Tuesday, October 14, 2008

All Those Voices Together

I’m in Nebraska now.

After just two weeks of protesters, the count has reached more than 350. It usually takes a full month for 300 protesters. They usually only come once or twice a week. It's amazing how quickly they add up when they come five to six days a week.

Today there were priests and mass intonations of the rosary. If the rosary were being prayed for some other purpose, I'd think, "How lovely that sounds -- all those voices together." But when they do it en masse outside the clinic, I worry about how intimidating the sound of all those voices at once can be. And I'm disappointed that a potentially beautiful prayer experience has been corrupted as a tool to frighten women.

Religion should be used as a way to lift people’s spirits. Unfortunately, these protesters use it to put people down.

I am Emily X.

I am Planned Parenthood

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Emily, I am sending all of my positive love and energy out to you. I praise you for your work! I have an idea... I am going to try and get a group of friends to help me here in Colorado... maybe you can use this where you go to. I am going to make a hugh tall, black banner, with a pole on each end, maybe one in the middle... and across it write, Thank God I living in America with a right to choose!! I am going to take a boombox with me and blare John Lennon's Imagine. I hope the song and my banner block those women from the horrible pictures and words of the protestors while they enter safely into your facility.

Jamie Colorado

Unknown said...

This was a really poignant post...you captured the hypocrisy of the situation very eloquently.

Unknown said...

I want to thank Emily X , all the wonderful people at planned parenthood and people who have donated!!!! Again thank you for fighting for us. We should always have a choice I wish the protesters would understand that!

Unknown said...

I just want to say thank you so much to Emily x, everyone who works and volunteers and to everyone who has made a donation to support Planned Parent Hood. I wish the protesters would understand that people should always have a choice.

Kelly said...

Interesting... I discussed this issue at my Religious Education class and I got my Sister (a Nun) to agree that the Rosary should not be used a weapon. There are SOME things we all can agree on. Although she is Pro-choice by reasons of her faith, there are some people that can see the "other" side although they are bound to their beliefs.

Samantha said...

where are you in nebraska?
i live in omaha, and i will come show my support.

Mom101 said...

This post really struck me. Thank you so much for your honest, your bravery, and your commitment to the health and lives of women.

This site is amazing.

Unknown said...

Just followed up on my pledge to support you as you encountered those 497 protesters and took the chance to catch up on your blog. I hope you know that your voice is stronger than all those individuals saying the Rosary put together. Thanks for continuing to make it heard.