Mark Hoofnagle has a MD and PhD in physiology from the University of Virginia, and is now a general surgery resident. His interest in denialism concerns the use of denialist tactics to confuse public understanding of scientific knowledge.
In good Denialism blog form, the San Francisco Chronicle's C. W. Nevius has urged readers to just ignore this week's anti-abortion protest in San Francisco. He makes a good point:
This is the fifth year in San Francisco for the "Walk for Life." Bolstered by supporters who are bused in from all over - this year's bus schedule lists departures from Yuba City, Bakersfield, Fresno, Reno, Clovis and Chico, among other cities - the anti-abortion group stages a march in liberal San Francisco and then expresses shock and disappointment when they are jeered and booed.It's a scam and a setup. Nothing gets media attention like two groups facing off against each other. And, frankly, on the 36th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, the anti-abortion groups are becoming a tired story. They claim huge numbers for this walk - their estimate last year was 25,000 walkers, although The Chronicle story had the total at 10,000 - but there isn't much of a news hook unless there's some controversy. They'd probably get more people if they marched in Indiana, but in San Francisco they can garner much more publicity.
Amen! Stay inside on this Bay Area rainy day!
A blog note: I apologize for the sparse blogging on Denialism Blog. The semester has just started for me, and I am teaching a new course that is taking a huge amount of time. MarkH is flying around the country interviewing. This week he was in San Francisco, where instead of blogging, we ate at Chapeau and the Slanted Door, and went to the gun show. Yes, the gun show. It was hilarious. We bought beef jerky there, considered getting a crossbow to shoot some Ligers, and stocked up on dental tools and compasses for survival post apocalypse.
Politics
Comments
Wow! You guys have been super-busy!
Not to worry, your loyal readers are loyal like Longcat is long!
Pictures of gun show? :)
Posted by: The Perky Skeptic | January 24, 2009 7:26 PM
Moar poast.
Posted by: Gordon S | January 25, 2009 1:49 PM
Personally, I think the answer is for the counter-protest to show up with signs that say "Can we talk about this?" and "I disagree with you, but support your right to free speech", and "Thank you for traveling here and spending your tourist dollars!" and "I will pray for you to gain understanding!"
Perhapse a stand giving free lemonade and cookies to the protestors would be too much?
Posted by: Teresa | January 25, 2009 2:56 PM
Um, why dental tools? My survival skill is simple: Be able to cook anything and make it taste good. Are you expecting a lack of toothpaste?
Posted by: JustaTech | January 26, 2009 12:14 PM
"They'd probably get more people if they marched in Indiana..."
Hey, leave off us Hoosiers. We even voted for Obama this election.
Perhaps you should re-draw your "red neck" stereotype map and move the "Mason-Dipshit" line a bit farther south. Like maybe Alabama.
Posted by: Lance | January 26, 2009 3:08 PM
"we ate at Chapeau and the Slanted Door, and went to the gun show"
Perhaps I'm just being archetypically British, but I can't quite imagine what is meant by a "gun show". I have a vague idea of something like a model railway exhibition, but with firearms. For some reason that doesn't seem right.
Posted by: Rob | January 27, 2009 6:45 AM
@Rob, the gun show is all about the gun show loophole!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_show#The_gun_show_loophole
And beef jerky.
Posted by: Chris H. | January 27, 2009 11:24 AM
I truely hope that the beef jerky references are for comic effect only and that you guys didn't actually *eat* the stuff.And in SF of all places yet!
Posted by: Denice Walter | January 27, 2009 6:05 PM
Teresa, all your ideas are wonderful! It's much harder for them to play the persecuted victims if we are respectful to them, which we should be anyway. Maybe they will even be respectful back (although I won't hold my breath), or at least they will look the stubborn, petulant children that they are.
Posted by: catgirl | January 30, 2009 12:24 PM
Catgirl,
When I see anti-life baby murderers protesting on the news - I notice that most of these women are so unattractive that they shouldn't be concerned about getting pregnant...at least not by men with sight.
Posted by: Texas Thought | February 9, 2009 2:09 AM
Oh! Snap! Nice paraphrase of Carlin's "Most women who are against abortion are women you wouldn't want to fuck in the first place" quote! That's real effective. Wow. Sure made me think... that you're an ass.
Posted by: LanceR, JSG | February 9, 2009 8:35 AM
You guys are some major knobs.
Posted by: ZR | February 9, 2009 6:06 PM
Wow. Such witty repartee. We're "such major knobs". Totally convincing.
Posted by: LanceR, JSG | February 9, 2009 7:13 PM
I think it’s a great time for pedophiles in this country. They can have their way with infants still in the womb all they want with no chance of recourse. Since children have no rights while in the womb, why not? Countless mothers-to -be are already talking about cashing in on their freedom of choice to pimp out their unborn children as a side income just before they terminate at 9 months. Ahhh the “land of the free.”
Posted by: CanYouHandleDaTruth | June 3, 2009 6:49 PM