Sidewalk Snippet ~ {4/29/13}

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It was raining again and it was an easy morning for escorts. There were just a few antis out.

We had several very empowered clients and companions. It is always a privilege to witness them navigate around the antis with ease. Several companions thanked the escorts for what we do, including physical pats on the back from a couple of them. Clients were upbeat and seemingly unphased by the words the antis said, sailing peacefully into the clinic.

As the morning’s activity was winding down, the antis were getting more aggressive with their words and walking two antis to every client. Still, the clients ignored them.

One of the last clients coming in had two companions. I was able to explain the difference between protesters and escorts before we were joined by two antis. In my explanation, I added the phrase, “You can ignore the protesters. This is one place you can be rude.” The client pointed to one companion and said, “That’s why we brought him.” The two antis zeroed in on the two companions because the one brought to be rude was talking to them. The client and I were able to walk in front without interference, sharing our amusement over the comments being exchanged.

Before the morning was over, the pedestrians on the sidewalk joined in. One runner stopped in front of the two prayers across from the clinic entrance. He asked them, “What is going on here?” One answered, “We are praying for the babies. This is an abortion clinic.” The runner answered, “You have been deceived by Satan. This is not Christianity. You are wrong to be here.” Then they continued running down the sidewalk. The “We will pray for you,” shouted after them was met with a curse tossed over a shoulder.

If I had one wish, I would wish for no antis in front of the clinic. If this wish cannot be granted, this day was the next best thing.

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REMINDER: Our annual  fund drive Pledge-A-Picketer is NOW!

The Saturday before Mother’s Day is the biggest protester day of the year.  It also is the date  where we count protesters for donations to support the pro-choice effort and the escorts.  You can pledge a certain amount for each protester showing up that morning. If you prefer, you can also make a straight monetary donation.

Use this form to make your pledge:

 

 

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Playing in Traffic

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The orange vests the escorts wear come in handy for things other than clients at times. We are easy to see. While we sometimes get mistaken for city workers and get asked directions, wearing the vests are particularly helpful when dealing with rush hour traffic. There are three lanes of traffic moving fast on the one-way street in front of the clinic every morning.

This morning a client and companion pulled to the drop off zone to ask directions on where to park. They were directed to the $3 lot down the street and across those three lanes. The companion pulled away from the drop off zone and into a car moving down the street. The two cars were in a collision and were in the center lane. Their cars were literally stuck together.

Escorts went to make sure no one was hurt. They didn’t need medical assistance, so we called the police dispatch number to report the wreck. The drivers exchanged information and took pictures on their phones of the wreck. The client and companion went into the clinic while waiting for the police.

Another escort and I stood in front of the cars to wave the oncoming traffic away while we were waiting for an official. Orange vests are handy for situations like this! We stood out enough that the traffic just made eddies around us.

After about 30 minutes, the two drivers made sure they had all the information they needed and decided to not wait for an official report. One driver left and we directed the companion to safe parking.

We were pleased to assist in this way, but I did joke that it got my adrenaline pumping to stand in the middle of the street hoping every driver coming at us did actually see us. One almost didn’t, but at the last minute swerved around us in time.

What was D’s reaction? I was told she announced to everyone, ‘What is she doing? She is just going to cause another wreck,’ before she moved her car down the street to more “safe” parking.

We saw a need and filled it. No other wrecks were caused. Compassion for another’s misfortune is not something D relates to well.

Her comment to the client as they entered the clinic? “That was a sign from God to bring her out of this place.”

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REMINDER: Our annual  fund drive Pledge-A-Picketer is NOW!

The Saturday before Mother’s Day is the biggest protester day of the year.  It also is the date  where we count protesters for donations to support the pro-choice effort and the escorts.  You can pledge a certain amount for each protester showing up that morning. If you prefer, you can also make a straight monetary donation.

Use this form to make your pledge:

 

 

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More Fetus Doll Stories

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You are going to think to yourself, ‘Oh no! Not another post on plastic fetus dolls!’ They are pretty fascinating to me when used as a prop by the antis.

We have seen brochures, DVDs, posters of fetal porn, professionally-made signs, hand-made signs, four-foot crucifixes, rosaries, gift bags and a variety of other things carried by the antis in attempts to intimidate and harass clients.

The plastic fetus dolls are frequently seen on the sidewalk. They come in pink, brown or black. The anti selects the one they think most closely matches the client and holds it up in their faces. The height they are held depends on the anti, but they are always lovingly cupped in the hand. Some of them hold them directly at eye level, while others hold them just under the level of the clients’ chin.

