Anti-abortion display offends

St. Thomas More Catholic Church is at it again. The sign of the rosy-cheeked, bright-eyed baby is out at 118th and Holmes. As are the crosses. It’s a “memorial” of sorts that tallies the daily number of abortions. It’s a horrific site and a classless, irresponsible display.

I know ... the First Amendment. But just because something can be done, does that mean it should be? Does tact ever come into play?

I’m sure the church sees this as some sort of community education. But who is being educated? Or possibly it sees it as a firm stand. But I doubt there are many adults who are unaware of the Catholic Church’s stance on abortion. So what exactly is the point?

If my children attended school at St. Thomas More, today would have been the day I removed them. I know kids grow up fast these days, but forgive me if I think grade schoolers should be spared the details of abortion.

October is Respect Life month, hence the timing of the crosses. I will respect my children’s innocence and take Wornall as opposed to Holmes for the next 30 days.

Carrie Cowan
Kansas City

Comments

[Mark Robertson]

Kate, your first post was great and right on. Nothing to apologize for.
Carrie, your letter is sick. You say that a field of crosses with a picture of a baby in front is horrific, classless, and irresponsible. I'll tell you what is horrific, 50 million children being killed since 1973 by abortion. And this doesn't even include the ones killed by abortifacients.
You talk about living in denial and a fear of the truth, Carrie is a all-timer in Star Letters. Does she ever think about all of those children who now can't ride by a field of crosses with their parents because they have been murdered in the womb. Obviously not. One wonders what Carrie does think about. Thankfully I cannot relate.
I wish every Catholic Church would put the crosses on their property. In fact, I wish pictures of abortions and aborted children would be put on display in as many places as possible. Something drastic has to be done to stop this holocaust.
Does Carrie think that the women who go to abortion mills to kill their children are responsible?
Right Carrie, send your kids to those government schools so they can take those insane sex education courses offered. Those courses are something that young people should be shielded from.
If there is one thing that St. Thomas Moore could change, it would be the number of crosses. From what I have read and heard there are actually around 4,000 abortions a day in the U.S., so they should probably have 400 crosses instead of 350.
Great and inspiring effort St. Thomas Moore. The fact that you are offending the clueless, such as Carrie, shows that you are doing great things.
Seeing those crosses is all one needs to see to know that St. Thomas Moore is a great parish that no doubt has a great school, and thus must have a great pastor.
Thankyou.

Mark Robertson
Independence

[Kate]

First of all, I should apologize for the harsh tone of my first post. Re-reading it makes me realize it would have been better to stop after the first sentence.

If the display is as Ms. Cowan describes, a picture of a rosy-cheeked baby and a lawn full of crosses, it doesn’t sound offensive. Certainly not graphic. And not hateful, like the Phelps displays - and I agree with ggbridge that keeping children away from them is a good idea.

But good parenting requires finding a way to explain difficult subjects to children in age-appropriate manner. By the time their children are in grade school, most parents have it down pat. I suspect the letter-writer’s disproportionate distress at the display has more to do with her own unwillingness to face the realities of abortion.

[JoCo]

Good observation, gg

[ggbridge]

I don't think this letter is is pro or anti choice, I just see it as objecting to something inappropriate for grade schoolers. I would liken the display to Phelps' demonstrators outside our synagogue. I saw them and changed course because I wasn't up for explaining to my six year old why there's a whole group of people who hate her for her religion. Just not up for it. Displays about abortion are inappropriate for grade schoolers. You can be all self-righteous about it, but they just are.

[JoCo]

All opinions expressed on this matter are, regrettably, just that. The right Roberts court didn't seem to find any firm ground on this. I hate abortion, so I won't have one. Saying that, I'm done because.....

Jazzman--I still love your take and eloquence on the issue as seen here in the past.

[beaker]

Poor Carrie is offended. Tough.

[Kate]

It’s hard to imagine the thickness of the bubble insulating your world that makes the very sight of a rosy-cheeked baby and crosses distressing. I’m not Catholic, but I imagine the point, exactly, is to remind you that children are dying. The point, exactly, is to shake you from your daily routine long enough to think about the innocent lives lost. The point, exactly, is to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. If the memorial were to political prisoners or victims of brutal regimes, would you shield your children?

So take another route and invent an excuse when your children ask why you’re not driving the usual way. If lying to them is easier than explaining that our society allows children’s lives to be ended up to the day of their birth, then by all means, make it easy on yourself. Don’t give it a second thought.