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Knocking heads on abortion


In this Colorado Daily article readers will find fairness in reporting however you’ll notice a few areas that need attention. Only when Christians live out their Christianity in the streets and at the gates will abortion end. Pickets and protests by themselves accomplish little. Reliance on the Supreme Court or conservative politicians is a proven failure. God has given the task of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ only to the Church and only the Gospel can change hearts. When the heart of a nation changes, its laws will reflect that change.

Knocking heads on abortion
7/16/2005

By CHRISTINA HOSE Colorado Daily Staff

While former Planned Parenthood President Gloria Feldt will speak in Boulder today at the Spice of Life event center, Operation Save America (OSA) will be protesting abortion outside various women's health centers and clinics in the area beginning this weekend.

Feldt was invited to speak at the Boulder Valley Women's Health Center (BVWHC) annual fundraiser. She is looking forward to the event, particularly because she will be a dissenting voice against the OSA, who will be in town next week, a fact that she did not know before accepting the fundraiser invitation.

"I was delighted that I would be in Boulder at that time," said Feldt, "because I think it's exceptionally important for the voices of reason, the voices of choice, the voices of support for women and children's health to be speaking up and speaking out all the time, but especially when there are strident voices like those of Operation Save America."

One topic of Feldt's speech is her concern that the open spot on the Supreme Court left by retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor might be filled by a justice that opposes abortion rights. The Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion is currently a hotly debated topic in the states, who are looking at the Supreme Court as a final authority on the issue.

"It's not just abortion at stake, it's also the right to get birth control," Feldt said. "It seems so outrageous that birth control could be under threat. Ninety percent of Americans use birth control."

OSA, formerly Operation Rescue, is an anti-abortion group founded by the Rev. Philip L. (Flip) Benham. It believes that abortion is a sin. The group also opposes pre-marital intercourse and homosexual activities and religions other than Christianity, according to Dr. Pat McEwen, who spoke to the Colorado Daily Thursday and who is a member of Life Coalition International of Melbourne, FL - an organization with similar goals as OSA.

OSA says it is trying to offer people an alternative to abortion, but it does not force anybody to follow its teachings, only offers an invitation, said John Reyes, leader of the Dallas chapter of OSA. The group will be demonstrating at abortion clinics in Denver and Boulder next week.

"We go to the dark places in society where a lot of people don't like to go," said Reyes, "where there are hurting people, like the abortion clinics where there's moms and dads who feel they have no other choice but to have an abortion because they're stuck in situations. We go there to offer them hope."

The group will come to Boulder Tuesday morning to protest at the Boulder Abortion Clinic and the BVWHC.

Clinics in the Boulder area will continue to provide care despite the expected demonstrations outside their doors, their staffers say.

Planned Parenthood clinic staffers say their clinics mainly provide education, access to birth control, and reproductive heath care and exams, though they do offer abortion services.

"What Planned Parenthood knows is that protests and pickets don't reduce the number of abortions," said Crystal Clinkenbeard, Director of Public Affairs. "Access to family planning and sex education does."

The Boulder Police Department is aware that there may be issues between the protestors and the clinics, but will not be out in force at the demonstrations.

"Our intention is to have a minimal presence and keep the peace," said BPD Deputy Chief David Hayes.

Everyone involved in the OSA demonstration must sign a non-violence pledge before the group will let them participate in demonstrations, said McEwen.

BVWHC has developed a non-violent response to the OSA's visit, providing yellow fliers stating, "The answer is NO! to hatred and intolerance" to individuals and businesses who do not support the OSA's message.

"We strongly feel that this group [the OSA] has a right to free speech, right to protest, and they certainly have a right to their view on abortion," said BVWHC Communications Manager, Lisa Radelit.

"But what we are trying to say through the yellow signs is that we don't agree with their tactics of using harassment and intimidation and threats to convey their viewpoint, and that our community should stand together."

The OSA will have afternoon workshops about topics including Evangelism and the Hermeneutics of abortion, which is the study of the Bible's teachings. At 6:30 every night the group will host a rally outside the Redeemer Community Church in Denver.

Feldt says she's familiar with OSA; the group once held a demonstration outside of a Planned Parenthood clinic when she was CEO of that chapter.

She said she was monitoring the demonstration when a woman drove into the parking lot for an appointment and was surrounded by the abortion protestors who at that time were affiliated with Operation Rescue.

"This woman said to me, 'Good grief! I'm just here to get my pap smear, don't they understand that?'" said Feldt.

http://www.coloradodaily.com/articles/2005/07/16/news/news01.txt

Contact Christina Hose in regard to this story at (303) 443-6272, ext. 113, or at editor@coloradodaily.com.

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