Space Invaders: Abortion Clinic 'Buffer Zones' Fall Across The Country

[Lakhota]

Two weeks after the Supreme Court ruled that Massachusetts' protective buffer zone around abortion clinics violates the free speech rights of protesters, four other buffer zones around the country have already disappeared or been challenged in court.

The City Council of Portland, Maine, repealed its 39-foot buffer zone around a women's health clinic this week, and the cities of Burlington, Vermont, and Madison, Wisconsin, have stopped enforcing their buffer zones. In Burlington, people had been legally prohibited from protesting within 35 feet of the clinic, and Madison had a "floating" buffer zone that prohibited protesters from coming within eight feet of a patient entering or exiting an abortion clinic.

On Tuesday, the anti-abortion group Alliance Defending Freedom sued to challenge New Hampshire's new buffer zone law, which allows individual clinics to set up their own buffer zones up to 25 feet around the premises.

‘‘Americans have the freedom to talk to whomever they please on public sidewalks,’’ ADF Senior Legal Counsel Matt Bowman said in a statement. ‘‘That includes peaceful pro-life advocates who just want to offer information and help to women who would like it. The Supreme Court recently affirmed this vital freedom, which has been an essential part of American life since the nation’s founding. New Hampshire’s law suffers from the same unconstitutional problems as the one the Supreme Court struck down.’’

MORE: Abortion Clinic Buffer Zones Crumble Around The Country

Sadly, this gives the anti-choice space invaders more opportunity to harass pro-choice women. Why is it always anti-choice zealots who are harassing pro-choice women? I've never seen or heard any anti-choicers waving signs or shouting GIVE ME YOUR BABY or LET ME HELP YOU. Why is that? No offers to help - just harassment during a very difficult time in a woman's life.

 

[rdean]

Why is there a buffer zone, a BIG one, around the Supreme Court?

 

[Lakhota]

Why is there a buffer zone, a BIG one, around the Supreme Court?

Answer: Neocon hypocrisy.

 

[rdean]

Why is there a buffer zone, a BIG one, around the Supreme Court?

Answer: Neocon hypocrisy.

Yea, when was the last time anyone bombed the Supreme Court?

 

[Lakhota]

Why is there a buffer zone, a BIG one, around the Supreme Court?

Answer: Neocon hypocrisy.

Yea, when was the last time anyone bombed the Supreme Court?

Plus, they have their very own police:

The Supreme Court of the United States Police is a small U.S. federal law enforcement agency headquartered in the District of Columbia, whose mission is to ensure the integrity of the constitutional mission of the U.S. Supreme Court by protecting the Supreme Court building, the Justices, employees, guests, and visitors.[1] In accordance with Title 28 United States Code Part III Chapter 45 § 672:[2] the Supreme Court Police falls under the jurisdiction of the Marshal of the United States Supreme Court who is authorized by Title 40 United States Code § 6121[3] to police the Supreme Court Building and protect the Justices, employees of the Court, and visitors to the Court.

Supreme Court Police - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Lakhota]

Why are righties avoiding this thread?

 

[martybegan]

The laws against violent protest, and large group protests within a certain range of a clinic still stand. What is being overturned is content based or blanket restrictions on anyone being within a certain distance of a clinic, even if they are peaceful and polite when discussing abortion and alternatives to abortion.

 

[martybegan]

Why are righties avoiding this thread?

because most of your posts are bullshit.

 

[OriginalShroom]

Glad to see it.

Either every place of business gets to have "buffer zones" or no one. Equal protection under the law.

See how easy that is?

 

[Lakhota]

Sister Joan Chittister, a Benedictine nun, had this to say on Bill Moyers' show in November of 2004:

I do not believe that just because you're opposed to abortion, that that makes you pro-life. In fact, I think in many cases, your morality is deeply lacking if all you want is a child born but not a child fed, not a child educated, not a child housed. And why would I think that you don't? Because you don't want any tax money to go there. That's not pro-life. That's pro-birth. We need a much broader conversation on what the morality of pro-life is.​

MORE: NOW with Bill Moyers. Transcript. November 12, 2004 | PBS

 

[ogibillm]

Glad to see it.

Either every place of business gets to have "buffer zones" or no one. Equal protection under the law.

See how easy that is?

i don't disagree. although i don't like the idea of women wading through activists to get their medical care i do agree with this ruling, just as i agree with the rulings that struck down laws preventing people from protesting funerals.

 

[martybegan]

Glad to see it.

Either every place of business gets to have "buffer zones" or no one. Equal protection under the law.

