The following comes from a March 17 story on SFGate.com.
Antiabortion protesters will no longer be able to stand directly in front of Planned Parenthood and other San Francisco clinics that offer reproductive services if one city supervisor has his way.
Supervisor David Campos is planning to introduce legislation Tuesday that would create a 25-foot buffer zone around the entrances, exits and driveways of those facilities, excluding hospitals. He and supporters of the proposal say it would spare women who use the facilities from harassment.
“We respect the right of people to have freedom of expression,” Campos said. “What is happening is more than that – it’s intimidation.”
A city law passed in 1993 created an 8-foot “bubble zone” around anyone who is within 100 feet of a health care facility, but Campos said that has been ineffective. Demonstrators, he said, get around the law by staying in one spot and not approaching clinic visitors.
Protests at the city’s only Planned Parenthood location, at 1650 Valencia St., prompted Campos to consider the legislation more than a year ago. Since the facility opened in 2011, officials there said antiabortion activists have yelled slogans like “If it could talk, it would say, ‘Mommy don’t kill me’,” while taking pictures and video of staff members and patients.
“Our clients were coming in crying,” said Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Adrienne Verrilli, who added that abortions account for less than 2 percent of patient visits. “We don’t want to get to the point where someone gets hurt.”
Planned Parenthood says the problem has escalated recently as some protesters have entered the waiting room. The staff called police last month when a protester walked in, woke up a woman sleeping in a chair, and told her to give up her baby for adoption instead of aborting it, despite not knowing why the patient was visiting.
A handful of protesters, and as many as 20, gather on weekdays outside Planned Parenthood. On a recent afternoon, Ron Konopaski and five other abortion opponents stood on the sidewalk in front of the clinic, clutching rosary beads near posters of fetuses and the Virgin Mary, and signs reading “Women do regret abortion.”
“I think it’s stupid,” said Konopaski, a 79-year-old retired dentist, of Campos’ proposal. “There’s no harassment whatsoever.”
Konopaski said he is careful to keep his feet planted to avoid violating the bubble zone. An antiabortion activist for decades, he said he will greet most people approaching the clinic with a “good afternoon” or “good morning” and offer them pamphlets on the dangers of abortion.
“We’re here to help the woman in any way we can and save the baby from being killed,” he said.
The penalty for breaking the ordinance would be a misdemeanor punishable by up to three months in jail or a $500 fine. A second offense would double the potential punishment.
Campos said he expected legal challenges, but noted that attempts to fight other buffer-zone laws have failed. In Boston, a federal appeals court upheld a 35-foot zone around reproductive health clinics in January, ruling that “the right of the state to take reasonable steps to ensure the safe passage of persons wishing to enter health care facilities cannot seriously be questioned.”
Read more.
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” Psalm 1.1-6
God bless those fighting to save the lives of the innocent. They represent millions of us who cannot join them in front of the slaughter houses.
This quote from the above article “Our clients were coming in crying,” said Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Adrienne Verrilli.” says it all. Duh! The consciences of the “clients” were bothering them……..that’s why they were crying! ‘Nuff said.
They must be very effective if they are proposing increases on their “buffer” zone. So, a good strategy would be to figure out where they can stand around the block leading to the place, where they will be noticeable, and then people will be asking them “why are you here?” and can get the response “did you know you have an abortion mill in your neighborhood?” I think the businesses and neighbors would speak out against increasing that buffer!
This morning I heard about this on National Public Radio, and the woman in charge of Forty Days For Life called San Francisco “the greatest city on earth.”
She’s obviously proud to be part of something good going on righ there, to protect lives, and to educate people about the truth! Go, S.F.!!!
Dear Pro-Lifers,
I have created a poster banner with Our Lady of Guadalupe holding four babies representing the four major races and the wording “Abortion Kills Her Children” in Spanish and English. They sell for $75.00 plus p&h.
