Over here on the blog no-one reads cos it's way too low key and uncontraversial, we go for the drop in the ocean approach to things.
So, when an opportunity presents itself, like Friday, or when you happen to live a 15 minute cycle from one of the only places you could possibly do anything about the dreadful state of liturgical music in this country, even I'd be a fool to pass up the opportunity.
Someone in the parish said to me once that it's very easy to smash things and break them and very much harder to make things work and I think that is very true. So undoubtably 40dfl are not going to get it all perfect because they are just people, but they are going to considerable lengths to do something posistive and good and so should be supported.
One of the great vulnerabilities and marvellous strengths of Catholicism is that we operate on an any-one can turn up basis. That means that I have very frequently found myself next to someone really quite mentally delicate ( dread to think what the person thought of me, maybe I'm the reason they were feeling so...) at a Mass or something, no-one gets turned away etc. The downside is that on the very rare occasion someone does something intemperate, imprudent or just awful, we all get tarred with the same brush. These crazy crazy Catholics...
So one person filmed when and where they certainly should not have. I'd like a first hand account of what actually happened, because I believe NOTHING the MSM media reports about anything to do with Catholicism.
Maybe, just maybe that is the only thing BPAS have managed to tar 40DFL with in err, 40 days. If not that, then something else would have happened.
I was there on Friday, surrounded by peaceful, good, silent people, whose behaviour was as if they were in Church, maybe at Adoration. No-one spoke above a murmur, everyone looked at the ground, everyone was very still.
I was there for 45 minutes during which time people continually screamed abuse, played drums and whistles and waved very offensive banners. That weirdly dressed man was making obscene suggestions. A woman came over to scream at the top of her voice. A passing cyclist shouted, 'Shame.' You get the picture.
There were hardly any police on the ground.
When the cyclists blocked another of the two exits from Bedford Square, I started wondering how easy it would be to leg it down the two roads behind me back on to Tottenham Court Road.
The helicopter turned up at 8.
There are helicopters flying over Central London, all the time.
There are unreported demos, security alerts, tube closures and incidents of bother going on all the time in Central London.
There are police sirens going on a Friday night, all the time.
I frequently walk very briskly alone in Central London at night, avoiding trouble.
I am very familiar with the West End on a Friday night.
It's full of leery drunk people.
Any trouble was not coming from the Pro-Life Vigil.
2 comments:
Hi J. -- I've only tangentially been 'aware' of what's been going on and apparently there's been an argument re: filming. Some for, some against.
All I can say is (without reference to whatever happened in the Square the other day) that the US Experience with pro-life vigils has shown that it's very MUCH of benefit to film the prolife people at their prayer, and to document their conduct. time and time again in the US many very vehement anti-prolife forces have shown themselves violent and menacing to prolifers and have later tried to claim it was the pro-life people who attacked THEM. US prolifers have learned over the years that they need a good defense. There've been occasions where pro-lifers were physically manhandled and were able to win court judgement against those who assaulted them based on videos. Don't forget the people 'we' are dealing with have no problem killing babies -- so we shouldn't be surprised if they overstep boundaries. In the US and UK right now (as well as other places) the pro-aborts have been very emboldened to harass and threaten pro-lifers. Don't count on them to 'play fair' and not make up complete lies and fabrications. They have and they will -- and they will try to get YOU thrown in jail. You've also got a largely left-wing pro-abortion press on their side -- ready to distort everything. Video is your friend.
The problem with this filming is that the camera man is accused of filming people going into the abortion clinic and thus intimidating women.
The Press Association press release on Friday night's events tells you everything you need to know about the media getting it completely wrong at best, or making up the news to suit their agenda at worse.
The Guardian video, as has been pointed out elsewhere, scores an own goal for the pro-aborts, because it shows people praying quietly above a din and the one lady vigil attendee who is interviewed represents reasonable middle England and just doesn't fit the bill as a loony religious nutcase.
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