Last night.
A demonstration by members of various ‘Pro-Life’ groups outside Leinster House calling for ‘fair coverage’ in media reporting of the abortion debate.
(Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland)
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Everything. As It Happens.
Love the second photograph of the five people, who as a group, thought it was a good idea to wear bandanas and carry candles. Oh and a sign criticising groupthink.
What is with the bandanas? Are they like pro-life bloods or something?
Would like to know where those bandanas came from… handed out by organiser for the photo to make the kids seem hippy and independent?
Kids will protest anything for a funky bandana
… which actually has the effect of dating the organisers; if they think that bandannas are in anyway ‘youth culture’, they can’t be under 60.
surely “pro life no bloods”?
Surely ‘ Mental Crips’
Gangs of (the) New Testament?
They’ll pop a cap in your ass (unless youre carrying a fetal abnormality)
I don’t see any bananas
We have no bandanas to-day…
and not even the slightest hint of irony in carrying those signs…
Enough with the snide ‘quotes’ bodger. It’s fair enough not to agree with them, but calling them “Pro-life” instead of Pro-life as if their agenda doesn’t actually exist is childish.
If their agenda involves saving babies souls to get into heaven then it should be mocked at every opportunity.
How did you come to the conclusion that their agenda involves babies’ souls or heaven?
you ask alot of pointless questions Paolo
You give a lot of useless answers
That wasn’t an answer.
You are the answer to a question no one could be bothered to ask.
As childish as the “pro life” side instance on never referring to the pro choice side as that?
I’m sure they’re just being affectionate when they refer to the prochoice camp as “proabort” and “murderesses”
This is an excuse to drop to their level then Karl?
You’re seeing excuses. I’m seeing the lie of their organisation name being called out for the profane a lie that it is. They’re hardly pro life when they have no problem women dying because they don’t want abortion allowed here.
“..they have no problem women dying because they don’t want abortion allowed here.”
As gross a misrepresentation as saying pro-choice people have no problem killing babies.
Yeah, Karl, somewhat over the top with that one.
Spot on Karl, and you could have gone further.
It’s in quotes because “pro-life” is a propaganda term. Anti-choice is more accurate. Pro-choice, anti-choice.
+1
+1 +1
No life and no choice.
You’re “correct”
Isn’t Pro Life as much a propaganda term as Pro Choice?
No, it’s more so, because the pro-choice side could just as easily have used the line ‘pro-life’ term in taking the view that the woman’s life is first.
The can also be called ‘abortion-huggers’.
I actually agree with you but taking the devil’s advocate role, they’d say pro-choice is actually anti-choice for the other person/foetus/whatever.
They’re both ridiculous labels to be honest, and I’m of the opinion that there are dozens of different viewpoints within each side.
No. These people may have taken the name ‘pro-life’ for themselves but to some of us, the ‘pro-life’ label is a nonsense. If Bodger takes that view, then his point, his use of ‘quotes’, is perfectly valid.
To some people the term ‘marriage equality’ is a nonsense. As is ‘feminism’ and water ‘protestors’.
It’s just being deliberately offensive and for a website that has pretensions to journalism when it grows up, its childish.
This also more or less proves that Bodger is a handy nom-de-plume for the contributors to use. So much for accountability.
Have you got your head round an exhaust pipe Rotide?
All I’m reading there is a load of muffled waffle
So you prefer the Churchthink on your vagina young ladies?
“if you disagree with me you are wrong”
The broadsheet subtitle.
‘Diary, I was disgusted today when the website with the pro-choice agenda published another sarcastic post about pro-lifers. I must stop frequenting it as I cannot truly believe that my mewling comments will ever change their point of view, as I have neither the charisma or dress-sense of Qui Gon Jinn nor the sexual virility of Capt. James T Kirk. Some days I wish God would just beam me up. sadface’
Broadsheet should really give you a job, Mani. you funny b*stard
Leave Scarlet out of this.
Mani’s tedious love affair with his ‘hilaire’ undergraduate purple prose never fails to put my teeth on edge.
That’s a good idea. I think we should have a weekly post from Mani. Perhaps ‘Mani’s take on comments of the week’.
Bodger? Chompsky? Whoever?
I’ve got a lot of really extreme right wing views that I’ve been looking to express for a long time now, ever since Liveline barred me.