For more information contact me, Kenneth Fisher, J.M.J. Enterprises, 1415 W. Cerritos Ave., #51, Anaheim, CA 92802-2269/kmfjmj@att.net/714-776-8855.
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher, Founding Director
Concerned Roman Catholics of America, Inc.
Kenneth, I forwarded your post with poster info to a friend who takes part in many prolife front line activities.
Maybe the pro life rescuers could get one of those jumbotrons used at the walk For Life? That would show larger than life-size photos and could be seen from very far away. Then maybe the City Council would be so enraged that they would place a bubble all around the whole city, making it a sanctuary for Planned Parenthood. Oh, wait, they’ve done that already. Guess they really don’t like people having babies in St. Francis’ city, babies messes up the sustainability plans so much.
Actually, the local newspapers here in San Francisco are bemoaning the fact that we don’t have ENOUGH children, which is always bad for any society. It’s rather like Europe, where unfaithful Christians are more focussed on wealth and don’t want to have nice, healthy families — then they get hysterical when Muslim immigrants DO obey the creator and have many children.
Children are a blessing — not a disease, not an inconvenience. This is why no Catholic priest will witness marriage vows UNLESS the couple promises beforehand (during marriage prep) and during the ceremony to be open to life and raise good, Catholic children.
Just so, no Catholic bishop would ordain a priest who refuses to promise prayer, obedience and celibacy!
Diabolically disoriented statement….
“Our clients were coming in crying,” said Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Adrienne Verrilli, who added that abortions account for less than 2 percent of patient visits. “We don’t want to get to the point where someone gets hurt.”
Adrienne Verrilli, The baby being aborted is a SOMEONE! The developing little girls and boys are not just being hurt, they are being cruelly murdered.
There is a jaw dropping San Francisco Planned Parenthood Propaganda Video titled ‘A Superhero for Choice.’ This video from the dark abyss shows the ever increasing level of diabolically driven hatred for God who is the Author of all Life.
David Campos and Adrienne Verrilli both need our prayers. There is not a one of us who wants David or Adrienne to face God with this legislative and abortion resume of cold, heartless and callous murder. David Campos and Adrienne Verrilli have been given the gift of free will. They can choose to be FOR God or they can choose to continue being AGAINST God. This is similar to the SS Nazi guards creating a bubble barrier against anyone who tried to rescue holocaust victims or those who spoke up against the murdering of millions of Jews. Abortuaries are the shame-filled modern day death camps of our nation. You don’t have to be a legal scholar to recognize a beating heartbeat on an ultrasound screen.
When is the earliest you can see a heartbeat on ultrasound?
At about six weeks into pregnancy (four weeks from conception), you should be able to see your baby’s heartbeat on ultrasound. The typical heart rate at this age is about 100 beats per minute. As your pregnancy progresses, your baby’s average heartbeat will be between 120 and 160 beats per minute.
Mr. Campos, and Adrienne Virrilli should show more mercy towards these developing babies and they both should mercifully be reminded that slavery was once legal too. You are helping to murder our nation’s children and there is no such thing as a “bubble zone of protection” if we face God’s Supreme Justice unprepared and unrepentant.
“Our clients were coming in crying.”…….Those same words could also be spoken by the devil and his minions as souls fall into hell.
When someone or some people are abused, they later abuse others. The only way to end this cycle is through the Sacrament of Confession.
There should also be a bubble around Planned Parenthood’s mail out fund request letters. I got one and have no idea why they sent it to me. I sent it back empty … guess they can pay the postage. But they should not be permitted to contact anyone who does not request such contact … hence, slap a bubble zone around the fund raising efforts of Planned Parenthood.
“Demonstrators, he said, get around the law by staying in one spot and not approaching clinic visitors.”
How fiendishly clever.
Stand in one spot.
Do not approach clinic visitors.
Something must be done to stop such obviously aggressive and illegal behavior!
Beautful, can’t miss lawsuit waiting right here.
Note to Stuporvisor Campos:
It’s called the First Amendment.