One morning recently, D had one brown and one pink in her hand to hold out to clients waiting by the door. Since there was more than one race represented, I guess it saved time to put them both in the same palm instead of switching from hand to hand as D said, “This is the size your baby is now. Look at it.”

A companion asked D for permission to pick one up. They turned it over several times, pinched it, and then put it back in D’s hand. “This doesn’t look like me or anyone I know.” That is what I have been saying for a long time.

This week, D decided to escalate the doll props. She came out with a new set of dolls in varying sizes. This video an escort captured is her explaining them. 

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For those not able to view the video, here is a transcript of what she is saying:

  • Innocent, defenseless, unsuspecting child. Abortion is the ultimate act of terror. Look at these little babies; seven to ten weeks. Put that up on your website. It might change the hearts of some of those people.

We took her advice about posting the video on our blog, but it may not be the way she intended.

Another escort found this site where you can purchase sets. They describe it, “This new fetal model set is not like any you’ve seen or used before.” For $85.00 plus shipping you too can have a set to harass clients trying to access their health care provider. We are wondering how many sets D thinks was enough to hold in front of clients’ faces. Did she purchase sets in all of the color options?

There is always something new the antis will think of to try to intimidate, harass and shame clients. There are always new props brought out when the old ones proved ineffective.

Escorts will always be there to document their attempts.

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REMINDER: Our annual  fund drive Pledge-A-Picketer is NOW!

The Saturday before Mother’s Day is the biggest protester day of the year.  It also is the date  where we count protesters for donations to support the pro-choice effort and the escorts.  You can pledge a certain amount for each protester showing up that morning. If you prefer, you can also make a straight monetary donation.

Use this form to make your pledge:

 

 

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Sidewalk Snippet ~ {4/22/13}

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It is so easy to get sucked into responding to the antis sometimes. I always regret it, but still it seems impossible for me to not respond to comments directed towards me personally.

NB approached close to me and said, “I read your article about the glove and it is so wrong to accuse D of lying.” When that didn’t get me to respond, she tried several more times. The next few comments directed to me didn’t get a response either. “You just write about us all of the time,” did get the response, “Yes. You always give me a lot of material.” And it was on.

M, the anti who thrusts plastic fetus dolls at clients,  joined in to ask me about ultrasounds, the abortion procedure at EMW, “partial-birth” abortion, the difference between the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting and killing babies, and finally the connection between breast cancer and abortion. There was some back and forth conversation between us with these subjects; short answers from me longer statements from M and her repeating, “I just want to understand.”

M was speaking quietly, but statements of, “I prefer not to talk to you about this,” and “This conversation is over,” did not deter her. I finally told her the sidewalk was not an appropriate place for this conversation. It ended when she said she would pray for me to change my mind and me telling her it would not change. Of course, I did have to walk away too. Of course, she trailed after me for a short distance  trying to continue a conversation.

Every time I engage with the antis, I know it is a mistake immediately. We will never change each others minds about our firmly-held beliefs in a back and forth conversation on the sidewalk.

I have gotten a button made saying: I Will Ignore You So Hard You will Start To Doubt Your Own Existence. The button isn’t for them, but a reminder to me that engaging with antis is never productive and never ends well. It has the added bonus of being handy to point to when attempts are made by the antis to engage.

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REMINDER: Our annual  fund drive Pledge-A-Picketer is NOW!

The Saturday before Mother’s Day is the biggest protester day of the year.  It also is the date  where we count protesters for donations to support the pro-choice effort and the escorts.  You can pledge a certain amount for each protester showing up that morning. If you prefer, you can also make a straight monetary donation.

Use this form to make your pledge:

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First Impressions ~ by Anonymous

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I felt pretty comfortable today and as I reflected back on what I heard and saw, the best comparison I can seem to come up with is used-car salesmen and/or pushy shop owners in the cruise ships foreign ports of call.

Car salesmen are trying to sell you an idea/product/service that you have no interest in. They are using repetitive streams of words to overwhelm your senses and put doubt in the choice that you have thought over, researched, and know is the correct one for you at this time. Be it something as simple as XM Radio, alloy wheels and road hazard coverage, or something as personal as the decision to end a pregnancy.

The pushy shop owners comparison is when upon finding out that you are not interested in what they are selling and pass it up, they then attempt to heap words of guilt, shame, regret, etc. on you in an effort to make a sale of something that you don’t want because the sale suits their need, cause, agenda.  Hoping that the stinging words will have an effect on your emotions and override the hard thought you have put into whatever choice you have decided upon. Again, be it Mexican coffee, trinkets, woven blankets or a reproductive decision.

