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Bernadette Smyth leaving Belfast Magistrates' Court yesterday. Niall Carson

Anti-abortion protester convicted of harassment outside Belfast clinic

Bernadette Smyth is appealing the decision.

A PRO-LIFE CAMPAIGNER is to appeal a conviction for harassment handed down in a Belfast court which banned her from being near a Marie Stopes clinic.

Bernadette Smyth was yesterday sentenced to serve 100 hours community service and ordered to pay £2,000 to the clinic director.

Smyth, who is the director of Precious Life, was also ordered not to go within 20 yards of the clinic after she was convicted of stopping and questioning people who were entering.

The restraining order also applies to clinic director and former assembly member Dawn Purvis who was not in court for the ruling but told BBC News that she welcomed the ruling.

“Effectively it creates a buffer-zone around the clinic and ensures that women who are accessing services here won’t be subjected to harassment,” she said.

The Marie Stopes reproductive and sexual health clinic is the first such private clinic opened in Northern Ireland that provides abortions.

It has been the scene of frequent protests for anti-abortion campaigners who have described Smyth’s conviction as a “miscarriage of justice”.

“We will stand 100% with Bernadette as she seeks to have this unfair and unjust charge and sentence overturned,” said Niamh Uí Bhriain of the Life Institute.

Smyth’s solicitor Aidan Carlin confirmed that she is to appeal her conviction and sentence with an initial hearing set for 15 January 2015.

Read: Court proceedings started in case of pregnant woman on life support >

Read: Varadkar: Abortion issue is ‘never going to go away’ >

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141 Comments
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    Mute David C
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:02 PM

    I hate these people , judgemental ignorant choosing to spend there time harassing vulnerable people

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    Mute Tony_Kilduff
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:55 PM

    What about the vulnerable baby ?

    87
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    Mute Tricia Golden
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:56 PM

    You’re aware that no elective abortions are performed in that Marie Stopes clinic, only medically required ones, right?

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    Mute Martin Meyler
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    Dec 18th 2014, 6:19 PM

    NOT a baby. Get your facts in order.

    166
    geri
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    Mute geri
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    Dec 18th 2014, 7:44 PM

    Such denial

    16
    Mick
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    Mute Mick
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    Dec 18th 2014, 9:10 PM

    Martin, you don’t have facts, you have an opinion, just like the anti-abortionists.
    It’s all opinion.

    38
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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Dec 18th 2014, 10:58 PM

    if its an opinion Mick – why cant this woman keep it to herself??

    27
    Mick
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    Mute Mick
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    Dec 18th 2014, 11:18 PM

    ‘if’ it’s an opinion. What on earth do you think it is? She has an Opinion and the guy I responded to has an opinion. He expressed his, the correct way. She didn’t.
    The issue regarding Smyth was harassment. It’s in the first paragraph.

    27
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    Mute AN other
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    Dec 18th 2014, 11:37 PM

    Not the way to make your point… Violence isn’t the key in any side of a debate!

    7
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    Mute Etheric Projection
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:12 PM

    Those for abortion – take your option. Those against don’t take the option. Simples.

    356
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    Mute Jimminy BillyBob
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:29 PM

    So you don’t even consider the life of the unborn child as being anyway relevant?

    76
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    Mute Peter Pan
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:33 PM

    What about case of my Swedish friend who’s deranged girlfriend aborted his twins behind this back because they had a fight. She wasn’t a happy camper after it either.

    He was pro choice but has since changed his stance.

    Abortions for all.

    52
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    Mute Jimminy BillyBob
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:35 PM

    The fact that you even think it is a simple issue, and the fact that so many people agree really worries me. It is arguably the most complex social issue ever…. but of course the simple minded Journal commenters think it is simples. How very worrying and disturbing

    47
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    Mute Jane Travers
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:58 PM

    So Peter Pan, because one woman made a choice she regretted (if that even happened), all women should be denied choice?

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    Mute John Collins
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:59 PM

    Jimminy Billybob

    It’s a fetus, not a baby.

    139
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    Mute Marie McCormack
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:59 PM

    True, and please let’s not forget about all unconceived babies too.

    89
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    Mute Tricia Golden
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:02 PM

    Allow me to tell you what I find worrying.

    I find it very worrying that people like you feel they have the right to tell me that should I fall pregnant I don’t have the right to determine what I do with my body.

    I don’t WANT to be a mother.
    I don’t WANT to never again have sex.
    If I become pregnant I don’t want to have a child.
    I don’t want to carry a pregnancy for 9 months

    And yet you seem to think that because I made the choice to have sex I’ve also made a decision to become a parent.

