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.

[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.

[flaviarassen.livejournal.com]

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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.