PRESS RELEASE
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE, April 15, 2003
CONTACT:
Illinois Right to Life Committee
William Beckman, Executive Director, 312-422-9300
Free Speech Rights Under Attack Again
An
estimated 1,400 people participated in a prayer vigil to defend life that took place at
Planned Parenthood, 1200 N. LaSalle St., in Chicago on Saturday April 12th.
Priests led prayers for the babies, their mothers, clinic employees, and other
abortion supporters. At least two mothers chose not to have their scheduled
abortions. The prayer vigil began with Mass at Holy Name Cathedral celebrated by
Francis Cardinal George. Police redirected
traffic to allow for the ten-block march from the Holy Name Cathedral to Planned
Parenthood.
This
largest ever Chicago prayer vigil was denounced by a group of self-proclaimed
"pro-choice" ministers as "an act of intimidation." These abortion-rights
supporters held a news conference to say demonstrations outside the clinic were
inappropriate. "No woman should feel
intimidated when going into a clinic to obtain health care," said Rev. Randall Doubet
King, chairman of Planned Parenthood in Chicago. Doubet
King was among those who held the news conference in a gated area behind the clinic during
the prayer vigil.
Apparently,
these abortion-rights supporters are unable to accept the recent Supreme Court decision
that recognized the free speech rights of Pro-Life demonstrators to hold prayer vigils at
abortion clinics. In their 8-1 decision in
NOW vs. Scheidler, the court ruled that such actions were not extortion as contended by
the plaintiffs. The court recognized that
ruling otherwise would have subjected any type of protest to financially damaging lawsuits
with the effect of denying free speech rights to citizens.
It seems
that the Illinois legislature needs to recognize these free speech rights as well. The Illinois House passed HB 2486, called the
Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE). This
bill would allow criminal and civil actions to be filed against anyone accused of
“intimidating or interfering with” persons who are entering a “reproductive
health facility”. Supporters of this
bill claim that it will not restrict legitimate free speech rights. However, given that abortion-rights supporters
have called a prayer vigil “an act of intimidation,” they would obviously be
motivated to file suit under HB 2486 if it became law.
Such action would amount to an attempt to intimidate Pro-Life activists into giving
up their free speech rights that the Supreme Court just acknowledged in NOW vs. Scheidler. The sponsors of HB 2486 are apparently of the
opinion that “demonstrations outside clinics are inappropriate” and could care
less about free speech rights. Hopefully, the
Illinois Senate will recognize this potential violation of free speech rights and reject
HB 2486 so it is not necessary to fight another legal battle to defend these rights.
William
Beckman
Executive Director
Illinois Right to Life Committee
65 E. Wacker Place, Suite 800
Chicago, IL 60601
312-422-9300
illinoisrighttolife@ameritech.net
* * * * * * * *
Illinois
Right to Life Committee, founded in 1968, is the oldest Pro-Life educational organization
in Illinois.
|