    It’s MY body. Mine. I get to decide, not you!

    It’s friggin scary that people want to control what I do with my body.

    And now, please, make some ridiculous argument like “oh, you think there should be NO restrictions, abortions for all, abortion as contraception, gendercide etc etc” instead of accepting that women have the right to bodily autonomy!

    258
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    Mute Tony_Kilduff
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:08 PM

    What would worry me is that in all you have written above you haven’t made a single mention of the unborn child.

    58
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    Mute Marie McCormack
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:12 PM

    But I mentioned unconceived babies (children). Why you think they shouldn’t be protected as much as unborn babies? This level of disregard towards life at its earliest stages of development is horrendous.

    39
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    Mute Tricia Golden
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:13 PM

    Well spotted Tony.

    Tell you what, if I fall pregnant, you can carry the foetus to term, okay.

    Oh no wait, you can’t. You can’t EVER be in the position of getting pregnant and trapped into motherhood because the State refuses to recognise your right to bodily autonomy.

    You can’t even be forced to donate blood, you have to consent even if your blood is the ONLY think that could save another human being.

    But I have to be forced to carry a pregnancy to viability.

    179
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    Mute Jane Travers
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:15 PM

    What “unborn child”, Tony? This is a medical clinic that performs medically necessary abortions of foetuses and embryos. What is your issue, exactly?

    130
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    Mute Peter Pan
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:16 PM

    Jane Travers- I’m not saying that at all so please read the comment that I was responding to before you make assumptions ok.

    And yes it did happen thank you very much.

    22
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    Mute Jimminy BillyBob
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:23 PM

    Marie – Unconceived means non existent. A feotus is a growing human being. They develop nervous systems, brain function after time. Sperm and eggs are just cells. It is not a stage of development like you say it is, therefore your argument is invalid.

    Tricia – I couldn’t give a toss about what you do with your body. Nobody cares what you do with yourself. The point is that pregnancy means you have another LIFE growing inside of you, and you can’t own another human being, developing or not. Some people mourn miscarriages. To them, their unborn baby is as much a baby as one that was delivered healthy. If you don’t consider the the foetus growing inside of you as life, then you don’t deserve to be a mother.

    39
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    Mute Peter Pan
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:23 PM

    Such libertarian views Trish. Imagine if the whole world decided they were going to have no regard what so ever for any one else and only made decision base on what was good for themselves.

    Phrases like My body, my choice ignores other phrases like My child or My offspring. We are not speaking about leaches or parasites.

    41
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    Mute laura b
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:30 PM

    If someome is to have an abortion it’s none of your business or mine .

    129
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    Mute Marie McCormack
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:32 PM

    Jiminny, I can’t understand how you can’t see that those cells are the human life at its first earliest stages of development. If we don’t protect them they will never come together to develop further. I really can’t understand how society has come to a stage where it does not protect the most innocent – unconceived babies. Maybe we amend our constitution to include unconceived babies too? Like 9th amendment? Sure Jiminny, you will vote for it as you love life at its earliest stages??

    48
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    Mute Jane Travers
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:32 PM

    Oh I did, Peter Pan. Your point is still ridiculous.

    73
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    Mute Jane Travers
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:33 PM

    Oh dear, Marie. I don’t think they get it.

    73
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    Mute Tricia Golden
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:34 PM

    Wow, I’m a Libertarian now……. because I can empathise with women who find themselves pregnant when they don’t want to be and I believe they should have the right to make their own decisions.

    I think you’ll find I’m probably as far from a Libertarian as you could get but you clearly seem to think that a woman making her own decisions about her body translates into a Libertarian world view.

    Odd that Ron and Rand Paul who do identify as Libertarians are probably as anti-abortion as you could find.

    80
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    Mute Jimminy BillyBob
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:39 PM

    Marie – I’m honestly laughing reading your comment. I can’t tell if you are being serious or not. Did you not do biology in school? Th earliest stage of development is conception when the zygote is formed. Seriously, just open up any biology book, and you will see it stated in black and white that the zygote is the earliest stage of development of the embryo. Maybe science is a bit hard for you. My apologies if it is. You should go back to watching Coronation street.

    29
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    Mute Marie McCormack
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:45 PM

    Who said Jimminy? Where is it exactly written? I did biology. The picture was two eggs coming together forming a zygot. This means the earliest stage of development is the two eggs. Means each time you have fun alone you kill a potential life. I am for the protection of life from its first stage – two eggs. If we don’t protect our unconceived babies first, there will be no unborn babies. So you actually saying you are against protecting innocent life at its most vulnerable stage?

