Thin Orange Line: They Call Us Deathscorts

[neadods]

I've been keeping an eye on the news that one of the remaining late-term abortion doctors is about to open a clinic somewhere in town. Judging from the articles, he's planning on flying under the radar as much as possible to cut down on the protesters as long as possible.

Here's an article about the gearup to find and "out" him and to harass - I mean "sidewalk counsel" his clients. Oh, and harass - I mean "convert" - the escorts.

Tactics include snapping pictures of any guy who might be the doctor and assume he is, putting his picture on flyers and leaflet bombing his neighborhood. Posing as clients to lie a way into the clinic to get pictures/information on it. All the usual "it's my right to hound anyone we deem guilty... but we'll bat our eyes and look innocent if someone REALLY goes overboard" stuff.

But there is one paragraph that makes me smile:
Ames says that one of the biggest challenges to these "counseling" efforts is the presence of clinic escorts, volunteers who accompany patients into clinics in order to shield them from anti-abortion activists. "That’s a tough one," Ames concedes. "When you have these escorts—we call them 'deathscorts'—it becomes very difficult. We do attempt to convert the deathscorts. I might go up to one and say, 'You’re helping lead these women to the slaughter. What kind of man are you?' You try to appeal to their sense of honor, or if they're a man, their manliness."

I guess the conversion line does explain some of the things that've been said to me. But seriously, how is that supposed to work? I read that and all I can think of is those fake "I used to be an atheist just like you" pitches.

I hadn't planned on taking a shift this weekend, but now I'm starting to be inspired...

Comments

[wendymr.livejournal.com]

Reading that article, and the interview extracts, I had to keep reminding myself throughout: everything they are protesting about and trying to stop is completely legal.

In other words, a doctor can practice a specialism that is entirely permissible by law; clients can plan to access a service that is entirely legal - and these people will take it upon themselves to stalk and harass both the doctor and the clients, and it seems that the people being harassed have no recourse.

Yeah, that stinks.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Stinks like a flat skunk in August. Because a zealot on the sidewalk is SO MUCH MORE able to determine the right course of action than the people actually involved...

[museclio]

Me too. I saw Carhart speak - I was one of the escorts at Tiller's memorial in DC. Carhart was under US Marshalate protection.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I wish I'd been there. It's good you were.

[flaviarassen.livejournal.com]

Now I really see how they got called on racketeering charges. A shame that didn't go anywhere.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I think it got parsed out as organized, but not organized corruption. Because they don't outright advocate violence, just suggest it's A Very Good Thing.

[suze2000.livejournal.com]

What arrogant idiots. Do they really think you'd be out there escorting people in if you had so little conviction about what you are doing that they'd be able to "convert" you in an afternoon on a sidewalk? (if that makes sense) Especially since their own behaviour is so abhorrent to a right-thinking person. Sheesh.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Based on what I've seen, it doesn't matter if it works, just that cosmic brownie points are given for trying. It's like handing out Chick tracts... certainly as reality- based as a tract!

[starmalachite.livejournal.com]

Once again, I'm mightily tempted to sign up as an escort, but with my mobility issues it just would not be a good idea. Words cannot express how much I honor those who do escort work.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

The escort groups are all volunteer and always need people to help with the organizational basics if you still want to help...

[sarah-ovenall.livejournal.com]

Deathscorts! I want a t-shirt that says that (which I would never wear to the clinic of course. Well, maybe under a sweater so only I knew it was there.)

Will you volunteer at Carhart's clinic when it opens? That sounds like it's going to deserve hazard pay.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

If he works with WACDTF, I'm going to feel morally obligated to show up at least once. Whether I make it more than once depends on how the first time goes...

[nonelvis]

“When an infamous late-term abortionist announces his plans to expand into Maryland, people are going to say, ‘not in my hometown,’" Newman says.

Really? 'Cause speaking as someone who grew up in Maryland, I have no problems with Carhart moving into my hometown to provide legal and necessary services -- and I know my parents, who still live there, would feel the same way. Please crawl back under your rock now, Mr. Newman.

Also, what the fuck is this? You try to appeal to their sense of honor, or if they're a man, their manliness.

Manliness? What does manliness have to do with anything here? Or is it that they're trying to make men feel guilty that they're duping poor, dumb women incapable of making their own decisions about their bodies?

These people fill me with so much rage.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I have no problems with Carhart moving into my hometown

Ditto.

What does manliness have to do with anything here?

As far as I can tell based on things said to the guys who escort with me, it's a combination of "you ought to be protecting the little wimmins, not leading them to the abortion mill" and the belief that a guy is so insecure about his manliness that being questioned on it is going to send him fleeing in horror that his dick might fall off. (This could be a much longer post - see James Dobson and his bragging about beating the snot out of a dauchshund for not being properly respectful to his male authority. When you're so damned insecure you've got to thrash a wiener dog, you've got some serious pecker-related paranoia, IMO.)

[nonelvis]

Yeah, I figured it would be the usual sexist bullshit. Obviously women aren't smart or logical enough to make decisions about their bodies, and a man can't feel like a Real Man unless he's taking charge of the wimmenfolk.

see James Dobson and his bragging about beating the snot out of a dauchshund for not being properly respectful to his male authority

I hadn't heard about this before, and now that I've read the excerpts from his book, I wish I still hadn't heard about it. What a loathsome, disgusting excuse for a human being.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

What a loathsome, disgusting excuse for a human being.

I agree entirely, but he's unfortunately one of the really, really famous talibangelical whackaloons and a lot of people think that he's absolutely right.

Which is even more loathsome.

[calapine.livejournal.com]

What a lot of feckin bullshit. It does boggle me somewhat that it's considered acceptable to harrass patients and more-or-less incite violence.

Thank goodness there are also people like you.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

It boggles me massively that the first amendment is somehow stretched to include a lot of these activities which certainly violate a bunch of other civil rights. American law can be extremely strange.

I wish there didn't have to be people like me. I also wish it hadn't taken me so long to join the escorts.

But I won't stop. Not when I remember that once there was a woman so scared that she not only hid behind me but clung to me all the way down to the door. And I'm at the "quiet" clinic.

[gonzai55.livejournal.com]

I am pleased to hear there will be a facility on the East Coast. It's about time.

Now let's just hope it can stay open and violence-free...or at least violence minimal.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

The former head of Operation Rescue's in Virginia, so this is probably going to get... touchy. The laws, however, have changed significantly since OR members chained themselves to doors.

And yes, it's about time there was on on the East Coast!

[redpanda13.livejournal.com]

“Instead of being known as the go-to state to eat crabs, Maryland is becoming known as the state where women go to eat their children.”

Excuse me, are we starting to lose our shaky grip on reality here?

Definite agreement with the comments on that article, especially TJ's about "counseling" vs harassment, and about the harassers doing nothing to help a woman with an unwanted pregnancy.

Some states have passed laws forcing clinic staff to tell lies to women who want abortions, telling them that it will increase their chances of mental illness or breast cancer. Nobody talks about the mental, physical, and financial strain of actually having the unwanted baby.

This reminds me of those scum who stage their vile protests at soldiers' funerals-- it's upsetting and narrow-minded, but the law holds its nose and allows it.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Some states have passed laws forcing clinic staff to tell lies to women who want abortions

I know. Talk about interfering with medical care! "Hi, I'm your doctor and now I'm going to read something from a card that the AMA thinks is complete bullshit, but a non-doctor has passed a law saying I have to."

but the law holds its nose and allows it.

That may change, as the case is before the Supremes right now. I'm kind of hoping that there will be a limit drawn... and that said limit can then be applied to clinic protesting.