I have had shop owners shout “CHEAP LADY” at me in ports of call as I walked past and would not cave into to going to look at or buy something in their shops.  I have also had used-car salesmen try and talk me out of a standard shift car telling me that they can be too tricky to drive in city traffic, or that as a woman I would be better off with full-coverage roadside protection for my safety.  “Silly them,” I think laughing inwardly. They don’t know me at all.  I don’t buy overpriced junk made in China at tourist traps and I can drive a variety of vehicles, including a stick-shift Dodge dually-diesel pickup,  through city traffic, I see myself having no problem with a 5-speed Honda sedan. My Dad taught me how to change a tire, so covered there too!

The thing that sticks out in my mind as being at the top of my list is, “You have not seen my life through my eyes. DO NOT try to put yourself in MY shoes. Your feet and your views are not a good fit.”    As I remember back when I had an abortion, I am glad the few protesters that I encountered only held up signs and prayed quietly and did not approach me.  If they had, I am sure that I would have been more upset and scared then I already was.  I would have loved to have had someone like the escorts I have met to hold my hand and walk me to the door.

I am glad to have met a like minded, strong group of people like those who come out to escort in Louisville.

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REMINDER: Our annual  fund drive Pledge-A-Picketer is NOW!

The Saturday before Mother’s Day is the biggest protester day of the year.  It also is the date  where we count protesters for donations to support the pro-choice effort and the escorts.  You can pledge a certain amount for each protester showing up that morning. If you prefer, you can also make a straight monetary donation.

Use this form to make your pledge:

 

 

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Really Listening

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Some mornings every client goes into the clinic without incident. Some mornings are more confrontational. When the antis are in full-throated pursuit of every client, we see more reactions from the clients and companions to their words.

“I’m an atheist. You’re wasting your breath.”

“You don’t understand. She will die if she doesn’t have this abortion. She has no choice.”

“You don’t know what you are talking about. She was raped.”

“I told you to leave me alone twice. Now I am getting mad. Get away from me.”

These are just a few of the things heard said to the antis this morning. Of course, none of the words said to the antis registered. Every single one of the antis responded by explaining how that wasn’t a reason to kill a baby, followed by “Come next door to A Woman’s Choice where we care about you.” They claim to care so much, but never listen to what anyone else is saying. Caring should have a certain amount of attention to the person you supposedly care for, shouldn’t it?

This morning I gave the Exhale phone number to two clients and RAINN information to another client. I was listening to what they were saying.

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REMINDER: Our annual  fund drive Pledge-A-Picketer is NOW!

The Saturday before Mother’s Day is the biggest protester day of the year.  It also is the date  where we count protesters for donations to support the pro-choice effort and the escorts.  You can pledge a certain amount for each protester showing up that morning. If you prefer, you can also make a straight monetary donation.

Use this form to make your pledge:

 

 

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Sidewalk Snippet ~ {4/15/13}

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The companion and client pulled to the curb in front of the clinic before 7a. We talked awhile about orange vests, protesters and parking options. They decided to remain parked where they were since it was close.

When I moved to the clinic door after talking to them, D decided to stand one foot away from me and stare at me. She wasn’t talking to me and I wasn’t talking to her or looking at her. She continued to stare for about 5 minutes and only stopped when another escort came to join me. That pretty much set the tone for the day. The antis were aggressive and there were enough of them to swarm around each client entering the clinic.

We were able to escort this client and companion with minimum interference when the doors opened. The companion repeatedly told D and the other antis near the door to leave them alone, but of course this was ignored.

When most of the clients were in the clinic, the anti we call “Screaming Preacher” showed up to shout at the clinic windows. He always says the same things: you are sinning, you are murdering, let me adopt your baby, I want to pray with you. We call him Screaming Preacher because he is so loud he never needs amplification to be heard down the street. The clients can hear him while they are in the waiting room, but they cannot always hear his words. They just know someone is harassing them by screaming about his views on what it means to be a Christian..

The companion came out of the clinic after 8a and just stood by the door staring at him. She did say, “You need to be quiet,” and then moved towards their car. As I walked to the car with her she said, “I am trying to be polite about unsolicited opinions. They can hear him in the waiting room. These people (gesturing towards the antis) don’t need to be here. They aren’t helping. This decision is hard enough, we don’t need people giving their opinion of what is right.”

