Posted on 01/09/2004 2:42:21 PM PST by madprof98
Friends and supporters gathered by the hundreds Thursday to celebrate the opening of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin's new abortion clinic and women's health center.
They toured the sleek new $1.9 million Comprehensive Reproduction Health Center, 3706 Orin Road, then went to an adjacent tent for wine, canapes and congratulatory speeches.
Deborah Hobbins, a Planned Parenthood regional vice president, told the crowd that her vision for the clinic was "to create a place of dignity where women could feel respect for their health care choices. I think we've done that."
Outside, a handful of anti-abortion activists picketed, a couple of them jeering at people entering the clinic, another constructing a shrine with a statue of the Blessed Virgin and baby mittens.
"It's prettier than the other clinic, but the result is the same death and destruction," said Matt Sande of Cambridge, a member of Pro Life Wisconsin.
"Little children are going to be killed in this building Monday morning," said Bill Landerholm of Rockton, Ill. At other points he heckled people walking past to the clinic.
Several Madison police officers kept an eye on the protesters, who were restricted to the public sidewalk.
The center is the result of a grass-roots campaign launched three years ago when Meriter Hospital's plans to sell the building housing the city's sole elective abortion clinic on West Washington Avenue raised the possibility that access to abortion would end in Madison.
Next week, the 6,500-square-foot clinic will open, offering preventative care, annual exams, breast and cervical cancer screening, sexuality education, contraceptive counseling and surgical abortions. It will be the only clinic in south central Wisconsin to offer medical and surgical abortions.
Dr. Dennis Christiansen, former operator of the Madison Abortion Clinic, greeted well-wishers and reminisced with former employees touring the new facility.
"This clinic says this is a great community ... it's because of them," he said.
He shrugged off the protests outside. "They have a right to express their opinion, as misguided as it may be. Choice is what we're all about."
A plaque in a post-procedure recovery room dedicates it to "our grandmothers who did not have a choice."
In the tent, supporter Sally Jamieson called the clinic " a visible sign of how far we've come. This is no back alley."
U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, Madison Democratic state Reps. Terese Berceau, Spencer Black and Mark Pocan, and State Sen. Fred Risser were among the public officials on hand for the opening celebration. Many others have signed on in support of the facility.
E-mail: pschneider@madison.com
This is what the Blue States are all about. No wonder the politicians turned out in force.
| Rank | Location | Receipts | Donors/Avg | Freepers/Avg | Monthlies | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47 | Thailand | 50.00 |
1 |
50.00 |
7 |
7.14 |
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Abortions, 1973 - 1999
1973 744,600 1974 898,600 1975 1,034,200 1976 1,179,300 1977 1,316,700 1978 1,409,600 1979 1,497,700 1980 1,553,900 1981 1,577,300 1982 1,573,900 1983 1,575,000 1984 1,577,200 1985 1,588,600 1986 1,574,000 1987 1,559,100 1988 1,590,800 1989 1,566,900 1990 1,608,600 1991 1,556,500 1992 1,528,900 1993 1,500,000 estimated 1994 1,435,000 * 1995 1,210,000 ** 1996 1,200,000 *** 1997 1,221,585 estimated 1998 1,200,000 estimated 1999 1,200,000 estimated Subtotal: 37,477,985 + 358,663 (4% underreporting) GRAND TOTAL: 37,836,648
"Because, if our grandmothers had only had a choice, perhaps they would have had our parents turned into medical waste before they could be born, and we never would have existed at all. And wouldn't that have been great ... ?!?"
How idiotic. If their grandmothers HAD had the choice, the choice might have been to KILL THEM 50 years ago. Their selfishness is so evident.
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