Lake of Fire: An Immediate Commentary

Deep breath.

Just started watching a documentary about abortion from 2006 (thank you Netflix). Am 5 minutes in and already the following has happened:
-I wanted to throw my popcorn at the screen while Leslee Unruh was talking
-I decided NOT to throw my popcorn because it was tasty, could put oil on my TV and Leslee Unruh isn't worth my kick-ass popcorn
-I booed while a government official talked, smiling, about how the US Supreme court would probably soon have 5 pro-lifers; a majority over the 4 pro-abortionists
-I screamed "THERE'S NO SUCH THING" after he mentioned the PRO-abortionists
-I paused the movie, grabbed my laptop, and decided to blog while watching. To the best of my efforts. Lord knows I'll probably give up because I'll have too much to say and be munching away, angrily, on my popcorn.
-I feel sorry that it has taken an abortion documentary for me to blog again

So here we go, Lake of Fire by Tony Kaye, circa 2006. PS: Netflix believes I will rate this as a 3.9/5. That's pretty high stakes, Netflix...

OPENING CREDITS

Oh shiz! Noam Chomsky. And a lady who's name is followed by "(Jane Roe)." I toast a piece of Hy's-seasoned popcorn solely because I recognize the names, and unfortunately know very little about either of these people.

MOVIE STARTS

Already, I'm terrified by the religious people in this movie. I'm basically going to hell, or, ast the title describes, into a lake of fire. I'm screwed. A man with glasses explains to me that the reason Heaven is the best place to be is because Jesus is there, and some other stuff about no diseases. Makes me want to knock a eucharist or two back and say lots of prayers.

Okay. That's it, I'm done with my offensive religious commentary from here on out. Unless the movie provokes me into it again... Truth be told, I think people with great religious convictions are incredible and devoted human beings. Props.

NB: The film is entirely in black and white. Dramatic effect!

For the purpose of this commentary, I think I will refer to the opposing points of view as PL and PC. Deal?

"Not the church, not the state. Women must decide their fate!"

Why it the PL movement so intrinsically tied to religion? Christian religion? Or is it just this film? And why is it tied to abstinence and a lack of sex education? I get confused about this so often. But God's name keeps getting thrown into the abortion debate.

Oh shit... apparently women with "maternal instinct beating in their breast" should take it out of the kitchen and bring it down to the schoolboard, etc. For realsies? Out of the kitchen. I just... I can't even comment on that at all.

Apparently men are using women, exploiting them sexually, and then paying for the women to have an abortion. So... women should... be powerful? And... CHOOSE not to let men do that to them? Or, excellent, it's all men's fault. I like that explanation better. Also: Jeffrey Dahmer supported free choice. So we're ALL serial killers.

I'm so sorry, but I just can't contain my sarcasm. I should try to be critical, but I'm not a reporter. Screw it.

Stories of women who are in college, who used protection but it failed, who aren't financially stable, of partners who don't give a shit.

They're showing an abortion. Actually showing the aborted fetus. Happy that they did so. Important for people to see what it really is. Well rounded education. Somewhat disturbing maybe, but well presented, professional and not filled with fear and terror like it usually is by the PL side. Shows the doctor checking the fetal tissue to ensure they got all fragments and confirming the gestational age.

I think one of the most frustrating things to me is that I don't disagree that a fetus is a human life. I just classify it as being a potential human life. I don't think it's merely a cluster of cells, and I don't want to trivialize it by saying it's insignificant or merits no emotional attachment to it's mother. A potential life is a big deal. However, I don't think that justifies overriding the choice of the actualized human life of the pregnant woman. I certainly don't think the fetus has any MORE right to life than the woman. Still, I understand that this point of view of mine has holes and can be easily picked at by the PL perspective.

Carrying on. NOAM CHOMSKY! His message for us: our values often conflict. There are no absolutes. There's always context. Preserving life is legitimate. And choice is legitimate. I like this Swiss-ian discourse!

BACK TO THE BIBLE!

...


Just. Can't. Do. It. Especially if it means I have to listen to these people.

Guy just said that abortion is first degree murder. Thanks to my friend, I would like to ask him: should that woman go to jail for her offense? Oh... and, according to him, this is a holocaust, which, according to dictionary.com is a great destruction of life. Hmm...