See how easy that is?

i don't disagree. although i don't like the idea of women wading through activists to get their medical care i do agree with this ruling, just as i agree with the rulings that struck down laws preventing people from protesting funerals.

Large groups can still be restricted, and if they block access they can be arrested. The target of the law, and the people covered by the decision are peaceful "sidewalk counselors" who try to talk to people entering the clinic.

 

[ogibillm]

Glad to see it.

Either every place of business gets to have "buffer zones" or no one. Equal protection under the law.

See how easy that is?

i don't disagree. although i don't like the idea of women wading through activists to get their medical care i do agree with this ruling, just as i agree with the rulings that struck down laws preventing people from protesting funerals.

Large groups can still be restricted, and if they block access they can be arrested. The target of the law, and the people covered by the decision are peaceful "sidewalk counselors" who try to talk to people entering the clinic.

so long as they take 'no' for an answer and don't harass i'm okay with it

 

[martybegan]

i don't disagree. although i don't like the idea of women wading through activists to get their medical care i do agree with this ruling, just as i agree with the rulings that struck down laws preventing people from protesting funerals.

Large groups can still be restricted, and if they block access they can be arrested. The target of the law, and the people covered by the decision are peaceful "sidewalk counselors" who try to talk to people entering the clinic.

so long as they take 'no' for an answer and don't harass i'm okay with it

That was the issue with the law. It banned ANY speech or interaction within a limit of the clinic door on a public sidewalk.

That's why it was overturned, and not with a 5-4 vote.

 

[Lakhota]

Glad to see it.

Either every place of business gets to have "buffer zones" or no one. Equal protection under the law.

See how easy that is?

i don't disagree. although i don't like the idea of women wading through activists to get their medical care i do agree with this ruling, just as i agree with the rulings that struck down laws preventing people from protesting funerals.

Large groups can still be restricted, and if they block access they can be arrested. The target of the law, and the people covered by the decision are peaceful "sidewalk counselors" who try to talk to people entering the clinic.

So, what exactly are the "sidewalk counselors" trying to do? Offering to take an unwanted baby? Offering financial support? These so-called "sidewalk counselors" should not be allowed to get in the face of a woman seeking an abortion unless they have something to offer other than harassment and trying to shame the woman.

 

[martybegan]

i don't disagree. although i don't like the idea of women wading through activists to get their medical care i do agree with this ruling, just as i agree with the rulings that struck down laws preventing people from protesting funerals.

Large groups can still be restricted, and if they block access they can be arrested. The target of the law, and the people covered by the decision are peaceful "sidewalk counselors" who try to talk to people entering the clinic.

So, what exactly are the "sidewalk counselors" trying to do? Offering to take an unwanted baby? Offering financial support? These so-called "sidewalk counselors" should not be allowed to get in the face of a woman seeking an abortion unless they have something to offer other than harassment and trying to shame the woman.

What they want to say is not something for the government to get involved in. The only time the government should get involved is if they impede or assault the person trying to get into the clinic.

You can't legislate people to "just shut up" when you don't like what they are saying politically.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Why are righties avoiding this thread?

because most of your posts are bullshit.

RWs always avoid threads where they're wrong and when they do reply, its always with a nasty ad hom insult.

Why?

cuz, that's all they've got.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Large groups can still be restricted, and if they block access they can be arrested. The target of the law, and the people covered by the decision are peaceful "sidewalk counselors" who try to talk to people entering the clinic.

So, what exactly are the "sidewalk counselors" trying to do? Offering to take an unwanted baby? Offering financial support? These so-called "sidewalk counselors" should not be allowed to get in the face of a woman seeking an abortion unless they have something to offer other than harassment and trying to shame the woman.

What they want to say is not something for the government to get involved in. The only time the government should get involved is if they impede or assault the person trying to get into the clinic.

You can't legislate people to "just shut up" when you don't like what they are saying politically.

Oh, so you believe the government should not be involved in personal decisions - you know, like abortion and marriage.

Do you knee jerkers ever think before you type?

 

[martybegan]

Why are righties avoiding this thread?

because most of your posts are bullshit.

RWs always avoid threads where they're wrong and when they do reply, its always with a nasty ad hom insult.

Why?

cuz, that's all they've got.

I occasionally like to work at the level of the original poster. Chief Shitting Bull's level of posting deserves the responses I give to it.

its comical watching one shit poster defend another shit poster. especially when both are a bunch of rep turned off pussy-willows.

 

[Lakhota]

Do the so-called "sidewalk counselors" have any formal training? Are they licensed counselors? Do they know anything about the personal mental, physical, and financial health of the woman - or the condition of the fetus? No, they don't.