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Posted on 12/09/2001 6:07:17 PM PST by pcl

He says tragedy memorial just happens to be spot he picked

Helene Stovall nearly lost her brother-in-law in last week's World Trade Center attack.

 Grieving for those who did perish, the Redding woman on Wednesday went to visit a memorial that sprouted last week at Cypress Avenue and Hilltop Drive. When she spotted two anti-abortion activists picketing there, her sadness turned to rage.

 "This memorial is in lieu of us all being able to go to a funeral," said Stovall, a New York native. "I was just so totally infuriated that they crashed it."

 Last week, the Rev. Jerry Falwell, a Baptist minister, said pagans, abortionists, feminists and gays and lesbians "helped" the terrorist attacks take place by angering God. The next day he apologized for what he called his insensitivity in singling out certain groups for blame.

 Picket Bob Talbott of Anderson, who has spent the last three days at the intersection, said he agrees with Falwell but picked the location simply because it was a busy spot with lots of traffic. The woman who picketed with him declined to give her name.

 "We shouldn't kill babies," said Talbott, who wore a God Bless America hat and held a roughly 5-foot-tall photo of an aborted baby. "They resent it, and so do I. All I'm doing is stating the truth."

 Talbott, an abortion protester for 12 years, said he believes the practice is related to last week's attacks. He said God lifted his "hand of protection" to atone for human sin.

 While most passing motorists ignored Talbott's presence at the memorial, some were livid. They shouted from their cars, gestured crudely and got out to argue. One even threw a can, Talbott said.

 All the while, he just smiled and waved.

 "I was afraid to come out here today," said Talbott, who wore a white shirt and tie and mopped sweat from his brow with a handkerchief. "My knees were shaking."

 A car driven by a woman was nearly rear-ended as she pulled up and told the anti-abortionists, "You're not respecting the people who this memorial is for."

 A retired Orange County firefighter stopped his car and walked up to the protesters. He showed his badge and in a voice shaking with anger said, "I respectfully ask you to move this. I'm not a violent man, but it's taking everything in me not to move this for you."

 Gil Sanchez said he was driving down Hilltop to pick up a prescription when he saw the fetus photo and "something snapped." He was thinking about the "300 brother and sister firefighters in New York, and to see this really got me."

 Redding police Capt. Steve Davidson said Wednesday afternoon he was aware of just one citizen complaint to police.

 "There's absolutely nothing we can do to prevent him from doing this," Davidson said, as long as activists don't block the sidewalk or display pornography.

 Stovall, whose brother-in-law escaped from the 46th floor of the north World Trade Center tower, jumped out of her car to argue with Talbott.

 But Rich Bussey of Redding, on his way home after taking his cat to the veterinarian, yelled out his window.

 "It was the most disgusting, most disrespectful thing I've seen in my life," Bussey, a landscaper, said later. "They have the right to protest. I'll grant anyone the right to protest. But this is not the spot, not the time.

 "You don't go to a funeral and hand out business cards," he said.

 Talbott said he understood why people were angry. He made one of his signs from plywood instead of cardboard in anticipation someone might try to break it.

 "But it's a public forum," he said, noting some people waved in support.

 And for his part, Talbott said he condemns the terrorist attacks. "I don't like lunatics flying into skyscrapers either," he said. 

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