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New York City Launches Clinic Escort Program, Anti-Choicers Offended By “Government Interference”

Robin Marty

by Robin Marty, Senior Political Reporter, RH Reality Check

October 24, 2012 - 7:21 am

Merle Hoffman (left) with City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn. Photo: Azi Paybarah/flickr via Capital NY.

Merle Hoffman (left) with City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn. Photo: Azi Paybarah/flickr via Capital NY.

New York City is taking an unprecedented step to help women gain access to safe legal abortion services, by starting a program to recruit and train clinic escorts. Proposed by New York City Council Member Christine Quinn, the program is intended to assist women safely past the protesters and self-proclaimed sidewalk counselors attempting to block them from entering reproductive health care facilities.

Needless to say, anti-choice activists are aghast at this “government over-reach” and “invasion into health care and personal lives,” and the imposition the perceive on the poor, unwilling protesters at the centers.

Via LifesiteNews.com:

“It doesn’t make sense. She’s supposed to be my representative,” said Monsignor Philip Reilly, a Catholic priest who led the protest. He called for her to depart City Council, saying, “If she wants to do that, she should resign.”

…

[S]ome say the Council is sending the wrong message by getting involved at all.  “This says it’s okay to have an abortion, and it’s not okay,” said Antoinette Wolske, a retired nurse from Queens who participated in Saturday’s protest. “We should not have this idea promoted.”

Government interference: totally fine to push your own viewpoint when it comes to blocking abortion, not so welcome when it comes to enforcing a woman’s legal rights.

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  • jennifer-starr

     “This says it’s okay to have an abortion, and it’s not okay,” said Antoinette Wolske, a retired nurse from Queens who participated in Saturday’s protest.


    Well, actually yes, Antoinettte, it is okay. It is legal–you may wish it wasn’t, but it is. And part of the government’s job should be to protect citizens who wish to access a legal service.  Hopefully other places will follow New York’s example and instill the same protections. 

  • baberaham-lincoln

    Can we get a link to the article about this program, and where we can sign up to volunteer?

     

    (One that ISN’T from LifeSiteNews.  Refuse to give them the pageviews.)

  • crowepps

    She is supposed to be the representative of *all* the people in her district, not on tap to help a priest stone women.

    (Sarcasm)  Next the government will be encouraging the police to stop rapes and put rapists in jail — just think of the horror — all those ‘innocent babies’ prevented from ever existing!

  • colleen

    Next the government will be encouraging the police to stop rapes and put rapists in jail — just think of the horror — all those ‘innocent babies’ prevented from ever existing!

    Always remember, the real sin is wearing  a condom while  raping someone.

  • purplemistydez

    It’s okay for anti-choicers to interfere in women’s personal choices and threaten with damnation or harm, but when the government steps in to protect women, that is too far for them.  This program would not exist if anti-choicers would actually mind their own damn business and stop with their unsolicited and unwanted “advice.”

  • arachne646

    As a Canadian, I pray for American women’s reproductive healthcare rights, and all American’s healthcare, but when I read things like this I get really angry. In my city, like some jurisdictions in Canada, “buffer zone” suits have won about 1/2 block around the Clinic, or hospital entrance free of protesters. I wish the Monsigneur would be as proactive about other social justice issues of Church teaching. Blessings.

  • ljean8080

    I COULD never live in a country that sees Robert Latimer as a hero.

  • jennifer-starr

    Thanks for sharing, but I don’t recall anyone asking you to live there….