Why do some get angry when they see people opposing abortion?
Yesterday, a (Pro-Life) Life Chain event took place in numerous cities across the U.S. I attended the one in Bloomington, IN. You can see a some amateur video below. I wish I had video to show you of the various responses from the public, walking or driving by. Most folks just stare blankly while some (more than I expected) actually honk or give a ‘thumbs up’ in approval. The ones you remember are the angry ones. It’s easy to exaggerate the number because they are so dramatic. These people show violent anger in their face and body, shouting expletives.
After the event, I guessed correctly that I could find some of this anger on Twitter. Here are some examples:
There’s a massive anti abortion protest happening along 104th ave, just outside our condo. So gross..even small children are doing it.
— shaleen g (@ShaleenG) October 4, 2015
horrified seeing so many people at an anti-abortion protest (including children)
— Sage Petrone (@sage_petrone) October 4, 2015
Today started out unbelievably terribly. Thankfully, an abortion protest happened near me and I got to scream obscenities and flip them off
— CW Cooke (@CWCookeComix) October 4, 2015
I’ll spare you the more graphic ones. (These Tweets are not from Bloomington necessarily.)
I asked Jared and Lisa Cochran, about this anger and especially why seeing children angers some people. This is Jared’s response,
When a father and mother have neglected to stand up for the fatherless in our community for 37 years, it is helpful for the children to actually see and experience repentance, not just talk about it. I’d say the folks that get angry that we take our kids out to protest are both proud and filled with guilt because the faces of these children remind them of the evil of abortion.
Lisa responded,
It is easier for someone to hate a man holding a sign saying “Abortion kills babies”, than it is for someone to hate a little 6yr. old girl for holding the same sign. (Ironically, even though the “angry people” are advocating for the murder of children).
I think God uses children as a means to convict and perhaps even soften the hearts of others….for these “angry people” seeing these little faces cuts to the heart. They may act appalled at the fact that parents have the nerve to bring their children to an abortion protest….but it’s because these children are causing them to feel guilty about something they feel so strongly about. They start to second guess their views, even if just for a moment, and it infuriates them.
We have seen our children mourn and cry over these babies…..abortion is a painful reality, and I would rather our children experience the pain of grief over the lost lives of these little ones than to be cold, desensitized, and hardened against this evil. – Lisa
It’s interesting to note that even according to liberal sources (polls) “Most Americans would favor sweeping new national restrictions on abortion after the 20th week of pregnancy, according to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll.”