    55
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    Mute Tricia Golden
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:47 PM

    Jimminy BillyBob – You just totally missed Marie’s intended point, like, REALLY missed her point and THEN went on to insult her intelligence.

    That’s pretty ballsy, I’ll give you that.

    71
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    Mute Jane Travers
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:51 PM

    Every sperm (and egg) is sacred, Jiminy.

    58
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    Mute Jimminy BillyBob
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:56 PM

    Hahah, well done girls. Science deniers really do entertain me. Let me guess, you think the world is flat, and God is real? Lol, coming to the comments section of the Journal does wonders for my ego.

    12
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    Mute Tricia Golden
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:58 PM

    How’s that hole you’re digging away at there Jimminy BillyBob?

    54
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    Mute Qwerty
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    Dec 18th 2014, 6:04 PM

    I’m not arguing in favour of one side or the other, but it isn’t as simple as “It’s my body”. I (and I’m sure you too) find it abhorrent that some pregnant women drink alcohol when pregnant with complete disregard for their child, resulting in congenital diseases. I’m sure that if you confronted a pregnant woman drinking alcohol you wouldn’t see that argument as a valid defence since something harmful is being done to the child and they cannot give consent.

    21
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    Mute Marie McCormack
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    Dec 18th 2014, 6:05 PM

    You must feel the same “does wonders for my ego” knowing there are women out there in desperate situations. Otherwise, you wouldn’t deny that without a sperm and an egg there would be no zygot and later no unborn and would protect the former. Obviously, the protection of life at its earliest stages is not the aim anyway.

    37
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    Mute Tricia Golden
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    Dec 18th 2014, 6:13 PM

    Actually it pretty much IS as simple as “it’s my body”.

    I can find it abhorrent that a woman drinks heavily whilst pregnant but I don’t have the right to legally FORCE her not to.

    And let’s be honest here, there is a LOT more going on with a women abusing drugs and/or alcohol whilst pregnant then just her “exercising her free will” because chances are she is an addict and your or my definition of “free will” doesn’t exactly come into it.

    But do we have the right to arrest them, confine them, force them to change their behaviour through legal threats etc or should we try to get them to willingly change their behaviour? I know which I’d choose.

    51
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    Mute Martin Meyler
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    Dec 18th 2014, 6:22 PM

    Tony Kilduff. Go be worried. You’re entitled to be. You ought NOT to be entitled to lay down your opinions as law. If you don’t want an abortion, don’t have one. Oh, wait….

    45
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    Mute Tinkers Toenail
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    Dec 18th 2014, 6:37 PM

    Jimmy billywhatever, so if a 13year old girl is repeatedly raped by her dad and becomes pregnant…she has to carry her brother, sister/ son, daughter? Just because you don’t think a woman should have a choice doesn’t mean she shouldn’t..its a disgrace that you could suggest they have no choice. Get a grip, I’d love to see if you were a woman and raped as a child and became pregnant and were given the choice what would you choose…I bet it wouldn’t be 9 months of hell.

    53
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    Mute Bridget
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    Dec 18th 2014, 7:53 PM

    All I see it a lot if me me me

    5
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    Mute Tony_Kilduff
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    Dec 18th 2014, 8:41 PM

    Trapped into motherhood ? What nonsense !
    Also does it make you feel better to keep calling it a foetus ? Substitute that word for baby and write your comment.

    10
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    Mute Tony_Kilduff
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    Dec 18th 2014, 8:49 PM

    Martin,

    All you have is an opinion too, don’t forget that. It just so happens that what you want isn’t legal but you believe your opinion should be enshrined in law.
    If you don’t agree with robbing banks don’t rob one, oh wait….

    11
    Mick
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    Mute Mick
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    Dec 18th 2014, 9:03 PM

    The same justifying, eyes bulging from their head, arguments.

    ‘My body, my choice’
    If you are not pregnant, it’s your body, your choice. Have a blast. Paint the town.
    After you are pregnant, you are deciding for another person.
    You don’t want anybody to decide what you do with your body, while in the next breath, you decide to terminate the life and therefore body, of another human being.

    This abortionist argument does not stand up and yet gets trotted out, again and again.
    If you have a problem with this, Alinsky to the rescue. You’re sexist and a misogynist.
    So they move to their second line of defence.

