Free speech is not terrorism!
You’d think this statement would be obvious to the Department of Justice and the FBI, but as usual, pro-lifers are treated differently. It’s come to light that the DOJ and FBI co-sponsored a seminar with various abortion groups on how to censor pro-life activism.
Now, I would have absolutely no problem with this if the program were actually about prevention of violence, which is how they framed the seminar. By all means, combat the “Army of God” and other kooks. The more of them who end up in jail, the better. They don’t deserve the pro-life label.
But instead, the program went after legitimate protest activity protected by the First Amendment:
The so-called violence perpetrated by pro-life advocates mostly contained examples of constitutionally-protected free speech, including activities such as praying, providing women outside abortion centers with alternatives information, and peaceful protesting or picketing.
Matt Bowman, a top attorney at the Alliance Defense Fund, told LifeNews.com today that the cooperation between the Obama administration and pro-abortion organizations to target pro-life free speech should cause alarm.
“The information presented in the seminar raises serious concerns over the United States government’s treatment of nonviolent free speech activities as ‘violence’ subject to investigation and prosecution,” he said.
The seminar packet included a list of mainstream pro-life websites, including Students for Life of America, the National Right to Life Committee, and even those (sarcasm alert) radical right-wingers (end sarcasm alert) at the Pro-Life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians.
Whoever put together this list should be sued for libel. There is ZERO evidence that these groups have ever condoned violence, much less participated in it.
Yonmei, I'll save you some time.
"Pro-lifers spend all day harassing vulnerable women outside abortion clinics. Since they oppose real methods of opposing abortion, it's clear their motives are no more than misogyny and bullying. Not all violence is physical."
That's oddly sweet of you, Nulono. But since I doubt she would appreciate you putting words in her mouth, let me craft a response toward no one in particular.
Anonymous pro-choice stalwart: If speech can be violence, then that principle has to go both ways. Imagine if the conference had purported to be about Harlan Drake, Operation Counterstrike, etc., and that the FBI had ended up talking to pro-life groups about protest rallies by NARAL and NOW. Wouldn't you be supremely pissed off?
I'm not putting words in her mouth. She's just that predictable.
Oh, I forgot this:
"When you call abortionists "baby killers" for saving womens' lives, you legitimize the murders. Pro-lifers all support murder!"
When you can see that for yourself, folks – that your endorsement of violence against doctors in order to stop them from being able to perform abortions, trying to prevent women from having saccess to safe, legal abortion – I presume you won't be complaining that the federal law enforcement are tracking the groups responsible for endorsing violence against clinic staff.
Until then… well, whine all you like about how it's not fair that people don't approve of pro-life violence like you want them to.
"I presume you won't be complaining that the federal law enforcement are tracking the groups responsible for endorsing violence against clinic staff."
I'm complaining about federal law enforcement tracking groups that have vocally CONDEMNED violence! If you have one scintilla of evidence (beside your general hatred of all pro-lifers) that the Pro-Life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians has supported terrorism, I would love to hear it. But you dont– this is all just libel.
I'm complaining about federal law enforcement tracking groups that have vocally CONDEMNED violence
When have these pro-life groups vocally condemned the pro-life violent rhetoric of referring to doctors who perform abortions as "babykillers" or the claim that abortions "kill babies"?
I've never seen any pro-lifer condemn this violent rhetoric. Not on this blog nor on any other. Yet it is exactly that rhetoric which is always the motivator by the pro-lifers nuts enough to think that you actually mean it literally.
I took a quick look round the PLAGAL website and found they have the usual face-saving assertion that of course they don't mean their violent rhetoric to be taken literally… combined with the usual violent rhetoric claiming that abortion "kills babies".
But you dont– this is all just libel.
Coming from someone who lives by the pro-life libel that abortion is "killing children" or "killing babies", that's pretty rich.