Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

The battle over abortion has changed little since the US Supreme Court made its landmark decision legalizing it in 1973. The justices ruled in Roe v. Wade that laws against abortion in the United States violated a constitutional right to privacy under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

A constitutional right to privacy…

Abortion has proven to be as polarizing an issue as gun control, gay marriage or capital punishment. One is either in favor of a “woman’s right to choose,” or an advocate for the “right to life.” Pro or anti abortion, respectively - there is precious little middle ground.

These defining issues place us on one side or the other of an ideological fence; the divide is clear and stark. And although there have been some changes in the tactics of the protests and counter-protests, very little is considered “off limits.” Indeed, it has been guerrilla warfare from the very start.

A recent campaign by those opposed to abortion is being staged at the Planned Parenthood clinics in Sacramento and Roseville, the only two area clinics that provide abortions. It has been billed not as a protest or a picket, but rather a public “prayer vigil” just outside these clinics.

Part of a nationwide protest orchestrated by an organization calling itself 40 Days for Life, it began on Sept. 26 and runs until Nov. 4. The protesters - by talking to patients, praying and handing out literature - have replaced the in-your-face graphic photos and confrontational tactics of the past.

A welcome operational change to be sure, and one that likely will attract more sympathy than the methods of their more militant counterparts, but there is an insidious component that the anti-abortionists seem to have a penchant for - no matter how reasonable they might appear to be.

The Planned Parenthood clinic on B Street recently had a red cedar fence installed along the parking lot. It was planned before this current protest, but its purpose is not so thinly veiled. It is meant to protect the patients’ privacy… from the protesters.

The installation of the fence just happened to take place in the midst of this most recent vigil. And of course, 40 Days for Life doesn’t like the fence. Not one bit.

They don’t like it so much that they have taken aim at the company that built it.

The following was lifted directly from 40daysforlife.com/sacramento. It was cut and pasted, no spelling or grammar corrections have been made. They are, however, boldly noted where needed.

As you all know, Planned Parenthood has erected a redwood "screen" in front of it's clinic. While we respect that they have every right to do so, we feel it would not be appropriate for anyone who considers themselves pro-life to do business with a company who does business with an abortion provider. We encourage you to contact the fencing contractor to express your dissapointment in thier affiliation with Planned Parenthood.

The name of the fence company, its phone number, address and the name of its owner are listed as well.

This is a local, small company just trying to make a buck. Although it is perfectly legal for 40 Days for Life to call for this boycott and even for it to encourage its supporters to “harass” the owner, it is a low blow all the same.

But since Pandora’s Box is now open, lets take a look at 40 Days for Life. In addition to having a complete lack of care when it comes to grammar and spelling, it would appear that the organization is associated with eChristianChurches.com, a division of WEBPRO PRODUCTIONS, LLC - a decidedly for-profit business.

WEBPRO PRODUCTIONS is a web-design house like so many, many others. It has an affinity for certain segments of the market, and religious “right to life” organizations appear to be among them - but not exclusively so. It also markets its services to a wide variety of other secular business interests - businesses that might not want to be associated with a web designer with such strong ideological stands.

I’m not suggesting that anyone should boycott WEBPRO PRODUCTIONS - I would never stoop so low - I’m only suggesting that it has already chosen which side of the fence it stands.

I am, however, suggesting that we should leave the guy who built the fence alone.