    It’s not a child. It’s not a human being. They cannot even bring themselves to denote the child as him/her. The child gets called ‘it’, ‘thing’, ‘bunch of cells’, ‘parasite’, ……that appears to be yawning in the womb and in the images, you don’t want to even look at. They don’t want to classify the child as a human being. To dehumanise, is the necessary first step. Far easier to terminate, if you regard the person, your terminating, as not being human.

    When their reasoning is destroyed, they bring back Alinsky. You’re sexist/misogynist etc etc etc.
    or ‘you care for the child’. The use of which, shows the illegitimacy of the original two arguments. I was not the one who consented and got knocked up. So no, I don’t think I will. You take responsibility for your decisions(the Father as well, although he doesn’t seem to have any rights in this matter.)

    I can give a number of arguments as to why abortion, in certain cases, is legitimate. Life of the mother is in danger(medical danger), rape/incest, non-viable pregnancy. Even making some kind of economic argument(slippery slope) but these two defences don’t hold up. Terminating because a human being is an inconvenience to you. The war-cry of the feminist, ‘I demand my rights… but to hell with yours’

    On the other side, the religious argument against abortion is non rational, as there is nothing to back it up other than man-made doctrine, pretending to be from a deity.

    25
    Mick
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    Dec 18th 2014, 9:05 PM

    “If you don’t want an abortion, don’t have one. Oh, wait….”
    “Those for abortion – take your option. Those against don’t take the option. Simples.”

    What logic!

    If you don’t want to steal, don’t. Those who do want to steal, go ahead. Simpletons.

    28
    Mick
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    Dec 18th 2014, 9:08 PM

    @peterPan

    Libertarian?
    How on earth is that Libertarian?
    You have the right to do what you like, so long as you don’t impact the rights of someone else, is the hall mark of Libertarianism.

    22
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    Mute Tony_Kilduff
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    Dec 18th 2014, 9:31 PM

    Well said Mick. Exactly what I thought.

    6
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    Mute Peter Pan
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    Dec 18th 2014, 10:09 PM

    That’s liberalism not libertarian. Google arch libertarian, Ary Rand’s attitude to abortion if you are curious as to what I mean.

    Feel free to let me know if you agree with the term then

    6
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    Mute Peter Pan
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    Dec 18th 2014, 10:13 PM

    Actually here is a sample Of what she said, can I expect you to make a retraction…….

    An embryo has no rights. Rights do not pertain to a potential, only to an actual being. A child cannot acquire any rights until it is born. The living take precedence over the not-yet-living (or the unborn).

    Abortion is a moral right—which should be left to the sole discretion of the woman involved; morally, nothing other than her wish in the matter is to be considered. Who can conceivably have the right to dictate to her what disposition she is to make of the functions of her own body?

    10
    Mick
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    Dec 18th 2014, 10:19 PM

    That is not liberalism. You don’t know what Libertarian or Liberalism, means.
    Libertarianism has been hijacked by Randists/Objectivists. That’s what they are called.

    Ayn Rand was a psychotic anarchist, who tried to put her free for all theories under the banner of libertarianism. Ron Paul etc have happily obliged and the left, have gladly grouped them together just as the right brandishes anyone who wants a fairer society, as Communist.

    This is side tracking, so I am not continuing with this.

    21
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    Mute Jane Travers
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    Dec 18th 2014, 10:21 PM

    Peter, I’ve never read Ayn Rand, and that excerpt could be taken out of context for all I know; but as this excerpt stands, yes, I would agree with that wholeheartedly, safely prior to the point of viability.

    13
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    Mute Peter Pan
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    Dec 18th 2014, 10:30 PM

    That’s grand Mick but as I often heard in the playground “you started it”

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    Mute Lola de Borneau
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:10 PM

    Niamh ui Bhriain. Cause she’s a measured rational human being. They stick together don’t they. She can appeal all she wants. Her behaviour is unacceptable. What a despicable human being.

    252
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    Mute Leslie Skinner
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:22 PM

    Well past her sell by date

    92
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    Mute Jimminy BillyBob
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:27 PM

    Lola – Sure a few weeks ago, you were celebrating the embarrassing banner incident in Galway city. You are just as despicable as she is, just on the other extreme.

    Leslie – Women don’t have a sell by date.

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    Mute Lola de Borneau
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:36 PM

    Putting a banner on an inanimate building is one thing. Verbally harrassing people that are going about their work is a completely different thing. Your arguments are getting worse. What she does is deplorable. What I want is for women to have access to adequate, non-life threatening health care. Is that so despicable?