We just need to know what your thoughts are on THE GAYS, please.
Not permitted to use ‘mewling’.
I had to google ‘mewling’
I cried querulously after realising my poor vocabulary :'(
you mewling quim.
“sadface”
lolz
Touche Mani, but don’t be afraid to give an opinion.
I am pro-choice and anti-life.
You forgot the quotes.
At frist glance their argument appears to be nonsense.
From RTÉ: “The 33 pro-choice articles and the one pro-life article that appeared in national papers in the space of a fortnight recently could have been any fortnight that the abortion issue is in the news. It just happens that a particular fortnight last December was chosen to gauge the extent of the bias.”
A Pro Life campaign spokesperson said the dates that were reviewed were 18-30 December. On 18 December last it was revealed legal advice was being sought by health authorities regarding a young pregnant woman who had been declared clinically brain dead.
So they just happened to pick a fortnight when a massive legal case around a young pregnant woman on life support was one of the major news stories to count the number of articles on abortion and compare the pro and anti articles? And based on this research conducted at a time when there was a groundswell of opinion (popular and medical) that the family should be allowed let the young woman die they determined that the media is biased in favour of choice.
They are devious and disingenuous little mites alright
So, they would have preferred that the woman’s body be used as an incubator then, is that it?
Add to that, that the Iona Institute and their ilk were very much hiding and not speaking out through out that two weeks because they knew, IMO, that they would be wrong, morally and ethically to pursue their women hating agenda.
Remember too, that Bishop Diarmuid Martin also said that using the woman’s body as an incubator was wrong. Yet these people still remained quiet.
Anti-choice scum.
So the Archbishop said using the woman as an incubator was wrong which, presumably, hamstrung Iona’s usual campaign thus reducing the number of anti-abortion articles thus skewing the ratio thus giving them a lovely statistic as the foundation of their media bias claim.
If not for this protest would abortion even be in the news this week?
Something like that. When Diarmuid came out and said it was wrong, it would’ve put an end to any further comment from them, IMO.
In case there’s any confusion, I’m agreeing with you Clampers.
That opening “So” was a “so here’s what happened” so rather than a “so this is what you’re claiming” so.
Just so you know.
I picked up on that, but thanks for clarifying Repro!
Freaks.
Too generous
It lessens your argument immediately if you start calling them freaks.
Even if they are, like.
Birneybau2, I’m almost certain, was being facetious. Parodying some other commenters I reckon.
Ah Jaysus. I look like a gobdaw now.
AGAIN.
Wouldn’t fair coverage mean the pro-choice would be getting a lot more coverage, as the media is fairly dominated by pro-life groups and has always been biased towards them.
There must be some kind of inverted spotlight effect going on here. To me, a “pro-the-life-of-people-who-you-know-are-alive-and-are-people-and-not-embryos-lifer”, everytime I see one of the Iona institute cabal on telly, it feels like they have taken over the entire scheduling for the whole evening. Their views burned into my retina like a bad Sunday sermon.
Do they want less of those people on the telly? Sign me up.
Is “Groupthink” the same as “majority opinion”?
I’ve never really understood that one.
They seem to think anyone pro-choice is being brain-washed by pinko leftie commie feminazis whereas they are allowed to have their own ideas about these things, provided they occur within church doctrine
‘Groupthink’ – It’s the same line that wackos like those behind ‘Irish Voice’ use when decrying the fact that most people don’t support the deportation of everyone without red hair and freckles.
Interesting. The term group think was initially usedt by the left to describe the status quo.
Poor old george would be uncomfortable with this.
It’s what one direction shout when they need to make a decision.
youre on fire today
A bit like how people think that pro-life people are all religious fanatics influenced only by the catholic church. It’s an easy generalisation.
Groupthink exists, it happens when like-minded people, elites or under-represented, get together and listen to their own opinions, at the exclusion of all others.
I have yet to evidence otherwise
You’re describing a scenario where people of similar opinions happen to agree.
The term “Groupthink” suggests a more sinister brain-washing element..
I disagree entirely Hank. One of the worrying thing about Groupthink – wherever it arises – is how it’s often quite passive. No one is really brain-washing anyone, it’s just not enough people in the group say – “hold on, maybe there’s a different point of view on this.”
