Sidewalk Counselor
I am a local Catholic homeowner who has worked and lived here for 30 years. Although I am no longer active, I was a sidewalk counselor in the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s and was not affiliated with Operation Rescue nor did I know about or participate in the incident your article described of attaching by handcuffs to the rear axle of the abortionist’s car at his home. I do believe in freedom OF association and freedom FROM association, as well as freedom of speech and freedom of religion. I now pray in the quiet of my own home and church because the projection of insanity and tendency of violence on my family caused much suffering over the years. The truth of the matter is I used to fast and pray the night before, and my time on the sidewalk was one of missionary outreach in love to the poorest of the poor — the innocent, helpless preborn babes in the wombs of women rushing into the clinic for help, only to be escorted to slaughter.
Sometimes change of heart comes from loving dialogue. Because Santa Barbara is a small community, on occasion I did communicate one-to-one with the practicing abortionist at the time in other locations, to no avail. In those days, I was more idealistic and holier, trying to save the world. Unfortunately for those women at risk, today I am more selfish, but our kind and merciful Lord has sent others who are “quiet and polite.” I was polite but always approached every single girl entering with an urgent vocal plea to consider saving the life of the baby in her womb. Many of the most dedicated sidewalk counselors are post-abortion women who now know the truth and have the courage to share with strangers without concern of the price.
As a reporter who seeks facts but never reveals sources, I would be interested in knowing the dates of those “occasionally masquerading as patients to distribute literature inside” and the names of said suspects of Planned Parenthood. Many times stories are told so often that any basis of fact or evidence is nonexistent in order to promote an agenda and perhaps those ideas are best expressed on the editorial page.