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    Mute Jimminy BillyBob
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:44 PM

    I’m sure she has reasoning where she wants to protect lives, and she would call you deploarable. It really is a matter of perspective. Personally, I think both of you are deplorable busybodies, but hey sure if you are just for abortions for medical reasons, then I am sorry and I welcome you to the sane majority, but I have a feeling you are more interested in taxpayer funded abortion on demand?

    25
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    Mute Stephen Carroll
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:30 PM

    @Jimminy It’s a bit of a joke to call Lola despicable and deplorable and being a busybody, by bringing up a comment from a couple of weeks ago and posting on a lot of comments on abortion issues being relatively anti-free abortions for all.

    I mean, the crux of the issue for me is being available to plan your family. If my girlfriend gets pregnant we could conceivably (see what I did there) gather the money for the babies birth and such.But got forbid she became pregnant through rape, a perfectly healthy baby no medical deformities but I don’t want to raise, or even she doesn’t want to. I really don’t want to spend pretty much the money on setting up the house to raise the baby to not have a baby, why shouldn’t we have access to that sort of planning. Are we not entitled to that? Can we not make that decison for ourselves?

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    Mute Condorcanqui
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:30 PM

    If an offensive banner was put on your house you wouldn’t be so glib! So no, your argument is poor. Both are despicable acts though.

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    Mute Jimminy BillyBob
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:41 PM

    Stephen – Yes, there is a logical middle ground, I am sure. I just like trolling the extremist fringe who want either all or nothing. They be crazy.

    16
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    Mute Marie McCormack
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:01 PM

    Now she will have a real chance to do some real good to society in the form of community service.

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    Mute Gareth Walker-Ayers
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:52 PM

    Aren’t some of these prolife organisations registered charities? What would worry me is that she’d get away with doing volunteer work for them through some loophole…

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    Mute Conor Conneally
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:06 PM

    Bernadette Smyth is a truly awful person

    211
    Dee4
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:05 PM

    Westboro Baptist church missing an idiot…

    162
    Mick
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    Dec 18th 2014, 9:21 PM

    Well, go back to them then

    22
    Dee4
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:03 PM

    Westboro Baptist church missing an idiot

    133
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    Mute Scarlett Van Tassel
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:15 PM

    What an awful smug expression on her face.

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    Mute Fraj Llecrup
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:34 PM

    David C; Leslie Skinner; Conor Conneally, Scarlett Van Tassel:

    Have you never heard of the philosophical error known as “ad hominem”?

    It means insulting your opponent instead of answering them rationally.

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    Mute Seán Gallagher
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:49 PM

    To be fair Fraj, you’re somewhat guilty of an ad hominem attack as well.

    You can’t negate the medical necessity for the abortions that this clinic provides, so instead you refer to the doctors and clinic staff as “nazis in their cave”…

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    Mute Peter Pan
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:50 PM

    But the purpose of forums such as this is not necessarily to make argument but to express an opinion.

    So if ones opinion is that some one has a smug look on their face then it’s alright to post in my book.

    Anyone who thinks discussions like this are going to achieve anything more that widening the divide between the two sides needs their head examined.

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    Mute Fraj Llecrup
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:35 PM

    Read the context, Seán.

    It was a direct reference to a previous post; NOT a personal attack on an individual.

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    Mute Ailbhe O'Nolan
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    Dec 18th 2014, 6:12 PM

    Fraj…..fail

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    Mute CitizenSmith©
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:01 PM

    That niamh o’brian one really grinds my gears.

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    Mute whynotme
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:43 PM

    She deserves to do time for harassing innocent people going about their business .

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    Mute Jane Travers
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:27 PM

    An excellent precedent has been set here.

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    Mute peter
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:49 PM

    I would have knocked her out if I was leaving and she start giving me the pro life crap, she’s making a very difficult and life altering choice even harder by harassing people. What if it was a victim of rape was leaving and had to then listen to her nonsense, they have already been through enough. There’s a time and place for protesting and causing disruption and outside a clinic isn’t it.

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:23 PM

    What a horrible human being.

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    Mute Daisy Chainsaw
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:52 PM

    Nasty piece of work. Lock her up.

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    Mute CorkBoi
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:38 PM

    Must be a nasty piece of work to end up with a conviction

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    Mute Derek
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:25 PM

    This news puts a face to the “sinister fringe” element of the pro life side :p

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    Mute Bridget
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    Dec 18th 2014, 3:59 PM

    Hope she appeals this..
    Imagine a woman who worked alongside certain paramilitary, afraid of a woman who “cackled” at her..

