I was lurking through my referral statistics when I noticed an insane amount of hits coming from the Pro-Life Action League. Naturally, this requires investigation. The following is an excerpt from their site:
Press and Blogs Cover the Tour
Another positive development on this year’s Tour was the unusual amount of coverage from local media, which in some past years have ignored the Tour entirely. Interviews with Ann and Joe Scheidler on WMBI Christian radio brought out some first-time volunteers. Several bloggers commented on the Tour as well.
We appreciate all this attention to the abortion issue, even when our methods are criticized. Press and blog reports on the 2007 Tour include:
- WIFR Channel 23 in Rockford—TV report on the Rockford Tour sites, plus viewer commentary
- Anti-abortion group protesting in Rockford—Article in the Rockford Star, plus reader comments
- Group’s aim is to educate with graphic abortion photos—Article by Kim Lovejoy-Voss in the Catholic Explorer, the Joliet diocesan paper
- “Anti-abortion protest in Naperville”—Post in the Sun-Times News Group’s Naperville Potluck blog, plus many comments
- “Children, not billboards”—July 10 Letter to the Editor of the Chicago Tribune, critical of the participation of children in the Tour, plus comments
- “Extremists for any cause amuse me, extremely”—Blogger Eli Hodapp comments, somewhat dismissively, on the Tour in Naperville
- “Face the Truth 2007″—Blogger Rey Flores of Lockport, Illinois defends the Tour’s visit to Joliet
- “Face the Truth”—First time Tour participant Erin Yonke, wife of Tour staffer Matt Yonke, shares her experience
- Face the Truth Tour Recap—League staffer John Jansen recounts highlights of the Tour
- “Face The Truth - Joe & Eric Scheidler speak”—Video by Quinn Olinger at YouTube
This recap is also apparently immortalized on their “Summer Tour Report” page.
I’m really trying to think of something witty to say in response to this, but now that I’m being identified as a “blogger” I just kind of feel the sudden urge to throw up.
July 19th, 2007 at 10:52 am
Eli — As the author of the article on the Pro-Life Action League website, as well as the organizer of the Face the Truth Tour you saw in Naperville, I’m gratified to have contributed to your growing fame! I’m also glad to hear about the hits coming from our site — helpful feedback.
But you’ll have to revise your new tagline — I only called you “somewhat dismissive.” I appreciated your remarks about our right to protest, as well as the way you cut through some of the nonsense from our objectors (the “almost crashed my car” one especially). But nobody likes being called an extremist.
BTW, I see you are a Jack Johnson fan. So am I. One of the few popular musicians with any real depth. I don’t always agree with what he has to say about the depths, but he’s there plumbing them in all sincerity, and I appreciate that.
I suppose I appreciate anyone with the zeal to think about things seriously and and speak out about it. The most troubling thing about our Face the Truth Tours is the apathy we encounter from so many. Give me a screaming motorist, belligerent cop, smug counter-protestor or “somewhat dismissive” blogger any day over one of those who just don’t care about anything.