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17 / 02 / 2012 - Precious Life respond to Belfast Telegraph columnist Fionola Meredith article - `Its time to cut out hysteria in debate on abortion here`
On Wednesday 15th February, Belfast Telegraph columnist Fionola Meredith wrote an article - "It's time to cut out hysteria in debate on abortion here"
Here is Precious Life's response..
Letters to the Editor
Belfast Telegraph
124-144 Royal Avenue
Belfast BT1 1DN
Northern Ireland
writeback@belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Dear Sir,
Your columnist Fionola Meredith claims “It’s time to cut out hysteria in debate on abortion here” but she then launches into another hysterical diatribe against Precious Life, while childishly refusing to actually mention the group by name.
As in her previous articles on the subject, Fionola criticises Precious Life for showing “foul pictures ..gruesome leaflets and ghastly images of aborted foetuses”. Once again, Fionola is inadvertently acknowledging that abortion is foul, gruesome and ghastly. It is the reality that these pictures portray that is foul, gruesome and ghastly.
She implies we are “narrow-minded” if we think showing such pictures will - in her own words - “stop someone from murdering the little baby inside them.” It is Fionola who is being narrowed-minded, when she is more concerned about us showing a picture of a murdered baby rather than the fact that baby in the picture was murdered.
And Fionola’s description of the images as“..effectively pornographic material” is very worrying if she sees anything sexual in these pictures.
She twice made cynical remarks about “prayer vigils” and “protests”. Precious Life hold both prayer vigil and protests. If Fionola is confused she welcome to join us for either to see the difference.
As usual, she brings up false accusations of harassment. I can only state once again that Precious Life do not harass anyone. Harassment is a serious crime and if there was any evidence of this crime being committed then the police would take action.
Fionola, however, gave us a back-handed compliment when she said Precious Life have “succeeded in shifting the entire discourse about reproductive rights on to moral grounds.” We are pleased that we have successful in showing the public that killing a baby in the womb is morally wrong and has nothing to do with so-called “reproductive rights”.
She describes our politicians as “disgraceful”, claiming “..they have let the women of this country down badly.” Our pro-life politicians should rather be congratulated for standing together in opposition to abortion for so many years. They have shown that they are genuinely concerned about equal rights and opportunities for women. but have not allowed themselves to be conned into accepting abortion as part of a ‘women’s rights package deal.’ They know that abortion has devastating effects on women’s physical and mental health, and is in fact an abuse and exploitation of vulnerable women cleverly disguised as a promotion of their rights.
Fionola thinks a “humane society” should allow abortion “in certain circumstances.” Killing an unborn child is never humane and there are no circumstances where abortion is medically necessary. Thankfully we live in a humane society in Northern Ireland where the law protects the unborn child and allows genuine medical treatment to save the pregnant mother if her life is in danger.
Fionola says she respects “people who are opposed to abortion..but who would never dream of attempting to foist their views on others.” She seems to be implying that people who are opposed to abortion should remain silent. Yet she doesn’t seem to have a problem with getting paid to foist her views in favour of abortion on the thousands of readers of the Belfast Telegraph.
She then makes the self-contradictory and morally baffling statement, “..I hate the idea of abortion. And yet I am pro-choice”. This is a cowardly position to take. The only reason for hating abortion is because it kills an unborn child. If it didn’t, then there’s no reason to hate it. But it does, so Fionola should not just hate the idea of a child being killed but she should oppose it and speak out against it, rather than attacking those of us who have the courage to do so.
If only Fionola could bring herself to be brave and write a big, honest article on abortion.
But it seems hypocrisy and hysteria are the twin watchwords when it comes to Fionola Meredith writing articles on abortion.
Yours sincerely,
BERNADETTE SMYTH
Director
Precious Life
See also : After Belfast Telegraph columnist Fionola Meredith criticises Precious Life for showing graphic images of abortion, the same newspaper publishes graphic image of bomb victim
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Here is Precious Life's response..
Letters to the Editor
Belfast Telegraph
124-144 Royal Avenue
Belfast BT1 1DN
Northern Ireland
writeback@belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Dear Sir,
Your columnist Fionola Meredith claims “It’s time to cut out hysteria in debate on abortion here” but she then launches into another hysterical diatribe against Precious Life, while childishly refusing to actually mention the group by name.
As in her previous articles on the subject, Fionola criticises Precious Life for showing “foul pictures ..gruesome leaflets and ghastly images of aborted foetuses”. Once again, Fionola is inadvertently acknowledging that abortion is foul, gruesome and ghastly. It is the reality that these pictures portray that is foul, gruesome and ghastly.
She implies we are “narrow-minded” if we think showing such pictures will - in her own words - “stop someone from murdering the little baby inside them.” It is Fionola who is being narrowed-minded, when she is more concerned about us showing a picture of a murdered baby rather than the fact that baby in the picture was murdered.
And Fionola’s description of the images as“..effectively pornographic material” is very worrying if she sees anything sexual in these pictures.
She twice made cynical remarks about “prayer vigils” and “protests”. Precious Life hold both prayer vigil and protests. If Fionola is confused she welcome to join us for either to see the difference.
As usual, she brings up false accusations of harassment. I can only state once again that Precious Life do not harass anyone. Harassment is a serious crime and if there was any evidence of this crime being committed then the police would take action.
Fionola, however, gave us a back-handed compliment when she said Precious Life have “succeeded in shifting the entire discourse about reproductive rights on to moral grounds.” We are pleased that we have successful in showing the public that killing a baby in the womb is morally wrong and has nothing to do with so-called “reproductive rights”.
She describes our politicians as “disgraceful”, claiming “..they have let the women of this country down badly.” Our pro-life politicians should rather be congratulated for standing together in opposition to abortion for so many years. They have shown that they are genuinely concerned about equal rights and opportunities for women. but have not allowed themselves to be conned into accepting abortion as part of a ‘women’s rights package deal.’ They know that abortion has devastating effects on women’s physical and mental health, and is in fact an abuse and exploitation of vulnerable women cleverly disguised as a promotion of their rights.
Fionola thinks a “humane society” should allow abortion “in certain circumstances.” Killing an unborn child is never humane and there are no circumstances where abortion is medically necessary. Thankfully we live in a humane society in Northern Ireland where the law protects the unborn child and allows genuine medical treatment to save the pregnant mother if her life is in danger.
Fionola says she respects “people who are opposed to abortion..but who would never dream of attempting to foist their views on others.” She seems to be implying that people who are opposed to abortion should remain silent. Yet she doesn’t seem to have a problem with getting paid to foist her views in favour of abortion on the thousands of readers of the Belfast Telegraph.
She then makes the self-contradictory and morally baffling statement, “..I hate the idea of abortion. And yet I am pro-choice”. This is a cowardly position to take. The only reason for hating abortion is because it kills an unborn child. If it didn’t, then there’s no reason to hate it. But it does, so Fionola should not just hate the idea of a child being killed but she should oppose it and speak out against it, rather than attacking those of us who have the courage to do so.
If only Fionola could bring herself to be brave and write a big, honest article on abortion.
But it seems hypocrisy and hysteria are the twin watchwords when it comes to Fionola Meredith writing articles on abortion.
Yours sincerely,
BERNADETTE SMYTH
Director
Precious Life
See also : After Belfast Telegraph columnist Fionola Meredith criticises Precious Life for showing graphic images of abortion, the same newspaper publishes graphic image of bomb victim