You’re pretty much describing an echo chamber. BS is one too, it’s very difficult to get out if it, and very hard to see through it when you’re part of one.
The pandemic of abortions is a direct result of formication said the deputy
I had 5 abortions on the way to work sher
I too commit abortions every day, just this morning I aborted a left turn as the lights turned red.
How dare you!! What if everyone aborted their left turns?? Then we’d be a country of reverse Zoolanders, right turning circles around each other like idiots.
*snort*
Was this just against RTE?
Man, I am getting old. It looks to me like everyone in those picture is under 18, I’m almost certain they’re not – not that their age should invalidate their point of view. What should invalidate their point of view is they are misrepresenting facts.
How much does an independent media study cost these days anyhow?
All virgins as well – scientifically proven
Explain.
Quick! get the young people up the front for the photo op!
Genuine question; is being pro life inextricably linked with being a religious fanatic? Is there any such thing as a pro life atheist?
There is.
Also, things are not as binary as: religious fanatic – atheist
+1
I wouldn’t even think you would have to use the word fanatic. Just religious. I know plenty of people who barely bother going to mass but would still term themselves Catholic and who would be pro-lifers.
Sorry: I’m have no idea of the answer to your question. I’m just broadening the parameters a bit.
Fair point..
A quick google says there’s at least one http://www.prolifehumanists.org/
Interesting. They equate abortion with racism, sexism and ableism. I’m not even sure what the third thing is.
Aborting foetuses that would be born with disabilities, like Down’s etc
Ableism is broader than that, I think
Yes but probably not in the context of abortion
i’ve met one or two. they are a little less rabid and more uncomfortable with the whole thing.
I’d imagine the vast majority of pro-lifers are not religious fanatics. Religious maybe, but nowhere near fanatics.
There are plenty of pro life atheists.
That maybe so but the main proponents and “leaders” of the “pro-life” movement are anything but your average man and woman on the street, religious or not. These are hardline (over-archingly religious) ideologues, such as Niamh Ni Bhriain at Youth Defence or Cora Sherlock (born into a very determined Louth religious family) many of whom are the offspring of those involved with the Queen of Religious Fanaticism Mena Bean Ui Chribin. Not matter how one wishes to dress it up, those leading the cause for a rigid stance on abortion in our laws are the very antithesis of balanced, secular, non-polemical and tolerant.
Anybody younger than 50 seems to have been herded to the front for the photo op, while Old Ireland mans the flanks and brings up the rear.
This. I think Rabble had a pic or two from the back of the crowd. Not a person under 60 in sight..
^^You see, this is Groupthink. “Only old people are pro-life”
So wait, by your logic: Groupthink = Reality?
Im sold!
You don’t even see it do you?
See what? Explain for me, oh enlightened one
Assuming that what you believe is reality (or more to the point, a complete overview of reality) because it’s what your immediate experience (your group) tells you it is, that’s Groupthink.
What group would that be? Im currently sitting alone with head phones on so that point is irrelevant if youre trying to say im biased. If youre referring to the “Pro-Life” side following the word of their lord a.k.a. J.C. the sky ghost, then you may be onto something.
But what voices are you hearing through the headphones, Jimmy? Eh? Answer that…
Have a listen…
https://soundcloud.com/djshadow/
Give me the pro choice floozies over the pro life virgins any day!
Ah Jaysus
I love me bandanas
I’ve a red n’white that’s going since the ’88 1st replay
navy, burgundy, black, green wi’ white ones too around the house
Ück ’em anyway
The color of the one hanging out of your back pocket depends on what mood you’re in, eh?
Ha. But nah.
Since I’ve now had’ta think about them I can confirm that the burgundy and the green ones are usually around the hair
The others are neck wrappers slash chins camouflage
Maybe tis now harm for the tight ass holy marys to know they share bandana wearing with a pro choice fat assed debauched way beyond regret or salvation liberal
Partial to the auld bandana myself. In Breffni blue of course.
Lolz those bandannas are a joy.
“Connect us wit de young folk…like your fella Axle from the showband”
What happened your parents?
Is it me or do all the girls in the picture look like
A. good old cailíns from irish American families.
B. Mary from the dairy who’ve yet to have any sort of interaction with a male person?