Et tu, Earpiece Charlie?

JB is still away, so I was on reception again this week. It didn't seem like there was too much going on outside, so it's nice to know I didn't miss much; although I do like to have something to blog about.

SL thinks we need a new name for Earpiece Charlie, something that reflects how mean he is. Because it turns out he's really mean. He's always staring in the windows, which is freakier than when Glare-y Mary does it because Charlie is scarier looking. Plus, he is quite obviously trying to glare the patients into feeling guilty. When they are in SL's office he stares meanly at them the whole time. Normally I sort of think of the protesters as lovable kooks, but this guy is a bad human being. So we need a new name for him that reflects that. Put your thinking caps on!

Father Grim is back - I know you were all worried. I guess he's recuperated from whatever was keeping him away from sweet, sweet judgement.

While the protesters were no more numerous than usual, they sort of seemed more nasty. For example, there was one patient who called from her car for directions, and she sounded fine. But then when she got to the clinic not five minutes later and came inside, she was visibly shaken and upset. The protesters were really givin' 'er (as we say around these parts). The right to life conference in Moncton must have recharged their batteries.

It's funny, when you do this (escorting that is) every week it starts to become normal, and you stop really processing what's going on. But this week when I was inside and watching the protesters, I started to reflect on how absolutely absurd it is for them to be out there. I mean they are encircling the property so that women cannot get into the clinic without passing them. That's more than just protesting. If they wanted to protest, they could do it anywhere. They could do it in front of their own building, or at City Hall. They are there on Tuesdays so that the staff and the patients know that they are being judged.

I think the protesters would argue that their purpose in being so visible to the patients is to offer "sidewalk counselling" and let them know that there are alternatives. But that's ridiculous. Women aren't stupid, they don't need someone coming up to them on the street to tell them there are options. They can see the sign for the CPC, they can look it up in the phone book (it's right there on the same page as our clinic, after all), they can use the internet. My thinking is that if you have to stand outside another business to lure their customers into your business, your business probably isn't that valid, and certainly not that urgently needed. It's the equivalent of a naturopath hanging around outside the hospital, trying to convince people to try holistic medicine instead. People can figure this stuff out on their own!

Anyway, that's my little rant for the day.