A tremendous 8-0 decision was handed down by the Supreme Court, dismissing the application of RICO against protesters who gather around abortion clinics. This long struggle applied organised crime laws to those exercising their free speech and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to the litigants.
Eleanor Smeal responded to the setback in this way:
“I initiated this case almost 20 years ago as the president of the National Organization for Women (NOW) to stop the reign of terror perpetrated by anti-abortion extremists at clinics across the country. I believe that this lawsuit and its resulting nationwide injunction significantly contributed to reducing the level of violence at clinics. I only hope that the loss of the injunction does not embolden anti-abortion extremists to escalate domestic terrorism towards women’s reproductive health clinics,” said Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority Foundation.
“Anti-abortion extremists, however, should not look at this as a great legal victory. State, local, and federal laws are now in place, such as the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, that have helped to dramatically reduce the level of violence against clinics. Law enforcement officials have made it clear that violence will not be tolerated at our nation’s clinics and that domestic terrorists will be arrested and prosecuted,” Smeal continued.
“We did all we could over the years to reduce violence at clinics. We used every legal tool available. Pursuing this case did reduce violence at clinics, and we cannot allow anti-abortion extremists to take this decision as a signal to once again increase violent activity aimed at clinics and clinic staff,” said Susan Hill, president of the National Women’s Health Organization, the owner of the two named clinics in the lawsuit.
No, dear. You're looking in the wrong place. Most of the violence is inside -- perpetrated against women and children. The only violence outside is created by the culture of death you are promoting, in which women are shredded and used as objects rather than treated with the dignity they deserve.
This was no 5-3 or even 6-2 decision, but a unanimous conclusion that the abortion industry misrepresented the pro-lifers actions and intentions. Praise God for this one!
Comments