The anti-choice freeeks are out in Columbus OH

[SallyMander]

Just drove up the main drag of Columbus -- High St -- between downtown and the Ohio State campus. For about 5 blocks there are maybe 30-40 people holding the gigantic aborted-fetus posters we all know and love. I pretty much just ignored them and looked straight ahead at the car in front of me... One woman approached my car and tried to hand me some "literature" -- i gave her my best "you're batshit crazy" look and mouthed "No thanks"...

How do you deal with these folks? Confront/ignore? I suppose there's no reasoning with them...

Edited to add: I keep thinking about this... and it seems like the best response might be to point out their hypocrisy. I am wishing that i had some lit on peace rallies and/or anti-death penalty organizations. It would be too much fun to try handing those out and see what response i'd get...

:evilgrin:



~Sally

[rucky]

1. The Short North is a strange place to picket abortion.

probably the most progressive, funky & collegiate part of town.

Then again, I suppose the fundies would consider it Sodom & Gemorrah.

[sakabatou]

2. "I will join you...

"As soon as you join the Church of the One Winged Angel. There we can worship mother together as she wipes out everything on this planet. For we need her power. We need her for the Reunion. All we need is her head. Will you get it from Rufus?"

[SallyMander]

3. Seriously...

They're actually north of the Sho' No' for the most part. Mainly in the area between 5th and the South Campus Gateway -- the little stretch that has yet to be rehabilitated/gentrified. But still a very liberal-leaning area -- i did some canvassing there in '04 and '06 and it's predominantly low-income African-Americans that vote Dem. Not sure of their views on abortion though.

[YOY]

6. They occasionally picket by Kent State too

Even though the Dean tried to make it into OSU junior it's still hilarious to see the fundies preaching to Ohio kids who march to the beat of their own drummer.

[EnviroBat]

14. Desperately in need of a good underground music club!

R.I.P Little Brothers...

[SallyMander]

15. :-(

Did you see the casket in the Doo Dah Parade?

[EnviroBat]

19. No, we missed it. We were stuck in a traffic jam trying to find a parking spot.

Com-fest was pretty cool this year. Everyone was really laid back and friendly, until we were leaving. There's always gotta be a group of drunken frat-tards to mess up a great day. Other than that, it was really fun. I'm hoping High-5 becomes the new "hip" music spot. But Club 202 has got a great stage too!

[SallyMander]

22. What, you don't want to hang out

at the Lifestyles Community stage? Or whatever it's called now? LOL...

:sarcasm:

[EnviroBat]

23. HAHHAHA! That place makes me gag...

I'm contect to just hang out with my Iguana, Guenivere... She's friendlier than most people I know!

[noonwitch]

24. Do the protestors have to stand in front of Flynt's Hustler club?

That could get amusing.

I love Columbus, though. My brother lives on the north end of town, but used to live in the hood just south of German Village. We used to always go to Katzinger's Deli, when he lived on that side of town.

[rucky]

25. I want me some Schmidt's.

mmmmmmmmmm Bahama Mama.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Those posters are repulsive

:puke:

[SallyMander]

11. What bothers me most

is, what if i'd been going through that area with a small child? I respect anyone's right to free speach -- but doesn't their presence infringe on my right to protect a child from disturbing/inappropriate images?

What if i wanted to stand on the corner with a 4'x6' closeup of a penis? Would that be ok?

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. First time I saw the huge ones

was during the 2004 campaign when Kerry came to town. There were tons of families there and I was stunned.

When my kids were little, the anti choice people sent a postcard in the mail with one of those pictures. I wrote them back and told them I had little kids and I didn't want that kind of mail arriving at my house. And they did stop the mailings.

[KamaAina]

29. We used to call 'em "fetal pornography"

back in New Orleans around 1990. Also, down there, the traditional Mardi Gras "king cake" comes with a plastic baby doll inside; whoever gets the slice with the baby is supposed to buy the next cake (there is always a next cake!). And so, when the anti's would whip out their plastic fetuses (feti?), we'd jeer them and tell them they had to buy the next cake...

[Demeter]

5. I Suppose Vehicular Manslaughter Isn't on Your List of Options?

Mine either. Sigh. It would be like those crazy squirrels that run around frenzied--turned into roadkill because they're too emotional or stupid to see the traffic patterns and the man-made roads.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. I'd ask these questions in this order

How many children have you adopted?
Do you support adding funds so that single mothers can afford day care and food for their children?
Since you favor life, will you sign this anti-death penalty petition, and then join me in an anti-war protest next week?

[SallyMander]

8. Beautiful!

I just edited my post before i read your response... i love it!

[ellie]

13. At a Kerry rally,

I ran into these freaks. I asked them, since they are so pro-baby, what about the children and babies of Iraq that we keep blowing into smithereens? They literally had no answer so I called them what they were, a bunch of racists. Right to their faces. No response.

Fuck. Them. All.

[shenmue]

9. I see those people from time to time

One day I'm going to make a sign that says, "What have you got against miscarriages?"

I would just keep going past them if I were you. :)

[dembotoz]

10. i always prefer the one finger salute

Done high out my opened drivers side window.
Sometimes it is nice to have a car with an automatic tranny.
Arm does get tired in a traffic jam though.

[EnviroBat]

16. When they approach the car,,,

whip the dor open really fast, and crack them in the skull with it. You can feign an accident. "Oh geeze! I'm sooo sorry! I see you're bleeding... You'd better put some ice on that..."

[Ishoutandscream2]

17. I'm sure they'll be consistent and protest the war also

Yes, big time sarcasm.

[semillama]

18. I was downtown today myself

Did you pass by the courthouse? If you did and noticed a guy in a neon green shirt in the fenced off parking lot where the new county courthouse is going up, that was me.

A couple things I noticed about those lunatics:

1. If you are reduced to shocking images to support your argument, it means you can't win your argument using rational logic.

2. They always show a fetus with a dime for scale - what sort of message does that send to the young children? "Hey Kids! if you place your aborted fetus under your pillow at night, the Abortion Fairy will leave you a shiny new dime!"

[EnviroBat]

20. That's a little sick, but funny as hell!

:rofl:

[SallyMander]

21. LOL!

That's sick, man... but i'm laughing really hard.

I wasn't downtown -- just drove from the Short North to Clintonville. Are you working at the courthouse site?

[semillama]

26. I was monitoring some archaeological testing yesterday.

So I was only there for the morning.

[stevedz313]

27. .

.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

28. Never forget the day my roommate got stopped by a anti-choice nut in Boston

Nut: "Have you accepted Jesus as your personal savior?????"

Roommate: "My personal savior will feast on your soul at Judgement Day."

[goodgd_yall]

30. Confront in whatever way feels safe

I once shouted out my car window "mind your own business!" You can't expect to change their minds, so I think giving them a counterpunch in any manner is the best way to go.