Demonstrators infringe on other’s rights

By Iris Barrie
Napa

Dear editor, the recent chilling account of a physician’s slaying at his church was a stark reminder of the lengths a fanatical fringe of anti-abortionists will go to prevent women from receiving a medical procedure with which they disagree. The irony, of course, is that often these fanatics claim their actions are religiously sanctioned.

Over the past few years, a fringe group of religious activists has taken it upon themselves to park a van and/or truck covered with messages intended to intimidate women and men as they enter the Planned Parenthood clinic in Napa. Their demonstrations also are a visual and verbal assault on drivers, neighboring businesses and people attempting to walk in front of the clinic.

Planned Parenthood’s clients use the clinic for a myriad of services including pregnancy and STD testing, prenatal care, family planning and education related to women’s health issues. At times, they also use it, as is their constitutional right, to receive an abortion should the woman (and often her partner) believe it is the best option for her health and circumstances.

In the 1990s, there was a rash of clinic bombings and killing of physicians who, as a part of their practice, performed abortions. I thought those days were over. Now, I’m not sure.

How ironic that in the recent crime in Kansas, the perpetrator apparently believed It is OK to take the life of a physician, father or mother — contributing members of the community — but not a fetus that has yet to come into personhood.

I implore Napa city officials to put a stop to this visual assault on its citizens and safeguard a woman’s right to seek medical care without fear of intimidation. The tactics of these few infringe on the rights of all Planned Parenthood clients and those of us who patronize the adjacent businesses or drive past.

Napa Valley Register Copyright © 2009