I let her know there was nothing personal in the antis’ words. “We hear the same thing said every day to every client. They don’t know you. I agree they shouldn’t be here, but we cannot prevent them from saying hurtful things. They will be gone soon. When we leave they only stay a few more minutes. We are leaving now and most of them should be gone right away.”

She just shook her head and said, “Thank you for being here. I just wish they weren’t here too.”

All I could do is agree.

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REMINDER: Our annual  fund drive Pledge-A-Picketer is NOW!

The Saturday before Mother’s Day is the biggest protester day of the year.  It also is the date  where we count protesters for donations to support the pro-choice effort and the escorts.  You can pledge a certain amount for each protester showing up that morning. If you prefer, you can also make a straight monetary donation.

Use this form to make your pledge:

 

 

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Shelter from the Rain

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Stormy and cold weather when you are escorting has good and bad points to it. The good points: there are fewer antis out; the antis that are out usually huddle near the clinic entrance instead of along the sidewalk; clients and companions arriving move quickly around any of the antis grouped together. The bad points: umbrellas in the hands of antis can be hazardous; escorts get wet and cold, depending on the weather; once in awhile  there are delays in opening the clinic doors. In my opinion for the most part, the good points actually outweigh the bad points. There are always exceptions, but the morning I am writing about had more good in the balance.

The morning was stormy with waves of rain coming at us in downpours. There were only a few antis out and they were standing under the overhang at the clinic entrance. Only a few were walking up and down the sidewalk with umbrellas. A little after 730a clients started lining up near the doors to wait for them to open. We all kept waiting. Because of the bad weather, the staff at the clinic were delayed getting to work. By the time the doors did open, all of the clients and their companions were under the overhang waiting.

This was an empowered group of clients and companions. They were talking among themselves and for the most part ignoring the antis. When we made announcements on why there was a delay in opening the doors, they understood and passed the information along to new clients and companions as they arrived. One escort said, “ It was really heart warming. New people would come, and they would welcome them into the fold.” The clients and companions were supporting each other and blocking the words of the antis, or speaking up to the antis to tell them to leave them all alone.

All of the antis were on the other side of the property line under the rest of the overhang. They had a captive audience who were ignoring them as a group.

 

The pillars mark the property line.

The pillars mark the property line.

The anti we call “Camera J” was holding his camcorder up trying to intimidate the clients and companions. One companion threatened to “..slap your camera out of your hand. You better not film me.” He backed away a little, but still kept holding his camcorder up. If he was recording, he got a lot of shots of the backs of people. D and AR were standing toe-to-toe with the escorts between the two pillars, saying the usual things they say to shame and harass clients.

The last client and companion to arrive were close to the property line. The companion had their arm around the client and they were both responding to AR’s words. They kept telling her to leave them alone and that she didn’t understand. Not phased a bit, AR kept on saying “Just come to A Women’s Choice and talk to us about your options. You don’t have to kill this baby.” Finally the client said, “My baby doesn’t have a heart and neither do you. Leave us alone.” At that point I said to AR, “She has asked you three times to leave her alone. Now it is harassment. You are harassing her and that is illegal.” The expected response was received. “I am not harassing her. She knows I just want to help.” The client said, “You are harassing me. Leave me alone.” Compassionate as always, AR responded, “Then you are truly alone,” but she did remain silent after that.

What was really great to watch was after this exchange the other clients and companions immediately moved to the client, who was now crying. They talked to her and brought the client and companion into the center of the waiting people to buffer them from any further encounters with “sidewalk counselors.”

The other amazing thing was the actions of the group also spread a blanket of silence over the other antis for the remainder of the time waited. Some of the antis, including Camera J, wandered to the overhang of the CPC to shelter from the  rain. AR stood alone where she was, but silently. The doors opened and everyone went in without further exchanges.

I agree with the other escort. The clients and companions made what could have been a difficult time standing in front of the doors one of mutual support and compassion.

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REMINDER: Our annual  fund drive Pledge-A-Picketer is NOW!

The Saturday before Mother’s Day is the biggest protester day of the year.  It also is the date  where we count protesters for donations to support the pro-choice effort and the escorts.  You can pledge a certain amount for each protester showing up that morning. If you prefer, you can also make a straight monetary donation.

Use this form to make your pledge:

 

 

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First Time Escort – by Chris

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The first thing I knew, going in, was that I couldn’t be “me”. I normally do not shy away from confrontation or controversy, but today wasn’t about me. I was there to try to make an awful situation somehow less awful for the women involved. It’s never fun to have to walk a gauntlet of people trying to intimidate you and bully you into their will, especially when they use photographs and blatant lies to accomplish their goal.

