Showing Graphic Pictures of Abortion During the Super Bowl

[Ali]

While the Super Bowl commercial has become a mainstream staple of the game, viewers in some markets will be shown something new, commercials featuring bloody aborted babies.

Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue, is running for president. However, Terry is not running on the Republican ticket, but is running as a Democrat against Barack Obama.

Terry has already run political ads featuring graphic images of babies killed by abortion during the first and second trimester. The ads were part of a three day ad run in New Hampshire on WBIN. The ads consisted of four 30 second spots that ran in rotation that attacked Obama?s support of child killing by abortion.

Terry is also planning on purchasing similar ads in local markets during the Super Bowl.

While ads of this type have frequently been rejected by television agencies for their graphic content, Terry is using a loophole in federal election law that requires stations to run his ads.

FEC regulations require television stations to run ads by a political candidate within 45 days of an election. This means that primary states that fall within the 45 day window will have to run the graphic ads during the Super Bowl if he purchases the slots.

The campaign says they have ads ready to go in 40 markets, including Colorado. The first ad was purchased on Friday, January 6.

While Terry realizes he stands little chance of getting the Democratic nomination, he said he is running in order to give pro-life Catholics and evangelicals in the Democratic Party a choice during the primary season.

The difference between the candidates could not be more stark. Obama has 100 percent rating from militant pro-abortion group NARAL. While a state Senator in Illinois, Obama vetoed a bill that would require babies that survived an abortion be given medical treatment.

By contrast, while with Operation Rescue, Terry was arrested nearly 50 times and incarcerated nearly one full year for his defense of the unborn.

http://www.greeleygazette.com/press/?p=12823

Do you think it's appropriate or a smart political move to show graphic pictures of aborted fetuses during the Super Bowl?

[Whitney]

I don't really care other than that it is a misrepresentation of the vast majority of elective abortions (most occur very early on).

But I do think it will piss off a lot of parents who don't want their kids being subjective to graphic images while watching a football game.

[Ali]

I don't really care other than that it is a misrepresentation of the vast majority of elective abortions (most occur very early on).

But I do think it will piss off a lot of parents who don't want their kids being subjective to graphic images while watching a football game.

That's kind of what I was thinking too.  Which is why I think it's a poor choice if this person actually wants to get his message heard  (not to mention run for president, although I think even he knows what a joke that is.)

[DeterminedJuliet]

Of course abortions don't look pretty. Anything that comes out of a person's body isn't going to look very nice.  

I mean, Jeez, if I ripped a tooth out of my head and took a picture of it covered in blood with nerves and veins hanging out of it, that'd look pretty gross and would give a lot of people the willies. But it's not really an argument; it's pure politics: graphic image = visceral reaction = emotional reaction = political support.

[Asmodean]

Those fetuses, they would make good fish bait, doncha think? 

[Tank]

Show a covered nipple = World ends
Show an abortion is ok then?

[Sweetdeath]

Show a covered nipple = World ends
Show an abortion is ok then?

America is so fucking backwards.

Yeah, sure, let's demonise abortions, so more victims of rape and incest wont get it. It's like the woman  already suffers getting one. It is an extreme emotional trauma to most people, but it is still their body/theie choice!!
I am stick of ths republican smear fest.

[Sandra Craft]

Show a covered nipple = World ends
Show an abortion is ok then?

I think Randall Terry has seriously miscalculated delivering his message.

[Ali]

Show a covered nipple = World ends
Show an abortion is ok then?

I think Randall Terry has seriously miscalculated delivering his message.

Me too.  I think most people (even those that are pro-life) are going to object to this strategy of a) running what basically amounts to a fake campaign for the presidency so that he can take advantage of a loophole in the law and b) showing graphic and disturbing pictures during what most people consider to be a family friendly event.

I have really mixed feelings on abortions.  On one hand, I actually do believe that life starts at conception.  It's not some religious "godsaidso" thing, I just can't think of another time when a person becomes a person that doesn't seem really arbitrary.  I think about my son, and I think that he was always "him" - just a less developed form of "him".  But he's less developed now than he will be at 5 or 10 or 20, so development doesn't seem like a good judge of "personhood."  And the fact that he was a person just because I wanted him seems kind of arbitrary too.  How can someone else define personhood on the sheer basis of whether or not the person is wanted?  That's fucked up.