HOLY MACKEREL! Okay, so, a little perspective. Prior to selecting this film on Netflix, I watched a little Oscar-nominated documentary called Deliver Us From Evil, surrounding the case of one priest convicted of child molestation. In it, one of the big baddies protecting all the pedophilic priests was Roger Mahoney, a priest/cardinal/bishop/I-don't-know-what. NOW HE'S IN THIS MOVIE TOOOOOO! I'm putting him beside Leslee Unruh in my list of people-not-worthy-of-me-throwing-my-fantastic-popcorn-at-even-though-I-really-want-to. He's everywhere.

And don't even get me started on calling it the "Abortion Industry."

We're now talking about religious preachers who justify the murder of doctors providing abortions. It frustrates me that I didn't know more about these situations until recently. That the murder of Dr. Tiller was not the first of its kind burns me. I try to see how perceiving abortion as the murder of innocents begets murdering those who are doing it. I can sort of see the rationale: murder is wrong, abortion is murder, so let's murder those fuckers providing it! I should mention, I know that this is not how all PL supporters think. This is not something that can be generalized. Everyone's perspective is unique. I get that very well.

Cue religious god-loving music while showing the most gruesome abortion footage they possibly could.

NB: the doctor's murderer was found guilty. What does this mean? It means that the jury now ALSO has the blood of all those innocent babies on their hands and will go to hell. At least, that's what a fundamentalist PLer says. Another calls the murderer a hero for protecting/defending born/unborn children. Goes on to straight up say on camera that "abortionists" should be executed, because they are murderers. Brutal.

Unfortunately, an abortion provider just made an unnecessary comment about how the middle-aged, unwed men working for the PL movement don't get laid, and thus seek and find sexual pleasure in being close to women who have had sex; they protest near the clinics and take pleasure from the women choosing abortions because they've obviously had sex. Unfortunate that she would make this kind of a comment as I feel it undermines the PC side with petty insults. Sad face.

... We're only 50 minutes in. Only 100 minutes left...

Doctors and staff wearing bullet-proof vests. They keep coming to work every day.

My heart stops. They show pictures of the scene of another murdered abortion provider. Shot outside the clinic he worked at. So I guess these are my aborted fetuses. These are my bloody, gobs of gore deterrents. Pictures of health care providers lying on the ground in puddles of blood as they entered the workplace to perform legally protected services. These would be my banners if I believed that utilizing fear and hate were effective sources of education. Unfortunately, I believe that facts speak for themselves and don't need to be highlighted with tragedy in order for people to make an educated decision about services that are lawful. So I'm trying to understand the other perspective, albeit depicted here as an extremist one, but I can't seem to find something to relate to. I don't get it.

Another video of a murder scene. And now an interview with the murderer. This murderer says that "whatever the Pope believes, I believe." And apparently, you "aren't smart" if you don't do what the Pope tells you to. This man was convicted of first degree murder, and later committed suicide in prison. Can someone remind me what the Pope's opinion of suicide is?

Fucking Operation Rescue. Another area that I can't get started on. Pardon my profanity, if you want.

Norma McCorvey. Also known as Jane Roe. Brave. Speaking about her fallout from Roe v. Wade. The harassment, the abuse, her suicidal ideation. And a smiling PLer talking about how he harassed her at a book signing. He works for Operation Rescue. They want abortion to be illegal. Okay, so, things I didn't know: she turned over and started working for Operation Rescue. Fuck. You should see how proud that annoying PL man looks. How did I not know that she changed sides? And what a story she has as she came to this realization while working at an abortion clinic. Incredible. Well, that's a strong case for the PL side. So is this proof that if you harass people enough they will eventually come over to your side? Is it some sort of Stockholm syndrome? That's not fair on my part. Each person is entitled to their own opinion. And truly, to have participated in Roe v. Wade to begin with was brave, regardless of where she stands now.

NB: Look at me learn!

Looking at the methods that women used to try to induce abortion or create the need for one. Horrifying. Don't have much to say about women causing irreparable harm and even death to themselves so that they won't have to have the baby.

Also, things that are good to know: apparently the Clintons' are telling us that our kids should have sex, use condoms, and choose their sexual orientation young. Good to know, pops! Satan's territory is in the middle of Colorado, just so you know. And the Roman Catholics built a community in the middle of that sex jungle to bring... I don't know what. Something about impeaching Clinton and something about Christians being a minority in the US. I got lost in all the raving.

