Abortion Protesters Use Cameras, Raise New Legal Issues, Lawsuits

The Wall Street Journal ^ | Tuesday, May 28, 2002 | YOCHI J. DREAZEN

[TroutStalker]

DENVER -- As soon as he saw the blue minivan turning into the parking lot of Planned Parenthood's small abortion clinic here, Kenneth Scott grabbed his digital camera, clambered up his rickety metal ladder and started snapping pictures.

"You'll have nightmares about this day the rest of your life," he bellowed, photographing the blond woman gingerly leaving the minivan. Then he turned his camera to her escort. "Your sin won't be hidden or forgotten," he screamed.

[weegee]

Case in point, Texas legalized heterosexual sodomy in 1973.

[JMJ333]

I disagree. Please see the link in post 96 for a [long but worthy] explanation. Thanks.

[JMJ333]

Yay! For a minute I thought you wuzn't speakin! You BRAAD boy!

[Zeroisanumber]

That's one of the biggest problems I have with the abortion issue -- pro-choicers have to lie to maintain the public's acceptance. They don't want anyone to know that, despite the fact that abortion is legal, it's still a dangerous procedure. So, clinics refuse to call ambulances. Sometimes, a clinic will not bring the woman to the hospital, opting instead to attempt treatment in the clinics, despite the fact that they don't have the proper equipment. The public never hears about the injuries and deaths that occur in these clinics to the women who seek their services, and so, the public continues to believe, erroneously, that abortion is safe.

How often do you hear about deaths caused by internal bleeding after a tummy tuck? Or the number of Americans who have their lungs accidentially punctured during heart surgery? The numbers are there if you want to look, but doctors don't exactly advertise.

[weegee]

Here's an article, the posted opinion (from the UK) of a woman who has had 5 abortions and is proud of them:

Abortion: still a dirty word

[JMJ333]

Tummy tucks are chosen by the individual. If death occurs, it generally is an accident.

The innocent person in the womb is defenseless and has no say in their death. I ask you to consider having mercy on them.

[ArGee]

That seems a pretty reasonable statement to me. I fail to see though how the actions of the pro-life activists described in the article are geared towards bringing any women to an abortion alternative center, or in fact towards anything remotely constructive.

I don't necessarily condone the camera thing. I certainly don't agree with the shouting. But many in the pro-life community feel desparate. If they protest at the clinic they are treated like racketeers. If they open alternative centers politically minded attorneys-general try to shut them down. If they pray within 300 feet of a clinic (kneeling silently on private ground) a judge has them declared in contempt of court. If they try to get a documentary film together describing the pain the fetus goes through the first-amendment supporting press refuses to run it. They can't even print a photo of a fetus grasping a surgeon by the finger through an opening in a pregnant woman's abdomen? What do they do?

You see, everytime a woman goes into an abortion clinic, someone dies. You know this and you are made more than powerless to stop it, you are made out to be the criminal? That sort of internal conflict has driven men insane before.

We should be able to rely on the peace of G-d to help us not become insane, to not internalize our failure to stop this madness, to not cry out in the night from the nightmares that come when we think of the millions who have been slaughtered while we have been forced by the tolerant to stand by silently. Fortunately, I have been able to rely on His peace. Bernard Slepian (sp?) and this character, apparently, have not been so blessed.

Shall I condemn them for that lack of blessing? (I do condemn Slepian for his crime).

Shalom.

[weegee]

Do you have any idea how many people die from injuries recieved during routine medical procedures every year?

It's for this very reason that minors require a parental legal guardian to approve of medical procedures. But the politicians see abortion as somehow being different.

[Diamond]

What makes you think that "taking a picture" is a reasonable answer to your question? These people are all about senseless symbolism and making themselves feel better. Or they are plain stupid.... or both.

I didn't say that I think that taking a picture is a reasonable answer to my question. My point is what would we have others do for us if we were in that type of imminent danger? I suppose that somebody taking a picture probably would not be much comfort to us. It might be better than our (other) family and neighbors doing absolutely nothing to rescue us, but on the other hand I personally would probably still feel a little like that Viet Cong guy whose summary execution was captured in the famous photo. A lot of good the photo does me!

Cordially,

[JMJ333]

I should rephrase and say that killing the innocent in the womb is no accident, unlike those who bleed to death from a tummy tuck. The violent death of an innocent unabe to defend itself is a deliberate act of evil.

[ArGee]

Wild "free sex" people, as you call them, are not the only ones who need or get abortions.

Nobody needs an abortion except the woman whose life is in imminent danger of ending because of the child in her womb. That situation is rare. Other women want an abortion, but they don't need one.

Shalom.

[ArGee]

which anyone who has a moderately interesting sexlife should experience on a regular basis.

I prefer 'loving' to 'interesting.'

Just my $.02.

Shalom.

[JMJ333]

Hold down the fort! I'm on the run! =)

See ya later.

[Zeroisanumber]

That's because abortion is different.

[ArGee]

Do you have any idea how many people die from injuries recieved during routine medical procedures every year?

Are you talking about 'people' or 'minors without parental consent?'

Also, are you going to demonstrate one routine medical procedure that leads to more deaths per year than abortion, or are you going to justify abortion because it isn't more deadly than all of them put together?

And are people routinely appraised of the dangers of all those other procedures as a matter of course?

Apples and apples, please.

Shalom.

[ArGee]

If you really want to cut down on the number of abortions then mandate sex ed and distribute free birth-control.

So far, that has only increased the rates. It's kind of like the current anti-drug ad campaign actually increasing the number of teen drug users.

Only abstinence only education has been shown to reduce the numbers of unwanted pregnancies. Personally, I believe it is successful because it gives kids the authority to say 'not interested' to sex.

Shalom.

[stillonaroll]

People either have a right to privacy or they don't.

Sorry, musta' missed it. I failed to see the word "privacy" in the Constitution. Could you please cite exactly where in the Constitution such a right is granted?

[sinkspur]

IMHO these people do more damage to the pro-life movement than anyone else by driving anyone remotely moderate away.

Exactly. Horsely is buds with that Clayton Waagner character, the one sitting in jail for mailing fake anthrax to abortion clinics.

These are some very dangerous people.

[ArGee]

How often do you hear about deaths caused by internal bleeding after a tummy tuck?

How many of those refuse to call an ambulance for fear of the bad publicity? How many of those refuse to share the dangers with the patients? How many of those refuse to have any kind of regulation of their centers of operation?

It's not the same thing and it's not treated by the medical or legal community as the same thing.

Apples and apples, please.

Shalom.

[ArGee]

Hold down the fort! I'm on the run! =)

Shalom, b'Shem, young lady. Chat witcha later.