I don't usually respond to articles on the web because I tend to see little value in this user-generated content. Anyone who frequents comment sections is well aware of the knee-jerk posts and lack of critical thinking to be found. But in this instance, I felt compelled to respond because Ms. Chandler's article presented her individual perspective but she tried to frame it as the experience of most "pro-life" people in attendance who were in fear of the bad people in orange.
I see a real danger when one in a crowd starts to speak for that crowd based on his or her beliefs or perspectives. By way of comparison to the bad experiences she claimed to have, I brought up Pastor Jeffress' comments at the "anti-abortion" rally on July 8th:
"I say this to you tonight by the authority of the word of god: Anyone who opposes this bill, whether he or she realizes it, is a tool of satan being used by satan..."The scary thing about that statement is that Jeffress does speak for the "pro-life" faction; he is a recognized community leader among these folks and he is intolerant and hateful in his rhetoric. To substantiate this claim, he mentions the stupid actions of a few pro-choice people who mockingly chanted "hail satan" to a group of anti-choice protesters. But they doesn't speak for all of us; I couldn't tell you any of their names. That behavior is hardly on the same level as Pastor Jeffress' fear-mongering comments to a public rally with a microphone who claims to speak for god.
My comment in response to Ms. Chandler's article is below:
I don't doubt the perspective of your experience, but it was only YOUR experience. You can't really speak for all "pro-life" people who were there and you make no mention of speaking to or with "pro-aborts" (as you call them). Because if you had, you would know the people wearing orange shirts are not pro-abortion; we are pro-education, pro-women's health and pro-preventing-the-need-for-abortions: all things that for some reason are ignored and defunded by many of the GOP members of the Texas Legislature. How do I know this? Because I'm a Texas woman living through it.
I didn't witness one violent incident, one attack, one threat going in either direction. Everything I witnessed on multiple days at the Capitol were peaceful demonstrations of two very differing beliefs. One side is fighting for women's civil rights while the other is mainly fighting against abortion. I'm sorry you felt scared, threatened or fearful, but I think that's worth looking at; what made you feel that way? You were told by others you might get hurt? People warned you about the bad people in orange? That's called fear-mongering. What bad, terrible things actually happened to you because I don't see that in your article.
I'll tell you what I saw: not one "blue" person offered food or water to anyone other than other blue people. I watched this over and over during the seven hours I waited in line for the senate gallery. Towards the end, I started talking with several of the women in blue standing in front and behind me and while we disagree on this issue, everyone was nice and friendly and I hope realizes that being a citizen in Texas and the US extends beyond this hot-button issue (which by the way is being used by Republicans to get re-elected—not to improve women's health as claimed).
The other thing I witnessed was fierce hate-monger at the "pro-life" rally on the previous Monday where Pastor Jeffress of Dallas referred to those there in legal opposition to his beliefs as "tools of satan." That doesn't sound very nice! My point is, if you look hard enough and believe hard enough, you'll see what you want to see. I could use the logic you did to assume all "pro-lifers" are crazy people from Dallas and that I should watch my back if I go there wearing orange. But what I saw on both sides were passionate folks who wanted to be heard, and the lies you were told.
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