| By Dave Harding, ProgressOhio - Jul 21st, 2009 at 10:43 am EDT |
The antis have been getting louder and braver since the election of President Obama. Then on May 31st, we had the tragic shooting of Dr. Tiller at the door of his church. The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE) is supposed to protect clinics, clinic workers, clients and their families. Sadly, those of us who work at the clinics, who have done clinic escort, who have gone to the clinic as a patient or accompanying a family member or friend have experienced first hand how intimidating and terrifying the anti's can be, and how the laws that should protect us and our right to an abortion often fail.
The clinic in Akron, Ohio has been the site of a protest every Saturday morning for years. There are the regulars with their signs and bibles, some who stand quietly and pray others who are much more verbal and intimidating. There are the in your face group, who try to stop people from entering the clinic, threaten, intimidate and occasionally try to push or grab. And now we have the Jericho Riders, self proclaimed Motorcycle Ministers, warriors for Jesus Christ, who have declared war on abortion, gays, and sinners. Their website states "Those of you who would call truth HATE, simply HATE the truth! The site proclaims they are unashamed, unafraid and unapologetic. And even offers a warning before you enter the site www.jerichoriders.com. There posted on the missions calendar every Saturday from 0800 until 1200 -1300 in front of the Murder Mill at 839 East Market, Akron, Ohio.
And it was there while defending the clinic and a woman's right to choose that Charles Wright, a long time Akron Area NOW member and activist was beaten to the ground on Saturday morning. Wright who was unconscious, was taken to the hospital where he spent the night in the ICU. Fortunately, he was not hurt seriously and was released from the hospital on Monday with a few broken ribs and bruises. When I talked to him at the hospital Sunday, he told me he was hesitant about going to the clinic because the antis were getting more aggressive. He also stated that though he will continue to believe in a woman's right to choose, he was not sure he was willing to put himself in danger outside of a clinic again.
These sentiments were also expressed by another NOW member who on July 8, 2009 was instrumental in helping get a guilty verdict of Criminal Trespass against an anti at the same clinic. She has been grabbed and threatened and does not feel safe going to the clinic again. Her question to me was "Where are the police? Why aren't they protecting the clinic, it's workers and clients?
The good news is that it seems the Akron Police are taking the attack against Wright seriously. The charges are to be Felonious Assault. NOW along with many other prochoice and gay rights groups will be watching to make sure they do their job. We will be meeting in the near future to discuss the violence and what we can do to help protect the clinic, workers and patients. We cannot allow the antis to succeed in closing down another clinic. We cannot walk away from our sisters in need. We cannot allow hatred to win. We must stand together against violence and speak out against discrimination and hatred.
We've setup a system so that you can send Charles a note with your thoughts by clicking here.
In sisterhood,
Diane Dodge
President
Ohio NOW
Comments are closed for this post.
Sincerely and Respectfully
Jim Carroll
If you are not doing anything to prevent natural abortions (i.e., miscarriages), I doubt your sincerity in protecting the unborn. I think you protest the clinics just to feel like macho men. Your intimidation tactics only serve to encourage do-it-yourself abortions.
"If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
Excuse me, but that's like saying if the police don't do anything to prevent people from dying of cancer, their attempts at stopping gun violence are disingenuous.
It might make you feel better to believe all the antis are acting out of machismo, but such an argument makes your sincerity dubious. Someone who believes that abortion is the termination of a human life--one that has as much value as any other--is compelled to act on that belief (just as you are compelled to act on your belief in the rights and safety of a woman and those trying to support and comfort her).
To oversimplify and demonize opposing views is to dishonor the importance of the issue at hand, and it perpetuates hateful attitudes on both sides of the argument.
Hatred wins when EITHER side becomes controlled by their animosity and blinded by their anger. Anyone who wants to fight for life, dignity, and justice cannot be selective in which individuals they choose to treat with respect.
Since you folks were out at the clinic, when this happened, IF your people weren't involved in the attack, what did they do to stop the attack? Do your people know who did this? Have they cooperated with the police in the investigation? If you have video of someone aiding the victim, do you have video of the attack? If you just stood by and watched this happen, it was as good as actively assisting in the attack. Frankly, unless your people help solve this crime, I truly believe that the Jericho Riders were active participants in the assault.
Beyond that, women who choose to have abortions do not need to be merely protected when going into clinics; they need to be helped and protected mentally, emotionally, and financially before they even get to the clinic; the number one reason that women have abortions is due to financial reasons and/or being unsupported from the child's father and/or her parents. Most women do not want to have an abortion and are FORCED to due to LACK of choice of health care, resources that they need to care for themselves and their child, and general support from society to protect the life that they carry wihin themselves, instead of being left abandoned by a society who looks down on unwed mothers, poor women, and young women, not yet fully able to carry the financial burden alone.
