Today the NH Senate Judiciary Committee had a public hearing on SB 319 , the bill to create a 25 foot buffer zone around women's health clinics, to ensure that the "sidewalk counselors" of the forced gestation movement aren't able to get too close and personal in their desire to counsel. And by counsel - I mean harass - because that's what they do.
My patience with this crowd is at a low ebb. I'm weary of pious liars and their pretend concerns. These same people who carry on so about their right to free speech could give two shits about anyone else's rights. I don't remember them defending the rights of anti-war protesters during the Bush years, when we were penned up, out of sight, in the marvelously Orwellian Free Speech Zones. For that matter, none of these people who carry on so about LIFE were at those antiwar demonstrations. War kills, but they don't care about the fetuses, babies, children, and adults killed in war. Only the fetuses.
And what a bunch. They don't know nuthin' bout no problems at no clinics. They've never seen anyone get harassed. They're just there to mind their own bidness and pray - BUT - that 25 feet is a terrible, awful, thing that is unfair to them!
Apparently God doesn't hear prayers from 25 feet away.
It was a long and tiresome hearing. Senator Sam Cataldo told a story about getting harassed on a job site in 1966, and expected us to all break down in tears with empathy for him. Because whatever happens to men is more important. He brought it up to each person who testified for well over an hour. It was painful, and tedious - and really disrespectful. The committee was there to hear testimony about access to women's health clinics, not 50 year old anti-union grievances from a grumpy old man.
A woman who volunteers as a clinic escort described situations she's observed and been part of. The forced birthers deny these things ever happen. They just want to pray and offer love and help to these women. A very brave woman told the story of what happened to her when she went to have an abortion - from the moment she got out of her car she was surrounded by a crowd of protestors who were yelling at her and waving their fake pictures at her. When she came out they were waiting for her, and harassed her all over again.
The next speaker was Dr. Kenneth Arndt of Windham, who said he didn't believe any of that ever happened.
Dr. Kenneth Arndt of Windham is affiliated with the Army of God. Remember them? They're terrorists. Eric Robert Rudolph, Shelley Shannon, James Kopp, and Clayton Waagner are among the more famous names. James Kopp murdered Dr. Bernard Slepian. Shelley Shannon is in prison for trying to kill Dr. George Tiller (someone else finished the job.) Clayton Waagner sent anthrax letters to 550 clinics, and had announced his intention to kill anyone working at a clinic. That's the Army of God.
Dr. Arndt is one of them. He's signed their petition that states clearly that they believe killing doctors and clinic violence is not only acceptable - but justified. Arndt didn't give the Judiciary Committee full disclosure of his position. Instead he engaged in flagrant hypocrisy - lecturing about life and morals. Yeppers - a terrorist (a matter of public record) wagging the pious finger of morality.
BIG h/t to Kevin who Tweets as @SolidGraniteNH for clueing me in on Kenneth Arndt's terrorist ties.
These evil people make me sick. It is very simple. If you don't like abortion....don't have one. Otherwise, mind your own damn business.
ReplyDeleteThey are the lowest of the low. Who? So called anti-abortionists/pro-lifer hypocritters. I know this first hand. In every state I've lived including Rhode Island, they have behaved with disgraceful rowdy and harassing screaming.
ReplyDeleteOnce I made the mistake of asking a question of one of these hypocritters. (I worked in RI in an office that was next door to a alleged abortion clinic).
My question was "how many babies have you adopted?" I was screamed at. And that was my answer.
A human body does not necessarily house a thoughtful and critical thinking brain.
As you said Susan, no ranting and raving from these monsters about the innocence that we slaughtered overseas. Hypocritters = empty casing housing no brain.
We're really attracting the high powered arseholes. Wait until this bill hits the books in the spring.
ReplyDeleteThey had their halos deployed. They couldn't possibly have yelled across 40 feet I was a baby killer (yup, 40 feet, and funny, I could hear their political discussions easily from the front landing at PP in Manchester, with a six-foot-high fence in between to boot.
I used three of their pics, but I've got my own, including one who followed the fence on Rite_Aid property and yelled at two people sitting in their car on the other side of the fence. At that point, I'd had enough and shooed her away when I started snapping her image.
What a bunch... they hold their religion over us and show up at a hearing only to lie through their teeth.
I usually don't agree much with what you write, but I think you're right on here. I volunteered as an escort in a another state for a while, and the harassment the women had to endure to go into and out of the clinic was nothing short of heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteI was told, "Don't do it, mom!" dozens of times, and I was only there to walk people to and from. The types of people who protest at women's health clinics don't seem to to too concerned with little things like "facts" or "reason".