Chicago Protest for Iran - June 21

Remembering Iran. Please pray. This is raw footage of a protest at Chicago's Daley Plaza last Saturday. I did a fairly terrible job, but maybe someone in Iran, or outside of Iran, will be motivated by it.

Dialing It Back on Abortion: Jon Stewart & Mike Huckabee Set the Tone

The following guest post comes from Alise McCoy Wright, a cyber-friend of my wife's and mine.

When I was growing up, my parents (and especially my mom) were very involved in the pro-life movement. I believe my first pro-life march in Washington, D.C. was when I was in 7th grade (maybe 8th -- definitely before high school). At that time and through high school, it was a very black and white issue. Abortion was bad. No ifs, ands or buts.

Fast forward to 1997. I've just graduated from college and have my first job teaching in an inner-city school. I'm in a city where I don't know anyone and have only been married for 9 months. I've known for probably a week that I'm pregnant, but kept hoping that I was mistaken. I finally take a pregnancy test and confirm that I am indeed pregnant.

I wish my first reaction when I saw those two lines had been joy, but in reality, it was fear. I was not prepared for a pregnancy and certainly not prepared for a new baby. Fortunately, by the end of the day, I was feeling much better about it and by the time I told Jason, I was absolutely thrilled at the prospect.

But I don't think I've ever forgotten my initial reaction to the circumstance. I was someone who was in a happy (if young) marriage. We had two very supportive families who were able to help us. We were getting involved in a new church and Bible study. Overall, the circumstances were pretty good for us which made it much easier for me to move from fear to excitement. Not every woman has that luxury.

That's not to say that I'm not still pro-life. I still think that in almost all instances it would be better for the woman to choose to have her baby rather than to terminate the pregnancy. As I watch my beautiful daughter growing into an amazing young woman, I have no regrets about being that young mom. But that experience has also shown me that things aren't quite as black and white as I once thought. That there may be other events that play into a woman's decision to continue or end a pregnancy.

Sadly, much of the discourse surrounding this issue is very polarized and polarizing. People on opposite sides are painted with the most extreme brushes and rather than listening, they just shout past one another. Which was why I was absolutely astounded to watch the discussion between Jon Stewart and Mike Huckabee on last Thursday's show. In a time when the major "news" networks do their best to get the most extreme voices on, The Daily Show was able to have a very calm, rational discussion. If you have about 20 minutes, I would strongly suggest checking out these three videos.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Despite these men having very different opinions on the issue, they manage to have a great conversation. And in a day where conversations seem to take a back seat to emotionally charged language and one group trying to out-argue the other, this was a refreshing change. I hope that maybe "the news" will take a cue from The Daily Show and maybe encourage people to talk for a change. I think we'd all appreciate that.

Life to Iran (For Neda)

Thinking about Iran, and a casual comment made by my friend Mike, I came up with this lyric.


Life to Iran (For Neda)
© 2009, Jon Trott


They’re in the streets of Tehran
And the byways of my mind
Not looking for freedom that’s political
But freedom of an existential kind

And I wonder at their bravery
I tremble sickened at their dying
I see in their eyes that they are me
And I am them, at least I’m trying

Life to Iran
Life to every woman and man
Life to Iran
Face the dragon, I know we can…
I know we can

Protested with them in Chicago
Cost me just an afternoon
They sang the saddest song in Farsi
I felt joy was coming soon

Life to Iran
Life to every woman and man
Life to Iran
Face the dragon, I know we can…
I know we can

Jesus is my start, my end, my love
Their journey is no less than mine
All round the world love’s bleeding
Yet hope’s green ribbon is a sign

Life to Iran
Life to every woman and man
Life to Iran
Face the dragon, I know we can…
We are all Iran…
We are all Iran…
We are all Iran…
Life to Iran.


(all rights reserved)

The Gorilla in this Room is Racism, Republican-style

As the far right's numbers continue to dwindle like a rain puddle on hot July pavement, the nature of those who remain seems increasingly clear. I have little to say on this one. Watch it.

"Michelle Obama's Ancestor a Gorilla" just a joke?

Naomi Wolf Gets Nakedly Honest About Pro-Choice Rhetoric

I hesitate to post this one. As a feminist, though of course a man, I concede Ms. Wolf's own logic fails at points (as far as I can tell). She remains pro-choice. But her naked honesty, transparency, and -- yes -- vulnerability here lead me to urge us who are pro-life to tread carefully in responding. To me, her internal agony is a place to start a conversation between pro-life and pro-choice advocates. Please read it -- even the parts that will irritate you -- with that in mind. What she does is admit that the unborn are human, and that abortion is the taking of a human life. Her existential encounter with those truths is powerful.

Feminist Naomi Wolf Questions Pro-Choice Rhetoric

Democrats For Life of America

This is a great page, even if you are Republican. Especially encouraging is the Obama administration's apparent willingness to meet with and listen to DFLA's spokespersons regarding abortion reduction.

For those of us who usually vote Democrat, perhaps we need to ally with and work alongside DFLA.

Democrats For Life of America

Abortion and the American Left

The below link should have been the first I posted on this issue of liberal pro-lifers. It offers some seriously thoughtful stuff, and is the home page of sorts for a few of the other links I have (or maybe will later on) offer up. One caveat... a lot of these articles seem rather old. I'll try to find some newer stuff as well.

Abortion and the American Left

Nat Hentoff on Abortion

A raft of articles by very liberal, very pro-life (atheist!), Nat Hentoff. As a liberal Christian pro-life advocate, also a feminist, I find his arguments very compelling and would hope to see many of my liberal compatriots consider them. While it is nearly impossible not to want to gag when dealing with Rightist "pro-life" groups who do in fact use the pro-life issues as a wedge in their anti-feminist agendas, I strongly urge feminists and liberals to read Hentoff's thoughts on this. There really is another way.

Nat Hentoff on Abortion

Abortion: The Left has betrayed the sanctity of life

As a liberal who voted for President Obama, but also a pro-lifer who is distressed that many on the left champion the pro-abortion cause, I will be offering some liberal pro-life voices from around the web. Here's one such voice. (And if you want to know how I justified voting for Barack Obama as a pro-lifer, my various articles on that issue can be easily found by browsing this site's topic links.)

From The Progressive magazine. Abortion: The Left has betrayed the sanctity of life

Mogadishu carnage devastates lives

Much of my political commentary has focused on specific American issues. Below is something that doesn't require much commentary... but does require our prayers and (where applicable) action.

BBC NEWS | Africa | Mogadishu carnage devastates lives