So what Diane Dodge and others like her need to do is to FIGHT for women's true rights: the right to health care for them and their children; the right to support for single mothers and a livable wage; the right to have paid maternity leave, no matter where she works, as most other first-world countries have, EXCEPT the U.S.
Fight for what a women really wants; to care for life, to nurture, to be able to live and have the life she wants, without feeling she has to choose between herself and her baby; women want and need both. Choice is not and should not about choosing oneself over one's baby. Diane Dodge needs a wake-up call.
"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." -- Matthew 6:1
I have no doubt Jesus was a great Rabbi, but because of groups like the Jericho Riders I no longer wish to be associated with the label "Christian."
Link
This is not about me, but you can judge my prochoice sincerity for yourself by clicking on the Reproductive Rights category here. I did this for the first time today and found only one other post (about Tucker Max) that wasn't written by me or a PO staff member. For what it's worth, I have donated thousands to Planned Parenthood of Central Ohio over the past 12 years.
Clearly, you and I have too much time on our hands while other people are working their butts off.
Catholic Overload 7/11 Link
The Empathy Hole at Fox News 6/19 Link
The Vast Uterine Cabal Still Lives 5/16 Link
Let's Put a Mom on the Bench 5/6 Link
Yes, Reread Your Founding Documents, GOP 3/14 Link
Home for the Homunculi 3/13 Link
The Brown Envelope Campaign 3/6 Link
Christocrats Out of Touch 3/4 Link
Finally, Prolifers Got it Right 1/21 Link
...and others in 2008 & 2009
I read the ABJ article and, as instructed by Diane Dodge, sent my sincere get well wishes to Charles a long time ago.
I have attended two Pro-Choice Lobby Days, have done political cavassing on behalf of Planned Parenthood, am a regular contributor to PP and Women Have Options, get anonymous mail from weirdos because I write Letters to the Editor about abortion, and I don't think you'll find another blogger in Ohio who has written more than I have in support of abortion rights.
I do not criticize that you are protesting in response to prolifers at the site of a clinic because I've done it 5-6 times myself here in Columbus. Sometimes I was the only prochoicer at the Weber & High clinic, but usually not. I talked to the fundies about what the bible says. I've gotten to the clinic early to take their parking spot for bloody fetus displays -- really made them mad. I've been called a babykiller while locked in my car.
So, I think I know what I'm talking about. I stopped counter-protesting after talking to the clinic personnel and realizing that they didn't want me there. (But the good thing about being a little old lady protester is that no one will hit you.)
What happened to that clinic? It got bulldozed -- too many protesters. A suspect Akron's will be next. Not exactly a victory for prochoice.
I sincerely don't understand how Charles' victimizer could tell he was gay just by looking at him. Please, please do not inject gay rights into reproductive rights issues.
Most of the people who came to support abortion on demand, and without apology were from Akron. There were also some folks from Canton, and the staff of Revolution Books from Cleveland. Charles Wright, who had been assaulted by an anti-abortion protester a couple weeks before, was thrilled to see so many people standing up to the Christian fasicts. Also there were the core of Akron activists who come to the clinic every Saturday. And we were joined by a woman who is one of the main people at the clinic.
Quite a few people who came out told heartfelt stories of how this clinic had provided them abortions in the past, how much this meant to them, and how they wanted to make sure that abortion services would continue to assist women in Akron.
For some people, this was their first demonstration, and they were moved to volunteer to become part of the defense of this clinic in a more ongoing way. Everybody was chanting, and getting to know each other. For some of these folks, it was the first time they've had any contact with Revolution newspaper.
The rally began with the pro-choice people across the street from the clinic, holding signs and a 14' banner that read "Abortion on Demand and Without Apology." But then we saw the boyfriend of someone getting an abortion yelling at the anti's. We had to join him! One of the pro-choice people ran across the street to join him, others followed, and then the person from the clinic invited all of us to cross the street!
The whole rally moved in front of the clinic, and statements from Revolution Books were passed out to people coming in and out of the clinic. People thanked us for being there to support them, and readily grabbed up the fliers.
The anti-abortion forces were really on the defensive. They were quieter than usual, and not as puffed up. And when they did start shouting at women coming into and out of the clinic, saying things like, "do you know what abortion does to your body? It'll be harder to have kids, you'll get breast cancer," we started chanting "Liars, Liars!"
The rally ended with some words by Charles, his partner Tom, a pro-choice person who regularly comes to the clinic, a woman who works in the clinic, and a person from Revolution Books.
Afterwards, a number of folks got together to eat, and talk, and watch sections of Bob Avakians's DVD, "Revolution: Why It's Necessary, Why It's Possible, and What It's All About." People left feeling very uplifted, more ready to fight, and having their minds open to new possibilities.
Read more and view photos at
Link
I don't think it's any coincidence that the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act came about because of the systematic discrimination of an Akron-based employer. Discrimination against women seems to be a part of the culture there.