I showed up for clinic escorting last Wednesday in Minneapolis. It was me and one other escort.
And that was it.
No protesters. No gruesome signs.
No pamphlets stuck under the windshields of patients who don’t want them.
No little plastic fetuses. No shouting.
No shaming. No tears.
I held the door open for some patients going to the dialysis clinic that is in the same building.
I smiled and hummed a lot.
I could deal with this.
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leni
February 14, 2013 at 20:20 (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Wish they were all like that though.
NateHevens
February 14, 2013 at 21:36 (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Are there any online resources for finding clinics that need escorts in my area? I did it in Georgia a couple times, both times were very exciting, and not in the good way. The second time actually got a little violent.
I want to do it again, but I’m not sure it’s so needed down here in South Florida (Boca Raton).
Brianne Bilyeu
February 16, 2013 at 18:50 (UTC -5) Link to this comment
If a basic internet search for clinic escorting opportunities doesn’t reveal anything, my next move would be to find out where the abortion clinics in your area are located and start calling to see if they can provide information about how you might get involved. Also consider if you have any interest in helping the clinics and patients in other ways – filing, greeting patients, stuffing envelopes, creating mailers, phone banking, etc. There are many options for supporting reproductive rights – find out what help is needed and decide if you want to wade in!
NateHevens
February 16, 2013 at 20:59 (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thank you!
StevoR : Free West Papua, free Tibet, let the Chagossians return!
February 19, 2013 at 19:37 (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Great to hear.
But I do wonder why?
Have the Coathanger lobby finally given up, seen sense, learnt compassion and decided to end their appalling tactics and / or better yet their whole idea of controlling women’s bodies and forcing them to give birth to unwanted kids or – quite literally – die trying?
Or is this more likely a once off “holiday” for the anti-choicers occurring because .. why? Any ideas?
Daniel Martin
February 20, 2013 at 09:48 (UTC -5) Link to this comment
That’s sarcasm, right?
In case you honestly didn’t know why Wednesday, February 13, 2013 things might be a little bit different among a group largely composed (I’m assuming here) of Roman Catholics, I’ll give you a hint: it was the day after Mardi Gras. Why is Mardi Gras celebrated on that particular day? Go on, I’m sure Wikipedia will tell you…
Given the rather dramatic effect (not just low turnout but no turnout at all), I wonder if what’s going on psychologically among the protestors is that they’re protesting out of a sense of religious obligation and not out of a direct desire to protest or necessarily out of a desire to get their hate on against women they can feel superior about. I mean sure, rage and righteous condescension is a powerful drug and I don’t doubt that repeated protests can turn people who initially show up out of obligation into outrage addicts, but on that particular Wednesday the Roman Catholics of the protestors will have gone to church in the morning already. I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that the last Friday in March this year will also be a low-protest day. Earlier that week it’s likely to be worse than normal because all the schools will be closed for spring break, so you’ll have high schoolers joining the protests.