Posted on 12/02/2003 9:32:20 AM PST by nickcarraway
Sacramento, CA (LifeNews.com) -- Prompted by some local leaders, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors is considering a proposal that would place "no protest zones" around area abortion businesses.
One local abortion facility, Women's Health Specialists, already has a 20-foot zone in place thanks to an order issued by a local judge. Now county officials are considering extending similar anti-protest zones around all local abortion centers.
Three members of the board staged a press conference at the state capitol to announce their support for the idea.
"Those who wish to offer a different opinion are able to do so, but they are not going to be permitted -- under this ordinance -- to do so in a way that interferes with the legitimate exercise of an equally important right," Supervisor Roger Dickinson told KRCA-TV.
Since the late 1980's there have been no major protests in California, such as those groups like Operation Rescue organized in the past. In addition, none of the five protesters that were involved in the original lawsuit that led to the original 20-foot zone around Women's Health Specialists have protested abortions in two years and three of the five haven't participated in a protest in more than a decade.
That prompts pro-life attorneys to say there is no need for the protest free area.
"The buffer zone is useless due to the non-participation of those enjoined and [abortion] clinic employees are desperate," says Dana Cody, Executive Director of the Life Legal Defense Foundation.
"Enter three pandering county supervisors beholding to abortion zealots," Cody added. "Now we will waste county resources debating a dead issue."
Another pro-life attorney, Cyrus Zal, argues such a law would limit the free speech rights of pro-life protesters and would cost the county because of expected lawsuits against it.
The supervisors will vote on the issue next Tuesday. San Diego and San Francisco have similar no-protest zones in place.
P.O. Box 2105, Napa, California 94558 – 707.224.6675
NEWS RELEASE December 1, 2003
COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO UNDER SPELL OF ABORTION ZEALOTS
Contact: Dana Cody, Esq. 916.727.4396
SACRAMENTO, CA – Today at California’s State Capitol, three members of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors held a press conference to announce their support of a 20-foot “no-protest” zone at County abortion clinics and medical offices where abortion services are provided. The press conference was held at Women’s Health Specialists (WHS) on Wright Street, where weekly a handful of sidewalk counselors talk to women entering the clinic in an effort to provide alternatives to abortion.
There currently exists at WHS a buffer zone which enjoins 5 individuals, however, the most recent visit by any of the 5 was 2 years ago, three others not having been to the clinic for over 11 years. The injunction was recently modified to apply to the new Wright Street address.
Since the late 1980’s there have been no major protests in California, such as those groups like Operation Rescue organized in the past. One has to wonder why three County Supervisors are wasting time and county money supporting such an ordinance, especially in light of the poor condition of the State budget, which trickles down to the County level.
“This is the political equivalent of a 4-year-old not getting her way so she keeps kicking and screaming until she does. The buffer zone is useless due to the non-participation of those enjoined and clinic employees are desperate. Enter three pandering county supervisors beholding to abortion zealots. Now we will waste county resources debating a dead issue.” says Dana Cody, Executive Director of the Life Legal Defense Foundation. “We intend to examine the language should the ordinance be proposed and at that time will decide what action to take.”
Life Legal Defense Foundation, was established in 1989, and is a non-profit organization composed of attorneys and other concerned citizens, committed to giving helpless and innocent human beings of any age, particularly the unborn, and their advocates, a trained and committed voice in the courtrooms of our nation. For more information, call Dana Cody at 916.727.4396. End
"The buffer zone is useless due to the non-participation of those enjoined and [abortion] clinic employees are desperate," says Dana Cody, Executive Director of the Life Legal Defense Foundation.
I'll just say this...abortion clinics would not be able to have a "protest free area" if it weren't for the constant threats of violence and actual murders and bombings that have occurred at abortion clinics. The pro-lifers shot themselves in the foot on that one.
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Such an irony. "Constant threats of violence." Well, let's see, then: instead of cancelling the First Amendment, let's just proclaim a
Oh, wait... can't do that.
That would put them out of business.
Nice try. Most pro-life demonstrations are peaceful. The radical Left doesn't want mothers to hear any pro-life message. After all, that might make them change their mind and go ahead with the child birth! Gasp!
I was trolling DUmmies a few weeks ago, and they really do believe a fetus is a blob of jello up until birth. They really believe it!
We need a media campain that shows what abortion really is, and what the murdered children really look like. People have no idea.
We should constantly hound the media to explain this to the public. They're totally uninformed about this issue. The truth has been grossly silenced.
I fear you're correct. Screaming "whore" and "murderer" at scared girls entering and leaving a Planned Parenthood building is not a good way to win the public relations battle on this issue. Mainstream pro-life groups are smarter than that, but the zealots do more harm than good.
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