On the other hand, I realize this isn't a black and white issue, and that not everyone feels the same way about it as I do, and that there are other issues at play like a woman's right to choose what happens to her own body and make her own medical decisions.  And I think that if you are going to start trying to tell a woman what she should do in the case of an unwanted pregnancy, then you'd better be ready to put your money where your mouth is and support programs that help women and children such as universal healthcare.  So I think it's not up to me (or the government) to tell a woman what to do in that situation. Even though I am personally pretty anti-abortion (at least when it comes to myself) I still effing hate these pro-lifers that feel the need to display pictures of abortions at otherwise happy events.  The always show up to the Race for the Cure too.  Jerks.

[Sandra Craft]

So I think it's not up to me (or the government) to tell a woman what to do in that situation. Even though I am personally pretty anti-abortion (at least when it comes to myself) I still effing hate these pro-lifers that feel the need to display pictures of abortions at otherwise happy events. 

I snipped that only for brevity -- agree with everything you wrote.  Personally I believe that abortion is killing a human being -- that's it's a human being in the very earliest stages of life doesn't matter to me.  On the other hand, given the circumstances of two people and one body, I do think it's the mother's privilege to decide whether to continue a pregnancy, and that she's the only one who understands her situation well enough to make that call.  Neither the Government nor any religious group has any business dictating to her about it.  I do wish there were more support programs to make it easier for women to have children under difficult circumstances, but even if there were that wouldn't eliminate the mother's right to abortion.

[DeterminedJuliet]

Even though I am personally pretty anti-abortion (at least when it comes to myself) I still effing hate these pro-lifers that feel the need to display pictures of abortions at otherwise happy events.  The always show up to the Race for the Cure too.  Jerks.

Good Lordy, why do they show up at Race for the Cure? 

[Ali]

Even though I am personally pretty anti-abortion (at least when it comes to myself) I still effing hate these pro-lifers that feel the need to display pictures of abortions at otherwise happy events.  The always show up to the Race for the Cure too.  Jerks.

Good Lordy, why do they show up at Race for the Cure? 

Ready to be disgusted?  They park this huge van that has pictures of aborted fetuses by the overpass at the beginning of the race course so that everyone who walks by sees it, and then they stand along the course with signs that say things like "Abortion Causes Breast Cancer."  One year, I was walking next to a woman who was obviously a survivor (wearing the pink shirt) and she yelled something along the lines of "How dare you bring your negativity here." and the Pro-Lifer yelled back "How many abortions have you had, lady?"  The crowd surged at him and the police officers that have to stand by them and protect them had to physically intervene.  Bad news. 

They also stand at a really busy intersection here in Denver on most nice days.  Hubby and I have a long standing tradition of flipping them off as we drive by.  Taking the high road and all that.

[DeterminedJuliet]

Even though I am personally pretty anti-abortion (at least when it comes to myself) I still effing hate these pro-lifers that feel the need to display pictures of abortions at otherwise happy events.  The always show up to the Race for the Cure too.  Jerks.

Good Lordy, why do they show up at Race for the Cure? 

Ready to be disgusted?  They park this huge van that has pictures of aborted fetuses by the overpass at the beginning of the race course so that everyone who walks by sees it, and then they stand along the course with signs that say things like "Abortion Causes Breast Cancer."  One year, I was walking next to a woman who was obviously a survivor (wearing the pink shirt) and she yelled something along the lines of "How dare you bring your negativity here." and the Pro-Lifer yelled back "How many abortions have you had, lady?"  The crowd surged at him and the police officers that have to stand by them and protect them had to physically intervene.  Bad news. 

That is insane!

[Buddy]

It may just be me, but hard core pro-lifers are on my list right next to PETA supporters in terms of general stupidity. I also never really got why abortion was such a bad thing either.

[Sweetdeath]

It may just be me, but hard core pro-lifers are on my list right next to PETA supporters in terms of general stupidity. I also never really got why abortion was such a bad thing either.

Same here.
Even if you consider a fetus a human at its earliest stages, it is really kinda redundant to grant it personhood.
The adult woman with a life of her own has any and all rights no matter what. I am not pro life, because it's like screaming into a pillow'. Pointless. Putting emphasis on a fetus is like refusing to eat eggs cuz they MIGHT have been baby chicks if fertilized. e___e
I don't think twice about aborting fetuses, especially for  some women who have to choose between death and giving birth.