This church harasses women

[guillaumeb]

From the article:

MORE THAN 40 pro-choice activists gathered early on February 3 to demonstrate outside a church whose members regularly harass women entering a nearby abortion clinic.
Once a month, St. Patrick's Basilica in New York City interrupts its service to march parishioners three blocks down the street to the Planned Parenthood's Margaret Sanger Center.

To read more:

https://socialistworker.org/2018/02/08/this-church-harasses-women

[PJMcK]

1. Sounds like Freedom of Speech

While I can't understand why a church would engage in such hateful behavior, don't they have a First Amendment right to peacefully demonstrate and voice their objection to abortion?

[guillaumeb]

2. Not when they interfere with someone attempting to exercise

a Constitutional right. If they block entrances, or block people from entering, they are not engaging in speech, but in action.

[PJMcK]

6. I wrote "peacefully"

Do they take the illegal actions you've suggested? In the article, it says the "church whose members regularly harass women..." A little later it states, "The group then accosts patients entering the clinic..." Later still, it says, "...anti-choicers speak to patients and physically grab them." Because the article was written by a someone who was part of the pro-choice protest, the hyperbole is suspect.

If the pro-lifers "grab them," it's assault and they could press charges. If they're simply chanting at the patients, they're really just very rude. I would ask the church members if they could show me in their bible where Jesus tells them to behave this way.

This article is more of an opinion piece than a journalistic report. And just to be clear, I'm pro-choice and consider abortion rights-- and all other personal medical decisions-- to be retained by each person for their own decisions.

[guillaumeb]

9. In my area, near Chicago, there was an anti-abortion activist who carried a loudspeaker

to protests. He would "talk" to the women using the loudspeaker as a way of harassing. When asked, he claimed to be speaking to the crowd. He also instructed his followers to link arms and physically block the entrances.

And yes, it is an opinion piece, but the tactics described are quite common among these groups.

[Act_of_Reparation]

16. Not necessarily.

Time and place restrictions are not unheard of. You have a right to voice your opinion. You might not have the right to intimidate people--intentionally or otherwise--while they're walking into a medical clinic. Ultimately, it is up to the courts, but it is my personal opinion that they should not be allowed to assemble within a block of that clinic.

[PJMcK]

17. Agree with your personal opinion

Also, please note that I said "peacefully." Assaulting or intimidating people requires police intervention.

[msongs]

3. the bible is all about harrassing women. goes on in every church nt

[guillaumeb]

4. Not mine.

[yallerdawg]

5. "Abortion is health care, and health care is a right!"

Our boisterous chat of "This church harasses women" was intended to give the church and those attending it some idea of what they inflict on women exercising their rights to control their own bodies. Visitors entering the church had to march through our picket, and many exhibited clear frustration at the disruption.

There are 'true believers' on both sides of this issue!

Brilliant to take it away from the clinic and drop it on the church's door step for a taste of their own medicine!

[Mariana]

7. "True believers on both sides" of women's rights? Really?

"Who on earth supports unfettered abortion as a political position?" - yallerdawg

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1218259249#post35

[yallerdawg]

8. What are you disputing?

"Advocate and support all the alternatives for birth control to reduce abortion - but guarantee a woman's inviolable right to choose."

The sentence I wrote prior...

[guillaumeb]

11. Which was also expressed by Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama.

If my memory is correct.

[yallerdawg]

13. They're pretty sure I'm a 'rightwing fundamentalist troll' like Hillary and Obama.

[guillaumeb]

15. Ouch!!!

There is that problem/situation/reality that cannot be really addressed. How to reconcile the 2 contradictory memes.

[Mariana]

12. Would you say this about any other group and their oppressors

or their would-be oppressors, as the case may be?

Civil rights for people of color and proponents of segregation:

There are 'true believers' on both sides of this issue!

Fundies and LBGT people who want equal rights:

There are 'true believers' on both sides of this issue!

Muslims persecuting Christians in the Middle East:

There are 'true believers' on both sides of this issue!

Etc.

[yallerdawg]

14. You have totally lost me.

Since I said 'true believers' in the context of the discussion we are having related to this OP and thread.

[guillaumeb]

10. Agreed. Sauce for the goose...etc.