My experience at an Abortion Clinic - this is not a sad story - it's how I "got" them

[Mira]

I just saw the u-tube video of Philip Wood, whose wife had an abortion performed by Dr. Tiller because of a pregnancy with twins who were not viable, and who were also endangering her life. The doctor handed the babies to the father, wrapped in blankets, and he baptized them.
It made my eyes well up, and I sat stunned.

Then I remembered a long time ago story. I was raising my 8 year old son as a divorced mother, along with an adopted daughter I had taken out of an orphage. It was the time when RU 486, the morning after pill from France was so heavily criticized in the US. I was in NC, the state where Jesse Helms made many of us very embarrassed and it was the heyday of Senator NO, his apt nickname.

I'm in the business of making signs and bumper stickers, and this was before Bush and the time when my craft really took off all over my vehicle.

At that time, all I had made is a large sticker on the tailgate of my truck;
RU 486? 10-4!

Very close to home, one mile away, was an abortion clinic in a small shopping center that also housed a barber shop/hairdresser. I was too crazy busy to have my own hair cutter, and got it done wherever I was when I realized it needed it.
I veered into the center and got my hair cut, and it was Thursday. Thursday is when the abortions happened, and when the people were protesting with signs and photos of fetuses.
When I stopped and went in they were not there, and when I came out they were completely blocking my car.

Lots of them.

I remember approaching slowly.
I remember thinking my jig just may be up.
Then I rallied, and very loud, said something along the lines of:

I'm glad you are here, because I think we need a little talk.
Of all of you, who are here to protest the abortion of unwanted children which one of you has ever taken one in and raised it?
Which one of you, in your household, has a child that has been born to a parent who did not want to raise it and love it, and you took over?
All of you who did this, step over here with me, and maybe we can convince some of the others to do so as well.

When nobody joined me I said "Let me through, my kids are at home, and they are hungry".
I drove off without anyone even stepping in my way.

There is such a thing as unconscious competence. It kicks in when you think and study and live things in ways that are compatible with your belief system.
Unconscious competence saved my butt that day.
These people are very dangerous.

[liberalmuse]

1. You've got some brass ovaries.

Great story! :applause:

[babylonsister]

2. You used common sense, something that no one in this

24/7 media world, depending on who they listen to, cares about.

But throw the truth at them? It can work, and brava to you for making it work.

And yes, they've proved to be dangerous.

[havocmom]

3. "Unconscious competence" Prefect term. Thank you.

I have witnessed and experienced it but never had a name for the gift.

Walking the walk has its benefits, doesn't it? The bullies, blowhards and delusional are defenseless against those who walk the walk.

[Mira]

5. I was a little nervous calling it that, but, real is real. We all have our strengths,

and not losing it under pressure is one of mine, along with a voice of "pretend" power.
I'm grateful I survived this without being mauled, especially since I am of average height and size, and had to pull out a stiff spine.

Unconscious competence to me is what kicks in exactly when you need it, if in your mind you have been "walking the walk" as you call it, and you have kept your thoughts clean and on target.
Your thoughts turn into tangibles, and from that you can operate. Thanks for understanding.

[wolfgangmo]

29. Unconscious competence comes from a taxonomy of competence.

the 4 steps are

Unconscious incompetence - where you are drooling idiot at something and you don't even realize it. This is also sometimes known as the republican stage.
Conscious incompetence - where you realize that you suck at something. This is hopefully a short stage.
Conscious competence - this is a long hard stage where you spend time, energy and sweat learning something so well that you are good at it. Think college or trade school.
Unconscious competence - this is where you are so good you don't even have to think in order to do something like an expert. Think Bruce Lee.

I hope this helps.

[SeattleGirl]

4. Good for you, Mira!

I did something similar on the 10th anniversary of Roe v Wade. The editor of the newspaper at the college I was attending wrote an op-ed piece that was very anti-abortion. His last line, after talking about adoption, etc., was, "After all, in 9 months, it's over."

I fired off a letter that was printed in the next edition, and said, "It is NOT over in 9 months. Even if a woman makes the decision to put her baby up for adoption, she will never ever forget that she carried that baby, and gave birth to it, and because of her circumstances, determined that the best thing for the child was to all another family to raise it. It is NOT over in 9 months! I would like to ask you, Mr. Editor, where is your compassion? You think women should carry their babies to term. Fine. Do you support access to prenatal care, even if the woman is poor and has no way to pay for it? Do you offer care and support to a young pregnant teen who may have no one else to turn to? DO YOU CARE? Or is it just easier for you and others like you to sit in judgment over women who's situations and circumstances you could not even fathom?"

That letter struck a cord. The day after it was published, donation bins for clothing for women and children popped up all over campus. Information was more readily available on the circumstances that some women find themselves in. It wasn't a lot, but it was more than was there before.

There is a "home for unwed mothers" in a town not far from where I live that I also donate to every year. It's a place for pregnant teen girls to go and live while they are pregnant. I've talked to a lot of these girls; they all chose not to have an abortion. This place provided a warm, safe place for them to live when the girls' families had turned their backs on them. They got good prenatal care, and they also got information on how to raise a child if they chose to keep it, and about adoption if that is what they chose. The people running it do not support abortion, but damnit, they DO support these young girls and their babies without judgment, and that's a lot more than many "pro-lifers" do.

[Mira]

6. What you did was heroic, though I bet it felt just natural. You made a large difference.

It is such a monstrous crime to support the rights of an unborn fetus, and then end that support at birth.
It's the exact opposite of "right to life".

[SeattleGirl]

7. That it is, Mira.

Those people aren't "pro-life", they're "pro-fetus", and that's all.

They should be ashamed.