The urge is so strong to get right back in their faces, but we can’t.

I don’t know why these anti-abortionists are so strongly held in their deceit, but I have long noticed that the truth of abortion doesn’t sell the anti-abortion agenda, so they show pictures of 2-4 month old babies, smiling and dressed. This is not what is being aborted. Why lie? Because it serves their purpose.

It was an education for me.  As an atheist, I had thought of this as a conflict between atheists and Christians, but it wasn’t so much of an atheist/Christian fight, but a reasoning vs plea-to-emotion. Sure, they came armed with ‘facts’ that they might as well have made up on the drive there, such as stating that there is more evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, than ANY other event in history. I’m sure there are some history students who will be shocked to learn this.

I did try to be civil, if asked a question, no matter how ignorant I thought it was. I saw a sign they had that commanded people to obey the gospel. I mentioned to one of the other escorts, that I wondered which gospel they were referencing because of the errors and contradictions in them. I was asked to name the errors, and I’ll admit they aren’t worth committing to memory, so I admitted that I did not have them on recall. His response was that because I didn’t know any, they didn’t exist. Well, I don’t know a single person in the country of Ethiopia, so I wondered aloud to my friend if that also meant Ethiopia didn’t exist.

They made the claims that there were millions of people waiting to adopt the babies that were being aborted, but last time I checked, orphanages weren’t drying up, or running empty on kids. The most obnoxious guy there seemed to love getting right in people’s faces, and when I saw some people volunteering that were less formidable, I stepped in front of him, and towered over him. I don’t think others were intimidated by him, but until me it might have been possible for him to make himself believe he was intimidating. I guess his neck hurt from having to look up at me, because he moved on.

In some ways, it is easy to dispel their arguments, especially when they start picking and choosing from the Bible. Again, I did have to remind myself that this was not the time for that kind of encounter.

This doesn’t phase me, the insults, the name calling, the propaganda, but again, I can’t be strong for these women, just hope to shield them as much as possible.

Will I do it again? Absolutely, if only because I can. I think about what it would be like if this was my daughter, and she had decided to have an abortion. I don’t know that I could refrain from responding to the things the protesters say when it was someone so important to me.

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REMINDER: If you are interested in escorting, don’t forget the training on Saturday, April 13th at 9A.  Training is not required, but it’s helpful. Please see our Trainings for Escorts page or email us for additional information

*********************************************************

REMINDER: Our annual  fund drive Pledge-A-Picketer is NOW!

The Saturday before Mother’s Day is the biggest protester day of the year.  It also is the date  where we count protesters for donations to support the pro-choice effort and the escorts.  You can pledge a certain amount for each protester showing up that morning. If you prefer, you can also make a straight monetary donation.

Use this form to make your pledge:

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Sidewalk Snippet ~ {4/8/13}

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“Show some respect. There are 26 babies being murdered in there and you are laughing and dancing around.”

D sure knows how to bring a conversation to a standstill. All of the clients were in the clinic and we were waiting for late arrivals before leaving. Another escort and I were standing at the entrance to the clinic and talking about the weather, ballet, and what had happened in our lives during the time we had not seen each other. We were laughing as we traded stories and were enjoying each other’s company.

When D made her proclamation, we both turned to her and said her name. You know, in the way you say someone’s name when you can’t believe they just said something so off-subject and unaware.

It had been a day with a lot of antis and D always gets energized when she has an audience. Earlier she was stomping up the sidewalk beside another escort and telling them, “I am not a protester. You know I am out here to protect babies. You are an accomplice to murder.” The three other antis in the area were watching her performance and letting her know how they appreciated D’s words afterwards.

It seemed inevitable that she would try a repeat performance. Unfortunately for D, her witnesses did not see her encore performance. E was the only other anti present and he has heard it all before. She was left with no praise and only our backs to her face as we continued our conversation.

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REMINDER: If you are interested in escorting, don’t forget the training on Saturday, April 13th at 9A.  Training is not required, but it’s helpful. Please see our Trainings for Escorts page or email us for additional information

*********************************************************

REMINDER: Our annual  fund drive Pledge-A-Picketer is NOW!

The Saturday before Mother’s Day is the biggest protester day of the year.  It also is the date  where we count protesters for donations to support the pro-choice effort and the escorts.  You can pledge a certain amount for each protester showing up that morning. If you prefer, you can also make a straight monetary donation.

Use this form to make your pledge:

 

 

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