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    Mute Paddy Hannigan
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    Dec 18th 2014, 5:30 PM

    I hope the CPS appeals and she gets jail time. A message needs to be sent to these ‘whackjobs’ once and for all that not only are their methods fu*ked up but that neither society or the law will put up with their whackadoodle protesting outside healthcare facilities being used by vunerable people. I just hope she trys again and ends up doing serious jail time.Imagine being a pregnant teenage rape victim running into this lot.This woman is a disgusting excuse for a human being.

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    Mute Davin Lynch
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    Dec 18th 2014, 6:36 PM

    Well said paddy.

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    Mute Juan Venegas
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    Dec 18th 2014, 8:57 PM

    Why don’t we justify ISIS and the Taliban then? They are fighting what they believe even tough it has ben demonstrated that 8% of Pakistan supports the Taliban and a mere percentage of Iraqis and Syrians supports ISIS taking over, yet they don;t get the message and keep on fighting to “save us from eternal damnation” What a wacko

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    Mute johnny boy
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    Dec 18th 2014, 9:12 PM

    Fair play mrs Smyth, the whack jobs are those who want to slaughter babies for recreational abortions

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    Mute Jane Travers
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    Dec 18th 2014, 9:27 PM

    Hear we go again, Johnny! Tell us more about these “recreational abortions” that are supposed to be such good craic.

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    Mute johnny boy
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    Dec 18th 2014, 9:37 PM

    Jane would you kill an unwanted baby in a cot…..?

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    Mute Jane Travers
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    Dec 18th 2014, 9:54 PM

    Of course not Johnny, that would be infanticide. Any more stupid questions, or are you going to have the courage to answer mine?

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    Mute Jane Travers
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    Dec 19th 2014, 12:43 AM

    Apparently Johnny does not have the courage to answer my question.

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    Mute johnny boy
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    Dec 19th 2014, 9:49 AM

    It’s called bedtime cos the morning comes early Jane

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    Mute Jane Travers
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    Dec 19th 2014, 11:44 AM

    So you’re going to answer me now, are you Johnny?

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    Mute johnny boy
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    Dec 19th 2014, 1:33 PM

    Sorry work during the day also , oh the busy life of a taxpayer

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    Mute Jane Travers
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    Dec 19th 2014, 1:45 PM

    So you’ve time to reply to me to tell me you don’t have time to reply to me? Johnny, you’re a coward.

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    Mute johnny boy
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    Dec 19th 2014, 5:07 PM

    Reply to what recreational abortion is seeking abortion on demand

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    Mute johnny boy
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    Dec 19th 2014, 5:08 PM

    Also do you personally have children or grandchildren

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    Mute Jane Travers
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    Dec 19th 2014, 5:21 PM

    So basically, Johnny, in your book any kind of abortion is recreational, is it? You have a very twisted idea of what counts as a good time.

    Not that it’s any of your business (and I don’t know how old you think I am), but I have a daughter and several young nieces and nephews. I’ve also had several miscarriages, so I’ve experienced many aspects of motherhood.

    I suppose you’re asking thinking that no mother would ever favour abortion? Well you’d be wrong. Knowing how difficult motherhood is, I would never expect anyone to take it on against their will or if they simply didn’t feel they were ready. I also worry about my daughter’s future in this backwards country.

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    Mute Fraj Llecrup
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:06 PM

    Davin, the nazis in this case are not pro life; they are already IN their cave – killing unborn babies!!

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    Mute Davin Lynch
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:12 PM

    What kind of person even thinks they have the right to tell other people what to do? Nazis.

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    Mute Anne Marie Devlin
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:15 PM

    The clinic carries out medical abortions, not elective

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    Dee4
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    Mute Dee4
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:19 PM

    Ted: I’m not a fascist. I’m a priest. Fascists dress up in black and tell people what to do. Whereas priests… …More drink?

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    Mute Fraj Llecrup
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:20 PM

    Davin,

    What kind of person even thinks they have the right to kill the innocent? Nazis.

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    Mute Nick Beard
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:29 PM

    I love it when people tell Jewish pro choice activists (many of whom are descended from Holocaust survivors) that they’re Nazis. Sects of judaism allows abortion, but what would they know about Nazism, right?

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    Mute Davin Lynch
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:30 PM

    Never mind Fraj,looked at your profile,that’s all I needed to know about you,keep walking with jebus.