There's a picture of a bus on the blackboard behind Noam Chomsky. He's talking about perhaps focusing efforts of decreasing the reasons why women have abortions, as opposed to preventing sex education and outlawing abortions. Points out that maybe it'd be worth while to focus on saving the children who are ALREADY alive from preventable diseases, famine, poverty, etc in developing countries. INNNERESTING CHOMSKY.

I really hope that was Chomsky I was just talking about. I was more focused on the school bus on the blackboard.

1.5 hours through. 1 hour left. Hoorah!

Randall Terry: You don't deserve my popcorn. It's kind of like how you don't think women deserve choice. You know, because, like popcorn, choice is tasty, and wonderful, and you like to have lots of it whenever you want it. And women shouldn't have that because they are uneducated less-than-persons who would be better served as domestics. So I say it again, you don't deserve my popcorn.

I think I want some more popcorn. Movie pause!

And we're back...

There are children at the pro-life demonstrations. Okay, I get that that makes sense. But I still thinks its ridiculous. Then again, I guess its good to involve children in demonstrations to show them that there is something they can do about their views. Hopefully they are teaching them effective ways as opposed to just spreading fear.

Goodness. Maybe it's just because I'm hearing the same things over and over, or maybe because I just don't know what to say anymore, but I'm having difficulty coming up with commentary.

Basically, there's an ongoing discussion about how the PL and PC sides construct their views. For instance, challenging the theme of right vs wrong in place of the why. Providing thoughts about at what point the line should be drawn for whether abortion is permissible or not. Less challenging remarks, and more philosophical ones.

Oh dear. So this guy talking at a conference or something by the American Life League, a Pro-Life group, just talked about how in most situations, women are pressured, bullied, misguided and forced into having an abortion, leaving them with both physical and emotional damage. So we should help them out. Step 1: Stop bullying them when they try to go to have an abortion. If these women are so battered and in need of support, yelling, screaming and barring their paths isn't going to show them how much you care. It will only terrify them more. And if the abortion isn't scary enough, then those who oppose it will be. At that point, why not just grab the coat hanger. That was crude and probably uncalled for on my part. But really...

I should also mention that they are following a woman as she goes through an abortion from arriving at the clinic, the counseling procedure, etc. Asking her about her decision. Educating her about how the procedure will go. Ensuring she has a support system ready for her post-abortion, examining her mental state and offering all the support in the world to her for anything she needs, regardless of whether or not it has anything to do with the abortion. Providing words of encouragement and support towards her decision, not necessarily towards the abortion, just towards her right to choose.

Again and again, I hear the PCers question why PLers don't provide homes and care for all the children in orphanages. Why they don't put their efforts towards nurturing and loving the children that are already in this world. Showing all around support for children, born or unborn. Having a complete and well-rounded action towards saving the lives of children. That is, of course, taking into consideration how often PLers cite the innocence of children and the absolute need to protect that.

With regards to the woman we're following through an actual abortion, we follow her into the procedure room, see the abortion. In an interview afterward, she is calm. Says she has "lots of thoughts," and feels "maybe, a bit relieved." Then she covers her face, sobbing. A staff member at the clinic comes over with a box of tissues and sits down, offering support. This woman has been pregnant before, gave up a child for adoption because she was not fit and the father was not fit to provide for it. "I know I made the right decision," she says, "but it's still not easy." The final image shows the man who brought her to the clinic, offering his shoulder and his support for her.

CREDITS/FINAL THOUGHTS

What an incredible journey. And such a broad, far-reaching look at the abortion debate. While I still feel it was primarily a pro-choice film, that may be because I don't agree with the pro-life point of view. I also don't think it is easy to present the pro-life side in a positive light when you also show the murder of abortion providers. Then again, maybe it isn't easy to show the pro-choice side in a positive light with video of the bloody remains of abortion. I'm incapable of providing an entirely objective perspective because of my personal views.

I'll give this film a 5/5 on my Netflix.

Inevitably, I want to find my way into working at an abortion clinic, supporting women, and defending choice after watching Lake of Fire.

Well, my mother said she wished I'd start blogging again. I'm not sure this is what she meant, but it'll have to do. For now at least.

Total word count: 2, 661. I never wrote a paper that long in university. Especially not in under 3 hours, or while watching a movie. Clearly I had the wrong strategy...