Photos From West Coast March For Life

[Lil Red]

Every year, a mysterious photographer, who goes by the name "Zombie", photographs the West Coast March for Life. Zombie describes himself as moderately pro-choice. Here are his photos from this year: http://pjmedia.com/zombie/2013/01/30/walk-for-life-vs-roe-v-wade-birthday-party-abortion-showdown-sf/

 

Before the walk, the pro-choice side was doing some "surprise" flashmob with weird dances, and this is what he had to say:

It was right around here that the absurdity and grotesquerie of what I was witnessing really began to sink in. Whatever side of the issue you’re on, abortion is a very serious and heart-rending subject, and to “celebrate” the 40th anniversary of legalized abortion with joyous dances suddenly seemed like the height of poor taste.

 

...........

 

As the performances were wrapping up, the more hardcore pro-abortion groups started handing out these flyers, encouraging everyone to go confront the Walk for Life directly. I thought the flyers were a bit unnecessary, because wasn’t this whole dance performance thing just a prelude to the big looming confrontatition against the pro-life march, which was due to show up any minute? Isn’t that the real reason why we’re all here?

 

But no! I was shocked to watch as, after the final cult prayer, everyone just got up and started wandering off home. The organizers had gathered 1,000 activists together and filled them with righteous pro-choice energy, and rather than using that energy to perhaps win some converts from the pro-life side or at least neutralize the opposing protest, instead the event was called to an end and everyone was dismissed, completely dissipating the energy and losing a huge opportunity.

It dawned on me that the pro-choice side had no interest in confronting the pro-life side — in fact, they wanted to do everything they could to avoid the pro-life side, because the wishy-washy left does not like to have its narratives challenged. We all knew from previous Walks for Life, in which the two sides did come into direct contact, that the pro-choice side came off looking mean-spirited and frivolous, while the pro-life side didn’t conform to stereotypes and instead were silent, high-minded and powerful seeming. Also despite the overly optimistic titles like “One Billion Rising,” the pro-choice side probably knew they were going to be badly outnumbered, so they instead chose to skip town before any direct head-count comparisons could be made. But by fleeing, the pro-choicers just ended up seeming narcissistic and risk-avoidant.

 

Then after he takes pictures of the pro-choice side:

At this point I scampered over to the Civic Center to see how the real Walk for Life was shaping up.

Oh. My. God.

        

Seriously, I was not prepared for the size of the crowd. I had asked a
policeman preparing the route along Market Street about the size of the
protest, and he said it was “the biggest I’ve ever seen.”

 

I encourage you to go see all the photos (warning: some might be disturbing/graphic/violent).

Edited January 30, 2013 by Lil Red

[Lil Red]

And his ending quote:

 

We started the day with the pro-choice dancers trying to win the
culture war by harnessing the hormonal power of female adolescence; but
the pro-life crowd one-upped them with wholesome adolescent estrogen energy. Touché!

The march continued all the way to the Embarcadero, essentially without further incident.

Were any minds changed? Hard to say. But the pro-lifers once again
vastly outnumbered their opponents even on the pro-choice “home turf.”
And while the day’s pro-choice narrative was muddled, scattershot and
occasionally hypocritical, the pro-lifers kept a unified and morally
consistent message. In the end, neither side openly acknowledged what I
think this battle is actually all about — whether or not we should
encourage casual sex so as to undermine the nuclear family, or discourage casual sex to affirm the nuclear family — but the pro-life crowd came closest to being honest about their goals.

[PhuturePriest]

There are so many wrong things with what that woman in the video was saying I don't even know where to start. :blink:

[dUSt]

Cool.

[Anastasia13]

For a moderately pro-choice reporter, I am impressed with what he apparently had to say about pro-life people.  As a whole, they are a more impressive bunch on this issue.

[MissyP89]

Seriously thorough coverage here. Great work.

[brianthephysicist]

Awesome stuff here.

[BG45]

This was an amazing four pages, from the very mixed messages to the very end.  I also liked how the author contrasted on the first page, how literal Communists are allowed at pro-choice rallies and the media doesn't bat an eye, but if a Neo Nazi showed up at a conservative rally, they'd be on it like a pack of wild dogs.

 

Edit:  Also the google ad on the side of page two for me was from Roadkill tee shirts with a zoned out girl laying there smiling as her shirt reads, "I used to care...I take a pill for that now."

Edited January 31, 2013 by BG45

[AnneLine]

Very well done coverage. 

I was there, and I think Zombie did a very good job of trying to be faithful in reporting what the zombie saw.

 

I can't speak for everyone who was new this year, but I know I felt a strong 'call' from God to be there... and my bet is I was not alone.  That would match with the comments of that police officer that he had never seen so many people at the previous marches.  It also matches with Zombie's comments about the calmness and gentleness of the marchers  in contrast to the almost frenzied hatred of the pro-choicers.  Radically different 'feel' to the two groups...even Zombie noticed that.

 

Very intense and Spirit-filled day....