Posted on 07/04/2007 6:22:24 PM PDT by monomaniac
COLERAINE, Northern Ireland, July 4, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - On Saturday a police officer assaulted Bernatte Smyth, the head of Ireland's leading pro-life group Precious Life, for refusing to remove an "offensive" pro-life display. She will be petitioning a charge against him for "grievous bodily harm" inflicted during the attack.
Smyth described the incident to LifeSitenews.com, saying that a member of the community contacted the police because she was disturbed by abortion pictures in a public Precious Life display. Constable Peter Olphert of the Coleraine police department refused to communicate or compromise with Smyth even when she told him that the pro-lifers were perfectly within their rights to show the signs. He grabbed the board and started dragging it with Smyth partly sandwiched inside. Her arm was jammed and badly bruised.
Smyth said that after she informed the officer that she would be making a formal complaint about his conduct, he grabbed her and arrested her. She was then taken by van to the police station where her injuries were looked over by a doctor.
Smyth was charged with "obstruction" and "provactive conduct". She noted, however, that the only thing that provoked the incident was the abortion picture itself. The police officer also falsely claimed that she did not give him her name and address which was one of the first things she did after the incident.
Precious Life has been setting up the pro-life displays within different towns for ten years. They give street information sessions, collect petitions against abortions, show pictures of the aftermath of abortion and display 3-D fetal models. In the past, police have investigated such displays, and the public prosecution service ruled that it was legal.
People who witnessed the event were extremely shocked, and various individuals have offered to give official testimony on her behalf. Smyth, who is presently on bail until August 6, is confident that the charges will not stand in a court and will be petitioning a charge against the constable
Smyth noted, "We have to continue with this battle, because if we don't no one else will and more babies will die. We are praying that this case will backfire on the police and they will realize that we are legal."
The media has maintained a strict silence concerning the event which comes at an extremely opportune time. At present, pro-choice Liberal Democrat and member of the British Medical Association (BMA), Dr. Evan Harris, is pushing for an extension of the 1967 Abortion Act to extend to Northern Ireland. According to the Guardian Unlimited, Harris recently stated that it was "disgraceful" that parliament limits abortion in Northern Ireland. He said, "It's time that situation changed. There must be a vote in parliament."
Smyth hopes, "that justice will be done." She said, "We have to deal with this so that pro-life groups are protected and our rights and freedom of speech are upheld."
Read related LifeSiteNews coverage:
Northern Ireland Judge Rejects Pro-Abortion Demand http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2003/jul/03070708.html
Belfast Appeal Court Orders Health Department to Draw up "Guidelines" for Abortion http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/oct/04101303.html
UK: Rising Number of Abortions Confirm Need to Change 1967 Law http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/aug/06080107.html
Would be interesting to know how this pans out in "Brown's" UK.
The problem is that the powerful don’t believe in freedom for “lowlifes” like pro-lifers or those who oppose the illegal invasion.
I had to talk to some pro-lifer’s as well. Our church let another church use part of our building, and these guy’s were protesting the other church’s support of abortion clinics or something. They had their huge and graphic posters propped up and holding them, etc.
They sure knew where they could be and where they couldn’t though. (Although I did move a poster that was leaning on a tree on our property.) And I told them I did agree with their thoughts, just not their methods (in a school area, etc.)
The next weekend they were outside the family summer picnic in the town park. I made excuses to walk my then 4 year old around the other exit!
Tough call. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t be happy about showing those pictures to children. However, two things come to mind:
1. The matter of 1.3 million people (little people... people) killed every year in our nation is such a massive atrocity that it overwhelms the upset such a picture would ordinarily cause a younster, to see it. It’s like the difference between being upset by storm sirens going off next to your home in the middle of the night and being killed by a tornado.
2. I remember being quite a young boy (maybe just around four, five, or six) and seeing the horrific pictures — moving pictures — of victims of the Nazis. I was pretty shocked, but never beyond reason and I am so very grateful that those images were broadcast; also grateful that I got to learn such a lesson about human nature as a young boy. (Such things as the flying gargoyle monkees in the Wizard of Oz were more frightening, the real horror allowed me to be troubled with pathos.)
It was a tough call. And yes - the photos are nothing compared to the actual killing that is going on. However, I’d rather pick and choose my own times to talk to my kids about stuff like that.
I understand. I’d also rather not have a four-year old child of mine awakened by the siren next door. :-|
Substitute Ireland ping!
BTTT.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.