Huntsville, AL: anti-abortion activists follow home clinic escorts

[shenmue]

http://www.breitbartunmasked.com/2014/10/22/huntsville-al-forced-birth-activists-now-following-clinic-volunteers-home/

In Huntsville, Alabama, some anti-abortion protesters have taken their "activism" to a personal level. They trailed a clinic volunteer on her way home.

From the article:

Joyce and Major Fecteau have reportedly been arrested eight times for their activities at abortion clinics, but they seem to have graduated to a whole new level of alarming behavior last Saturday when a Huntsville, AL volunteer clinic escort realized they were following her home.

The volunteer, who has asked to remain anonymous, says that she encountered the Fecteaus (see above) on Sparkman Drive shortly after leaving the clinic. She saw their car slow down in front of hers, then slow and follow her despite several lane changes. They only stopped tailing her when she pulled into a public park and waited them out.

[PDJane]

1. Fanatics. Never get in the way of a fanatic.

They are one trick ponies, and they will harass and even kill you if you are in their way or don't agree with them.

My concern is why there seems to be so many of them in the US.

[shenmue]

2. True

[Ampersand Unicode]

4. Because they have a first amendment to hide behind

Psychopaths hide behind the first amendment to give them carte blanche for their intimidation. Not just freedom of "speech" (i.e. Westboro, the Klan in Skokie, IL, the Confederate flag waving that I mentioned elsewhere on this board) but freedom of "religion" to do what they think Jesus wants them to do.

Civilized EU and former Commonwealth countries have no tolerance for hate speech. Germany, for example, bans any and all displays of Nazi symbology (as "unconstitutional organizations&quot , even for "educational" purposes. Canada apparently does not allow Faux News on its TV airwaves (it's still available on the Internet, AFAIK, just not as a part of a regular cable or sat-TV package). Here, we allow the FCC to bleep the F-word and fine the NFL for showing a body part at a Super Bowl game but allow free rein for wingnuts to promote lies and hate and spout off racial and homophobic obscenities under the guise of "freedom of speech/religion."

Wingnuts also hate science but love the Interwebs. Look for these maniacs to start doxing clinic escorts and even patients in the same way as they have with doctors. A court challenge will come about and they'll win again because a person's address is a matter of public record, therefore "freedom of speech" is in play and no "crime" has occurred.

This, ladies and germs, is why we can't have nice things.

[Bluenorthwest]

7. Germany, for example, bans Nazi symbology now because once is wallowed in it...

To present Germany as somehow surprisingly progressive for having banned the symbols of the political Party under which Germany brought death to millions is a bit heavy handed. One could make a strong argument that it was not Germany that initially put the ban on Nazi materials in place, but the United States, Great Britain and Russia that ripped the fucking Nazi regalia out of their hands and burned it. That's clearly and argument that could be made. I'd definitely go so far as to say Germany did not give up the Nazi regalia without a bit of convincing on the part of the Allies.

[Ampersand Unicode]

10. Fair enough on the German issue

...but the doxing I think is a bigger concern. As I said, we've seen this before where zealots posted the personal info of doctors on websites and encouraged their followers to go there and kill the infidels. Obviously the murder was charged as such and rightfully so, but no such luck getting the website to come down. "First amendment" and "Freedom of information" and all that. No mention of the safety of the physician, or in this case, the clinic escorts or even the patients. More than just freedom of speech (in publishing the info), they're exercising freedom of "religion" in targeting people they believe to be guilty as -- and of -- "sin."

I wonder if SCOTUS would allow a Nazi website to publish home addresses of Jews? Nazi isn't a "religion" unless they want to try and cower under Odinism or Church of the Creator or some other Stormfront shit.

Rumor has it Scientology doxes SPs, too.

[Mariana]

11. Their churches are egging them on. nt.

[Warren DeMontague]

3. If they're following her, she should take them to a GAY BAR

[Bigmack]

5. Open Carry... nt

[AnnieBW]

6. The problem is

That anti-abortion people have bigger guns, and they're not afraid to use them.

[theHandpuppet]

8. Because they're so "pro-life"

What a fuckin' joke that is.

[LeftyMom]

9. Wait, you think the law in AL is going to side with armed uppity feminists against church folk?

Oh god, that's the craziest thing I'm going to read on DU all day.

[Ilsa]

12. Would a restraining order against them from

following or harassing her stop this? They are clearly trying to intimidate her into not coming back as an escort. They have no legal interest to protect by following her, do they?

Maybe some escorts need to follow them for awhile and see how they like it.