she had waited to make sure the father was commited to her and the child through marriage, but much of the stigma has been removed. Therefore, there is much less motivation for abortion. More compassion = fewer abortions.
Nice report. Well-done!
Thanks for the report Pyro7480.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.