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    Mute Ailbhe O'Nolan
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    Dec 18th 2014, 8:13 PM

    Fraj Godwinned. Fail number 2 of the day

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    Mute Rob Joyce
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:33 PM

    Journalistic point…is it not the Marie Stopes clinic and not the Maria Slope clinic?

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    Mute Phillip O'Brien
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:45 PM

    In the headline she’s an “anti-abortion protestor” but in the article she’s a “pro-life campaigner”.

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    Mute David Garland
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:20 PM

    I have to laugh at Irish people saying it should be a woman’s choice to have an abortion or not.. How many of the same people would be alive today if their own mothers were giving the choice in Ireland 30+ years ago..

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    Mute Marie McCormack
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:23 PM

    Quite a few. It would also hardly matter for the rest as they would know no different. Your point being???

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    Mute Peter Slattery
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:26 PM

    Not very bright, are you, David?

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    Drew
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    Mute Drew
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:38 PM

    Irrelevant argument… You mightn’t be alive if your mother hadn’t had that second glass of wine or your father pulled out 5 seconds earlier.

    Any number of random events could have prevented or changed the fact that anyone came to exist or not.

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    Mute Peter Pan
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:10 PM

    Should that headline Not be “pro life”?

    I can’t imagine the journal using “pro abortion” In a story about pro choice protesters?

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    Mute Tricia Golden
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:19 PM

    She was protesting outside a clinic that can only LEGALLY perform abortions that are medically required, not elective.

    So Anti-Abortion is an accurate term as she objects to all abortions irrespective of the medical reasons.

    If she had been protesting outside a clinic that performs elective abortions you might have a point, but she wasn’t.

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:35 PM

    Nice one Trish,
    You make an argument that might enable a defendant to question whether the procedures carried out at this clinic are medically necessary.
    How many abnormal pregnancies are required to keep a Marie Stopes clinic in business?

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    Mute Seán Gallagher
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:47 PM

    Paul,

    The argument she’s making is one of fact. If you have ANY evidence from SEALED medical records that anyone has been given an abortion there for non-medical reasons, present it.

    If not, drop the red herrings and nonsense.

    Who cares how many are required? What relevance is it to this? If you have evidence or even want to make a proper accusation… Go for it.

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    Mute Seán Gallagher
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:55 PM

    Oh and this clinic offers:

    Abortion
    Contraception
    STI Testing
    Health Screening
    Female Sterilisation
    Counselling
    Vasectomy Procedures

    So, yet again, a red herring. They don’t rely on abortion as their sole source of revenue.

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    Mute johnny boy
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    Dec 18th 2014, 9:17 PM

    Save the babies, don’t knife them… Shame on humanity

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    Mute Ailbhe O'Nolan
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    Dec 18th 2014, 10:26 PM

    Johnny, I assume you will chant that about the infants killed by the RCC?

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    Mute Foxtrot Hotel
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    Dec 18th 2014, 11:22 PM

    Nobody is knifing babies in Northern Ireland, pal. That’s a tad a on the dramatic side.

    In Canada a few years back, there was a motion (that didn’t get far) about post birth abortions. But I think they are still doing them up to nine months.

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    Mute johnny boy
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    Dec 19th 2014, 9:53 AM

    That is my point, the pro choice won’t stop until they get abortion upto 9 months, which is absolute evil and on a par with knifing a baby at birth, also comparable to holocost, yes holocost, in Britain it’s estimated since abortion over 5 million babies have been slaughtered, mostly recreational, the silent holocost

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    Mute Bridget
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    Dec 19th 2014, 11:13 AM

    Medical abortions & any of listed above can be performed in hospitals in NI

    That clinic is there so it can have its dirty foot in the door if laws are ever passed

    Look at its history & it’s work in other countries.

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    Mute Jane Travers
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    Dec 19th 2014, 11:43 AM

    Johnny, I know a lot of people who would consider themselves pro-choice. Not ONE of them would endorse abortion up to 9 months’ gestation, so I don’t know where you’re getting this assertion from; your fevered imagination, I suppose.

    Personally, I would like to see elective abortion available up to a maximum of 16 weeks; thereafter, abortion only to be available in extreme cases such as FFA or danger to the mother.

    Now, you still haven’t answered me about these “recreational abortions” that you keep shouting about. Exactly what is a recreational abortion?

