Blurring the line between protest and harassment
Rocky Mountain News in Denver, CO reported on a story this week that anti-choice protesters set up camp at the home of an executive for a construction company that was hired to renovate and expand a facility for Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains. The facility will provide much-needed healthcare services for the area (and help in preventing unintended pregnancies), but that didn't stop the protesters from marching around the executive's house carrying their usual, despicable fetus signs.
This brings up a couple questions for me.
First of all, the right to express your opinion is an important one, but parading in front of some one's private home in order to scare and bully them into doing what you want is crossing the line, is it not? The anti-choice protest organizer says in the article that "[they] want to make it uncomfortable to build abortion facilities." By "uncomfortable" they obviously mean intimidating.
Secondly, in light of these types of situations, why do some people still not understand why some Planned Parenthood affiliates must choose to use a low-visibility approach regarding permitting processes for new facilities? This is EXACTLY what Planned Parenthood/Chicago Area wanted to avoid in Aurora. No one wants to experience harassment - especially not for simply doing your job.
Kudos to Gary Meggison, the senior vice president of The Weitz Company Rocky Mountain Business Office for standing up to the protesters. Mr. Meggison says in the article,"We're more resolved than ever to build this facility and get it completed." Sounds like intimidation tactics will get them nowhere this time.
Technorati tags: anti-abortion protesters,Denver Planned Parenthood,Weitz Company
This brings up a couple questions for me.
First of all, the right to express your opinion is an important one, but parading in front of some one's private home in order to scare and bully them into doing what you want is crossing the line, is it not? The anti-choice protest organizer says in the article that "[they] want to make it uncomfortable to build abortion facilities." By "uncomfortable" they obviously mean intimidating.
Secondly, in light of these types of situations, why do some people still not understand why some Planned Parenthood affiliates must choose to use a low-visibility approach regarding permitting processes for new facilities? This is EXACTLY what Planned Parenthood/Chicago Area wanted to avoid in Aurora. No one wants to experience harassment - especially not for simply doing your job.
Kudos to Gary Meggison, the senior vice president of The Weitz Company Rocky Mountain Business Office for standing up to the protesters. Mr. Meggison says in the article,"We're more resolved than ever to build this facility and get it completed." Sounds like intimidation tactics will get them nowhere this time.
Technorati tags: anti-abortion protesters,Denver Planned Parenthood,Weitz Company
posted by Marie at
11:37 AM
3 Comments:
Again, from the family member of one of the contractors who worked on the Aurora Illinois facility, thank you, thank you, thank you PP for keeping the lunatic fringe out of my front yard.
Thanks for your comment, Carol. I hope this will help more people understand the level of harassment that our contractors, and also our employees, face on a regular basis.
Harassment, intimidation and death threats by anti-choice terrorists are always hurled at someone who wants to make a real difference in the community. I wonder why Planned Parenthood won't lobby for stiffer penalties for this kind of harassment.
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