shiawasseecounty.net

Well put Hick Chick, I couldn't agree more.

He was sitting outside of the commercial building at the fair a few years ago.... I think shortly after his health problems got worse..... he had his oxygen. I sat down with him and we chatted. My father, the late pediatrician, respected him for his devotion to his cause (I don't know if dad knew he was getting paid) and excused the grotesque sign, saying "It gets his message across." My father was a devout catholic, going to Mass EVERY DAY after his retirement, until the day before he died.

Poullion was pleasant and spoke highly of my father, who passed in 2003. We had a nice exchange for about half an hour and then I got up, shook his hand and went back to the Dems booth and he to the Right To Life booth. This in no way is meant to excuse his rude/gross/obnoxious behavior and language, but to show that he DOES have a human side.

I think he is a lonely, frightened little man who probably was the class clown. He goes out of his way to provoke people (yelling obscenities, etc.) and get attention.

I don't know anyone who likes his signs, and maybe I'm wrong about the reaction that the graphics provoke in people, but I have never met anyone who has been in a confrontation with him based on the sign. It's always been based on the way that he acts towards passers-by.

I think Jim fails to realize that there are 3 kinds of people ... the kind who will always agree with you, the kind who will never agree with you, and the kind who might be persuaded to agree with you. Jim speaks to the people who will always agree or disagree with him. He doesn't speak to the people who might be persuaded, because his message gets lost in the way that he packages it. People turn away from his signs. His message is "Look how angry I am with this brutal practice!" And a lot of the time, people only see, "Look how angry I am!"

I would bet those fake cemetaries with the little white crosses speak to more people than Jim's signs. Jim would have been far more effective over the years if he had just held up a white sign with black lettering, "abortion stops a beating heart." And I think people would have had respect for that, even if they didn't agree with it, because he would have been respecting them.

As far as him being a nice guy, I'm sure that's true. I've met other people who like him personally. I just will never be one of them, because he was mean to my grandfather for no reason.

well I do not like his sign, but that is not what I have the real problem with- he does have a right to protest--but....he takes it too far- yelling at people and especially kids is just not right-
protest away- but he takes special joy in antoginizing people- you can see it on his face-

As a youth I remember antogonizing him. Being young and dumb we made it a point to drive by him and piss him off. I suspect this type of behavior still exists today... It's possible that on occasion the car following someone that is antogonizing him get the message meant for the dummies in front of them.. It's also possible he can tell how you will react by the look on YOUR face and responds to it.. Then on occasion he probably is just an ass.. At any rate he does his job vary well... He sure gets noticed..

But, see, I don't think he does job well at all. He is not converting anyone with those signs. He is giving the anti-choice movement a bad name. I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who saw one of his signs and said "Gee, I guess abortion does suck, doesn't it?" Let's face it, when it comes to abortion, you either believe in the choice or you don't. A nasty photo isn't going to push you over to the other side.

I would never protest the war with photos of soldiers who had been blown apart by IEDs. You aren't getting properly marketing your message by grossing people out.

Honestly, he gives Owosso a bad name. I have spoken to more than a few people who hear where I am from (I often say "near Owosso") and ask "Does that guy still stand at the corner with his ing signs?"

I think there are people that don't give getting pregnant or abortions much thought until they either see the sign man OR end up in a situation were they have to make a decision to keep, adopt out or abort.. The sign man does more good then harm if he saves one life.. That's just my opinion..

Wha? I thought you agreed with me earlier?

I won't ramble on about this any longer because this obviously a very played-out debate. Nothing anyone says or does is going to keep him from doing what he does. And you either think his actions are deplorable or you don't. I just have to remind myself to stay away from that part of town so I don't find myself getting all twitchy about it.

This IS what I agree with you on.. His sign is what bother's me too... However his job is to get people to notice his cause and he does it vary well. I don't look at his signs anymore either, I don't need to I can easily visualize the first one I saw.. That's how I know he is effective. It is his right to be there. That does not mean I like it, just that you or I have no right to stop him.

That conduct was extremely disrespectful, considering the fact that sign man is himself a UAW member! What an a$$hole!

Christine, your grandfather and his fellow sitdowners will always have a special place in the hearts of us old school UAW guys. Your granddad did good, and may God bless him for his courage.

Can anyone tell me what edition of the Argus the "letter of support" for the sign man is in? Or paste it on here. I would like to read it.

Thanks.

Since Christine has posted PART of her letter, I don't (I hope) think that posting ALL of it will be a problem?!?! If so, Christine, feel free to DELETE it!

Sign man is less than perfect


I would like to respond to Mary Jo Pouillon’s letter of support for her father, the “sign man.” I’d like her to know something about her father. My grandfather was a veteran of the Flint sit-down strike, and often participated in Labor Day parades.
One year, in the Flint Labor Day parade, Jim Pouillon stood on Saginaw Street near the Flint River, with an anti-UAW sign. As my grandfather’s float approached, Pouillon started shouting and pointing at the sitdowners. When the float was directly in front of him, he picked up candy from the ground and threw it at the men, still shouting at them and calling them names. These men had nothing to do with abortion; they were just old men on a parade float, being honored for their participation in an event that took place before Jim Pouillon was even born. Jim’s behavior had nothing to do with protecting life, nor did it in any way affect the politics of organized labor. He was just harassing a bunch of UAW retirees.
If everyone would tell Mary Jo their “sign guy” stories, she might come to understand that people who dislike her father do not dislike him for his signs.

Kevin, what is wrong with posting the entire thing is that many here are not that keen on having their identity revealed, and left in a post that will be here till they burn down the forums.

Remember that, buddy?

I know it doesn't bother you, but it is an individual decision.

I hope it is not too late to edit your post.

Otherwise, you should PM the moderators, and have them edit it.

Thank you for the post Kevin. However, I meant the letter that Mary Jo Poullion wrote in support of her father. Was that letter published in the Argus as well? That is the letter I would like to read.