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Dec 20th 2014, 2:01 PM

    Sean,
    it would seem as though it’s a business, like any other.
    http://www.privco.com/private-company/marie-stopes-international

    I would suggest that the medical necessity of these procedures would be backed up by their keeping public health records. You seem to disagree. Of course their records are sealed – lol.

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    Mute David Garland
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:27 PM

    My point being how many brides walked up the aisle three months pregnant? How many people were brought up by their grandmother not knowing their sister was their real mother.. If abortion was available a good majority of us alive today would not of been born..

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    Mute Jonathan Barry
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    Dec 18th 2014, 4:36 PM

    And how many lives were ripped apart by unwanted pregnancies? How many women shipped off to convents in shame? How many women raped and forced to carry their attackers child ? You, David, are the epitome of what is wrong in our society today.

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    Mute David Garland
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    Dec 18th 2014, 6:38 PM

    There you have it in a nutshell.. I have my own opinion on the pro life side of the debate and all of a sudden I’m to blame for what’s wrong in society today…

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    Mute Ailbhe O'Nolan
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    Dec 18th 2014, 8:13 PM

    She didn’t blame you, she essentially represent what is wrong with society. No need for the melodrama, you’re only proving her point.

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    Mute Bridget
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    Dec 19th 2014, 11:17 AM

    What’s wrong with society is loss of morals
    Life have absolutely no value
    People now have a very selfish me me me attitude

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    Mute Kane Abel
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    Dec 18th 2014, 6:38 PM

    “The restraining order also applies to clinic director and former assembly member Dawn Purvis”

    - This seems hard to comprehend, can she no longer work there now????

    Back on topic, I wonder how many of these holy Josephine pro life protestors have a history of terminations behind them they’re now trying to make amends for…..???

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    Mute Jane Travers
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    Dec 18th 2014, 6:45 PM

    Um, Kane, I think it means that Bernadette Smyth is not allowed anywhere near the clinic director; not that the clinic director can’t go to the clinic.

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    Mute Kane Abel
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    Dec 19th 2014, 11:11 AM

    Was joking I promise, syntax and delivery were laughable here….. I couldn’t have misrepresented reality more here if I tried….

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    Mute Jane Travers
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    Dec 19th 2014, 11:38 AM

    Sorry Kane!

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    Mute Jane Travers
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    Dec 19th 2014, 11:39 AM

    Sorry, Kane!

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    Mute Foxtrot Hotel
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    Dec 18th 2014, 10:30 PM

    I remember this happened a while ago, and the lady in question was “cackling like a witch” at people going into the centre.

    You’ve lost your battle at that stage.

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    Mute Carly Bailey
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    Dec 18th 2014, 8:35 PM

    The law works on the basis that acts that are considered morally wrong such as murder, theft, rape, assault, and many others. We create laws to ensure citizens are punished if they break socially unacceptable rules. It was illegal to use contraception to avoid pregnancy. It was illegal to commit suicide. It was illegal to be a homosexual. It was illegal for certain social groups to vote. Times changed and archaic laws in the main part are (or will) be amended to reflect current societal views. The last referendum was over 20 years ago, and it took until cases were won at ECHR level to finally legislate for the result.
    Government has to put this issue back to the the people to decide what the current view is. It is anti democratic to deny citizens this vote and only because there is a general election looming. They are supposed to be representing us, the people. This shows them up as the self serving gob sh*tes that they are.

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    Mute Ollie
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    Dec 19th 2014, 12:18 AM

    I’m fairly pro life and a bit pro choice, depends on the situation, anyways this is horrible, she should not be harassing women outside this centre. She doesn’t no the situation of each woman, so she shouldn’t be questioning them whatsoever

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    Mute Sean Spillane
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    Dec 18th 2014, 6:47 PM

    Jeez I see the loony left child killing apologists are out in force tonight.

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    Mute Peter Pan
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    Dec 18th 2014, 10:15 PM

    You don’t have to be left wing to be pro life

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    Mute Ailbhe O'Nolan
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    Dec 18th 2014, 10:25 PM

    The right wing religious folk have killed many babies themselves

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    Mute Sternn
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    Dec 19th 2014, 9:44 AM

    I’ll consider an unborn child a ‘baby’ when the government starts paying out child benefit for fetuses in the womb and the Gardai allow you to drive in the carpool lane when pregnant.

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    Mute Bridget
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    Dec 19th 2014, 11:20 AM

    Sorry.
    Just because you don’t want to consider it an unborn child/baby doesn’t mean it’s not one.

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    Mute thereal.thing
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    Dec 19th 2014, 6:28 AM

    excellent news

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