[Deep13]

19. outstanding

:applause:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

31. I only have respect for these folks if they walk their talk

like the people running the home for those girls. I feel what they have done has earned them some respect, even though I totally disagree with them on abortion.

[SeattleGirl]

33. That's how I feel too. They are backing up their stance by offering

care and support to these girls, and that's why I can support THEM. I also don't agree with them on abortion, but given what they do, they do get a lot of kudos (and some bucks) from me.

[omega minimo]

8. Thanks Mira. Quick thinking. All of these personal stories are very powerful.

:yourock:

[JeffR]

9. K & R. This just confirms to me what a great soul you are

and so talented, as well.

The country, at this grim juncture, needs people like you. Without you, we're going to falter and die. With you, we have a chance.

[Mira]

10. Thanks - Alice Walker said: Activism is my rent for living on this planet!

[Maru Kitteh]

11. LOVE IT! Great post!

[Celebration]

12. Whew!!

Wonderful!!

Don't need a picture of that, because you painted it beautifully. I found myself visualizing the whole thing.

Thanks for posting.

[Qutzupalotl]

13. Can you make me a bumper sticker that says

RU 469 ?

K&R

[Mira]

14. Sure. If you're serious - I'll be glad to. PM me- other than that

if you're not, I'm still laughing.

[Geoff R. Casavant]

15. Reminds me of the gospel story

Jesus writing on the ground -- "whichever one is without sin may cast the first stone."

Well played.

[wolfgangmo]

30. You forgot the rest of the story.

Jesus said "let you who is without sin cast the first stone." There was a disturbance in the crowd as someone pushed to the front and then Jesus said, "Mom! Put down the rock."

[Deep13]

16. Excellent.

:yourock:

[Dangerously Amused]

17. They are all sooo sanctimonious... until it hits them in the pocketbook.

Then all of a sudden, morals become relative: "I don't want to have a child that I can't support, but I want YOU to have a child that you can't support. (And then I'll shame you for doing so.)"

Sick, stupid, selfish people.

[Ignis]

18. Beautifully done.

:patriot:

[bjobotts]

20. U could hand these people fish scales and call it an aborted fetus and they'd start praying and curs

[bjobotts]

21. Minless terrorists have god on their side too. They have no first hand knowledge but just assume

[bjobotts]

22. Screaming "baby killer" and "Murderer".Then when someone shoots them claim

[bjobotts]

23. U claim "We don't condone violence but...".Sorry but that makes you just as guilty

[DRoseDARs]

28. You know, you CAN edit your posts to add more text within a 30 minute time limit...

...instead of carrying on a conversation with yourself. ;-) :P

[femrap]

24. I actually think they are cowards and

only attack those who are unarmed....physically or mentally. When I waded thru the anti-choice crowd which was mostly male, one fat ass got right in my way. I told him if he didn't move, I'd cut off his dick here and now and I reached into my purse. He moved. I didn't have a knife, but I'm sick of these ignorant bullies.

[DRoseDARs]

25. That is EXACTLY what I've told people about my stance on abortion and on fellow "pro-lifers."

They're all hypocrites. If women are forced by law to carry to term, my fellow pro-lifers don't give a shit about what happens after birth. There are innumerable children already up for adoption as it is. What do you think will happen if abortion is outlawed? That's right, pro-lifers STILL won't care.

While personally I don't approve of abortion except for cases of rape, incest, and medical emergency (like the case of Mrs. Woods mentioned in the OP), I know goddamn well the realities of the issue are far larger than can be fit on a shallow bumpersticker or shameless bloody fetus poster. Until we as a society are willing to unequivocally provide every possible support mechanism to mothers-to-(may)be who are pondering abortion (which won't happen anytime soon ... likely never), abortion SHOULD REMAIN LEGAL as it may be the only option some of them have.

Of course, this is just one unwed man's opinion, so it doesn't really matter in the final equation. The choice is the mother's and father's; I would hope they make the decision together, but ultimately it is the woman's choice and I can live with that.

[Nikki Stone1]

26. Wow! Amazing story!

You're my hero today.

[Maat]

27. HaHa - good for you; I do this all of the time, too.

I 'dopted Beloved Daughter, through the county.

I always ask them, "What have you done to take care of the unwanted children in the world? I can put my cards on the table. I 'dopted one. How about you?"

It never has failed to shut them up.

[Mira]

32. They are very special, our "chosen" children. Thanks for

writing about yours.

[Maat]

40. Hug

:hug:

[pasto76]

34. you are a credit to this country.

[Mira]

36. WOW - that means a lot.

I got here at age 19 arriving all by myself from Europe, escaping an impoverished family, and I came on a coal freighter, I knew one family and had 40 bucks in my pocket.
Love both my country of origin (enough to visit as much as I can) and my chosen country (with huge passion).

[Kaleko]

37. Big, big hug, Mira.

I can relate... to all of it, especially standing up to violent bullies as a lone woman.

:hug:

[Mira]

38. I'm very happy to hear from you, Kaleko ! N/T

[pnwmom]

35. Wonderful story, Mira! n/t

[Wednesdays]

39. K&R

:kick:

[nightrain]

41. thank you for your story. Very inspiring.

[JerseygirlCT]

42. Nicely done nt

[BlancheSplanchnik]

43. You are a hero, Mira!

For some reason, it occurs to me that women's heroic acts rarely make it to public view nor become the subject of legend.......

Thank Good that we act heroically anyway.

[tooeyeten]

44. you're a gutsy woman

but today with these nuts and the proliferation of guns in the hands of these nuts, I would suggest not being so bold because you're accurate, they are dangerous, more dangerous than someone from the Middle East, they'll gun you down in your own church of worship.