Fake Funeral Procession For Aborted Fetuses Not Women Who Died From Forced Pregnancy
For some convoluted reason, a local pastor has gotten permission to have a fake funeral procession the day before Mother’s Day here in Knoxville, to “mourn” abortions.
Anti-abortion organizers say they’re hoping for as many as 500 vehicles, including up to 30 hearses, to join in a symbolic funeral procession through downtown Knoxville on the day before Mother’s Day to mourn thousands of local abortions in the last year.
Billed as a “procession of healing,” the event is intended to eschew the legal arguments surrounding the polarizing issue and focus instead on a message of mercy, said Aaron Jones, an associate pastor with Knoxville’s Trinity Chapel, one of several local churches and funeral homes expected to participate.
“We’re trying our best to disarm the politics involved,” Jones said. “Because it’s such a controversial thing … we’re trying to extend mercy, healing and restoration, reconciliation.”
Never do you see the crosses and funeral processions for the WOMEN that DIED from forced pregnancies (coerced through legislation and/or misinformation or lack of abortion providers). Never do you see crosses and funeral processions for the mothers and infants that die from their mother’s lack of adequate health care.
While the Rev. Aaron Jones tries to tell you that this fake funeral is not political, it very much is political, as some in the state would like to see an outright ban on abortion (aka SJR127)
OPPOSE - SJR127 - Proposed Constitutional Amendment: Relative to the right to privacy and abortion. Although SJR127 was defeated in a House subcommittee, it is expected to come up at least once more during the session in an effort to pull the resolution directly to the House floor from the subcommittee for a vote. Please contact legislators asking that they oppose bypassing the House rules and oppose bringing SJR127 to the floor.
It’s not enough that Knoxville will be subjected to a fake funeral procession, closing off downtown, but Knoxvillians will be subjected to the “message” that women should be forced to carry unwanted, or unhealthy pregnancies to term, because the unborn are more important, via billboards.
Trinity Chapel and other involved churches also are purchasing several local billboard displays to be unveiled ahead of the event to promote positive messages and urge alternatives such as adoption.
Perhaps Trinity Chapel and other churches, as well as the funeral directors (especially Leigh Chagnon who is quoted in the article as saying women never get over abortion) should actually do their research on the issue. Not all women are sorry they had an abortion. Whether or not you agree, the majority of women have very pragmatic reasons for having an abortion.
Furthermore, Rev. Jones and Trinity Chapel (as well as the other churches and funeral homes involved in this travesty) overlooks some of the flaws in the abortion v adoption debate, one of those reasons being that adoption is not as emotionally hard on the mother as abortion — you cannot tell me that carrying a fetus for 9 months, then terminating your parental rights, and then wondering if said child will eventually hunt you down is not emotionally draining. Some may feel that this is better for the child, but what of the child that feels this “noble” act was nothing more than a 9-month long abortion?
What should have happened is that women who died from pregnancy should be honored on Mother’s Day. It’s a damn shame that these people refuse to help the living.
edited for clarityFiled under: Civil Rights, Feminism, Humanism, Reproductive Health | Tagged: abortion, funeral procession, Knoxville, SJR127, Tennessee
Billed as a “procession of healing,”
Uh, no. Let me be the first to call bullshit on that one. It sounds divisive, political, hurtful and anything BUT “healing.”
Yup, I find it extremely political and extremely condescending. I also wonder if pro-choicers would be able to bypass the parade permit as Trinity Chapel did?
Sounds like you have a great idea for a counter-protest: a funeral procession for the victims of *not* being able to get an abortion.
It could be done online, with stats and images for how many women worldwide die annually of ectopic pregnancies, how many other women die of preventable complications of pregnancy, children born with debilitating/fatal birth defects (and huge stacks of money to represent the cost of their care), women impregnanted against their will via rape, the financial and societal cost of teen pregnancy in states with parental consent laws, the list goes on. If we were able to get enough bloggers on board, each could take one sub-topic and turn it into a “parade” by cross linking to one another’s posts. Maybe get the BlogHer crowd on board?
I don’t know what disturbs me more - the large number of people who make the banning of all abortions their #1 goal in life, or the even larger numbers of people who apparently don’t find anything offensive about their behavior.
I just saw your post, Shortwoman. I’d be happy to join in.
[...] Crone” is writing about an upcoming event in Knoxville: For some convoluted reason, a local pastor has gotten permission to [...]
ShortWoman, that’s a fabulous idea. Do we have enough time to make it work?
Rev. Jones ever have a march on behalf of the 4000+ late term abortions he and his ilk performed on our troops?
Nevermind, I know the answer.
I think so. Step one, we announce. Mothers Day works for me and gives us a few weeks for research where necessary. Step two we email or comment every pro-choice blogger we can think of. My comments are moderated, so people can send contact info to my comments and I won’t publish them, just get them more info. Anybody care to work on a more complete topic list?
Anybody care to work on a more complete topic list?
It would be nice to have state-by-state stats.
Captainkona — did you really think this group cared about the living?
[...] the ArchCrone at the head of a parade. This parade is a protest to another procession, that one a publicity stunt designed to bring attention to the babies fetuses and embryos killed involved in a terminated [...]
[...] the ArchCrone at the head of a parade. This parade is a protest to another procession, that one a publicity stunt designed to bring attention to the babies fetuses and embryos killed involved in a terminated [...]
[...] event from the Fetus People takes place in Knoxville, the day before Mother’s Day, with a Fake Funeral procession for aborted fetuses. Help us get out factual information on maternal mortality by joining the [...]