Monday, February 28, 2011

Where is the Line Drawn Between Moral Conviction and Human Decency ?


I was standing outside of Dr. Emily's abortion clinic with a few other pro life people. Standing there with my pamphlets, ready to sidewalk counsel a girl going in, I found myself caught in the middle of a conversation with some of our pro life people and the director of the abortion clinic.

They were conversing back and forth about a young teenage girl standing outside of the clinic with her mom. Her mom was forcing her get an abortion, telling her that she's too young to have a child. The girl was crying. She didn't want to get the abortion.

The director and a security guard were both standing out there trying to distract what we were saying to the girl. At one point, I was totally taken back by what the director said.

She accused one of my colleagues that he was a "deadbeat". He responded. Then she yelled, literally raised her voice as loud as possible and kept hollering "DEADBEAT! DEADBEAT! DEADBEAT! DEADBEAT!"

I wasn't really in shock. I just was curious. Where does she stand in her own conviction of what she does, that she feels that it's normal to yell as loud as she can across the parking lot to a person she doesn't even know, an insult over and and over and over again?

I'm really curious. I don't know the answer. It's a question that's been lingering in my mind ever since it happened.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

"Where does she stand in her own conviction of what she does, that she feels that it's normal to yell as loud as she can across the parking lot to a person she doesn't even know, an insult over and and over and over again?"
I doubt that even the Director could answer your question. I think you witnessed the director having a Lady MacBeth "out out damned spot" moment. Usually we go to the theater to consider the human drama of an unsteady conscience. But you got to see it played out in a parking lot in the Bronx.