In Victoria’s State Parliament they are currently debating whether or not to allow an abortion at 24 weeks (decriminalisation). Okay, this is NOT an abortion/anti-abortion thread, I say that from the onset. Myself and my colleague (employed by a Member of Parliament) are responsible for handling his day to day emails. What delights do we find today sent by the anti-abortion lobby?
Oh la! A wonderful video of an actual abortion (that launches on opening), and other emails accompanied by fabulous full colour photographs of headless fetuses and other horrible graphic sights. I understand your outrage, hell! I agree with it! (personal opinion only - if you know you don’t want to have this baby, I’m sure you know befofe 24 weeks pregnancy), however, I am trying to conceive and my co-worker has had 2 miscarriages.
I could understand it if the subject line read “Anti-abortion Bill -graphic,” or “not suitable for children” but the fucking subject lines are “something you should see” or “a greeting from xxxx”. There is no warning about the horrors you are about to unleash! Seriously people - if want sympathy for your cause, your shock tactics are fucked.
When I open an email to my boss (your local MP) with the subject line “I need your help!”, I do not want to be confronted with pictures of bloodied and maimed babies. Honestly, do you think that MPs open their own email/mail anyway? Wise up fuckheads.
You should respond to each of them “Thank you for your email. It has been deleted and disregarded due to it’s inappropriately graphic nature. If you’d like to have your opinion considered by your representative, try using your words.”
DellieM, is there any way you could just refuse to open any attachments? I understand your job is to read the mail, but really now, seeing shit like that is not part of ANY reasonable job description.
The fact that you and your co-worker are so bothered by this becomes a mental health issue. (Please understand I am being serious, if I opened up something like that I would absolutely FREAK out, then want to hunt down whoever sent me that crap and make them watch videos of puppies and kittens until they died of sugar overload )
“A picture is worth a thousand words. Your homework tonight is to write me a 1000 word essay on why it is not appropriate to send graphic images to unsuspecting desk workers.”
I suspect that there is a setting in your email software that allows you to prevent images from opening directly in the email. Your life will be immeasurably better if you enable this feature.
This isn’t new for them. Is the first time your office is dealing with this issue? This is one of the anti-abortion movement’s tactics. It’s an emotional argument, with nothing else behind it.
Or (to pick an extremist group on the far left) animal rights activists just so you’re forewarned when it’s time to debate a measure they’re interested in.
In fact the “Look at that! Isn’t it disgusting!” is a favored tactic of any group where the members can’t form coherent arguments. I can honestly say I do not envy DellieM job of filtering relevant comments from wackos.
Isn’t there a link you could reply with showing them where they could volunteer their time caring for the unwanted crack babies? Or perhaps where they could donate their money for supporting the unwed mothers & their children?
What? They are not interested in supporting these babies after they are born?
Santa’s Little Helpers* are trying to tell you that they don’t care about you or your coworker. They think that the codification of existing practice will succeed unless they threaten to pull Catholic-funded hospitals from the system. FWIW, I don’t think they quite have the power now.
Even though this is not really going to change actual practices, the Groupers will go pretty far on this one. Because if they lose, their hold on Labor Unity (such as it is) will look pretty damaged. As they see it, losing here - even though it’s largely symbolic - will hurt their ability to constrain the ALP from doing bad things. And far from being concerned about people being upset or hurt by their tactics, they will be embracing the pain as a mark of their righteousness.
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