Posted on 03/11/2006 11:35:42 AM PST by wagglebee
FARGO, N.D. (AP) - An anti-abortion activist is posting Internet pictures of women entering an abortion clinic here.
Martin Wishnatsky, who is banned from going within 150 feet of the Red River Women's Clinic, said he usually stands on a street corner to take the photos.
"I have a little zoom lens," he said. "I felt it would really give the average person who doesn't visit there a firsthand view of what it looks like to someone who is there.
"I hope this might contribute to turning people's hearts back to life."
Along with the photographs, Wishnatsky has posted the license plates of cars driven by people entering the clinic.
Clinic director Tammi Kromenaker called it an intimidation tactic.
"I think anytime photographs are taken of people and used in this way, that it could be a safety problem," Kromenaker said.
The clinic is advising women not to park across the street and to wear a hat, scarf or sunglasses and no distinctive clothing, she said.
Jennifer Ring, the director of American Civil Liberties Union Dakota chapter, said a number of tactics have been used to identify abortion clinic staff members in other parts of the country. She said they can endanger the lives of the staff, and "can get very scary, very quickly."
Ring said she would speak to an attorney about Wishnatsky's activities. "My first instinct is, as disgusting as it is and as dangerous as it is, it's probably legal," she said.
Women entering the clinic are not necessarily there for abortions, Ring said.
"How does he know that one of these people isn't, for instance, delivering coffee for someone who works there?" she said.
Pro-Life Ping.
We had a secretary in our office who got screamed at "not to kill her baby!" while she was headed to a travel agency in the same building.
I don't have any expectation of privacy anywhere in the public sphere, but this just reeks.
Some Christian Charity.
I don't support abortion, but I also don't support this method.
Try prayer instead of harrassment.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH....sure they are.
Why should this be seen as "intimidation"? Having an abortion is no more "sinful" or shameful than having a tonsillectomy.
At least that's what the lesbians who run NOW and the National Coalition To Ensure That All Abortionists Can Afford A Lexus would have us believe.
It can be amusing when they scream at women going into a Planned Parenthood in this area, since they're usually at ones that do NOT offer abortion services, and they don't even bother to do their homework.
The secretary fortunately thought it was amusing to get screamed at for daring to book a cruise in the Caribbean, but it wouldn't have been so funny if her tires had been slashed.
If there's a point in doing this besides outright intimidation, would anyone care to say what it is?
I'm with you, this is disgusting.
The only problem there was that the one that was killed was the only gyno in town that took the military insurance. If your wife needed an annual checkup you felt like you had to escort her to the guy's office.
Because people delivering coffee show up in a good many pictures? Actually if the people didn't feel guilty they wouldn't mind having their picture taken, perhaps even with the abortionist and the 'fetus'. I'm sure that bare-arsed bandit last week didn't want his picture taken either.
Then what is the motivation for doing it?
Of course, if you google "Martin Wishnatsky" and see all the nuisance suits he's been involved in, his eleven votes as a presidential candidate, etc., you'll see he's just a general-purpose goofball. :)
Excellent post and sentiment. I ditto your comments. This hurts more than it helps. JMO
Humiliation doesn't strike me as a particularly effective technique. Does nothing for the aborted baby, and just pisses people off, including me. And I'm a pro-life male.
You don't seem to be getting the support on this thread that you might have anticipated.
"My first instinct is, as disgusting as it is and as dangerous as it is, it's probably legal," she said.
Was she talking about
A) Killing an unborn child.
or
B) Taking a picture with a camera.
C) All of the above.
"If there's a point in doing this besides outright intimidation, would anyone care to say what it is?"
Keeping innocents from being killed?
I agree.
You do need to put "feet on your prayers", but don't be kicking other people with them. Act more like a salesman.
I thought the left wanted abortion, to be safe, legal, and rare.
They're a bunch of lyin' hypocrits.
Any evidence that it works?
Probably works as good as telling Johns they are going to have their pictures taken patronizing prostitutes.
Well, here are the numbers for North Dakota:
http://www.ndrl.org/stats.html
Where are the pictures?
"Probably works as good (sic) as telling Johns they are going to have their pictures taken patronizing prostitutes."
Does that work? I don't know, I'm asking.
That's a question I normally see around here about Ann Coulter, Katherine Harris, and Catherine Zeta-Jones!
An anti-abortion activist is posting Internet pictures of women entering an abortion clinic here.
Rapid City is in SOUTH Dakota
Sorry. I read the whole thing thinking South Dakota because of the dateline. It makes more sense happening in urban ND.
Definition of "intimidation" from "dictionary.com"
To make timid; fill with fear.To coerce or inhibit by or as if by threats.
IMO,the publishing of a photograph,in and of itself,doesn't represent "intimidation" any more than my name (and address) appearing on the website of a pro-homosexual marriage organization here in Massachusetts does (there's a long story behind that...feel free to ask for details if you wish).
Although I know nothing about the guy in question,his actions seem,at worst,to be annoying but in no way threatening...assuming these pictures,or the website on which they appear,call for nothing like "women who have abortions deserve the wrath of God".
Certainly,anything even remotely resembling that is way,way out of bounds....and very possibly illegal to boot.
Pretty critical difference...
The story is datelined Fargo, ND.
To try and talk some one out of abortion is one thing
No one has the right expose and smear others like this!!!
The retribution should be from GOD!!
....THIS IS SO WRONG!!!
I agree, it has the same smell as those nutjobs that protest at dead soldier's funerals. There are better ways to accomplish goals. Just like good politics, persuasion is an art, not an intimidation policy.
Over 47 MILLION infants have been slaughtered in the United States in the past 33 years. The people I associate with who want to stop this rampant infanticide are generally more concerned about human life than popularity.
"Rapid City is in SOUTH Dakota"
It was an Rapid City (South Dakota) Journal article about North Dakota.
Not that you'd want someone with such blood on his hands touching your wife.
Good point.With the "johns",at least,the motive behind doing this is obviously not to "intimidate" but to embarrass.Cops and prosecutors don't have to "intimidate" people.The badge,the indictment and the jail cell do that very nicely.
A desire to avoid shame can be a big motivator...for those who are capable of feeling it (which,of course,leaves out the likes of Bill Clinton).
With cameras now in cell phones, you cant really do much and not have everyone know.
Now its 'little' brother and his cell phone and modem that rats out people.
I agree.
"You don't seem to be getting the support on this thread that you might have anticipated."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Neither do the slutty women who want to get rid of the evidence of sex with some guy they slept with. Now, THAT is disgusting (and pretty selfish as well).
Kill the sob.
control freak.
So I'm sure that based on this, you'll support concealed carry, right, Ms. Ring?
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