Pro-Lifers Shut Down: US, Australia

In Australia, attempts to stop pro-lifers from approaching women going into abortion clinics are heightened, with a proposed new law that would create a 50-metre no-go area surrounding Australia's largest abortion mill.

"The Victorian Government has been asked to create a 50m protest-free "bubble zone" around the entrance of Australia's largest provider of abortion services...
The zone... would effectively end a 16-year campaign by anti-abortion groups to dissuade women from entering the Fertility Control Clinic in East Melbourne..
Protester Dave Forster said such a zone would prevent protesters approaching women seeking abortion. "There would be a minimum distance that we would be required to stay outside of, and I guess it would mean that we are not allowed within 50 metres of the clinic," he said." - The Australian (2 September 2008)

The Constant Joy blog covered this travesty of freedom of speech a couple of days ago,

"By placing a bubble zone around the Fertility Control Clinic, the government would be limiting the protesters' democratic rights. One of the principles of democracy allows all individuals the freedom of speech, so both the abortion clinic and the protesters should therefore be able to have their say - but neither should be able to stop the other from voicing their views. As Voltaire said, "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.'" - Constant Joy

What we have here, is a petty little bylaw being put forward, which if it came into law, would specify a 50metre perimeter of public land surrounding an abortion mill as being a restricted-access area - but only to such people as disagreed with what terrible attrocities were being carried out inside it's walls.  This is a contemporary example of discrimination against citizens of a country on the basis of personal belief.  Does this remind you of anything?

Are you annoyed yet?  We haven't even got started. A month ago (1 August) in the town of Bel Air, Maryland, a dozen or more police officers broke up a peaceful protest staged by members of Defend Life.

"The allegations in the case sound like a 3rd World dictatorship: Police officers talk over before the arrests what charges they'll use, there are no explanations when the arrests are made, the suspects are denied access to legal counsel while in custody, and cops subject suspects to semi-public strip-searches."...
The truth of the matter is that our clients were heckled, arrested, imprisoned, shackled, and strip-searched twice for exercising their First Amendment rights," said attorney Daniel Cox, who is allied with the Alliance Defense Fund is serving as local counsel. "No excuse exists for how our young clients were treated."...
The officers had ordered them off of county property because they did not have a permit to engage in free speech, the report said. And after the arrests, "Three young female participants – including teenagers – were subjected to two rounds of strip-searches," the lawsuit said." - WND

"What happened on August 1st is almost unbelievable, that 18 persons who were peaceably assembled on public property out of harm's way were arrested without any warning and without being told what the charges against them were. None of those arrested were read their rights. Only a few were allowed to make a single phone call.
This decision by the State of Maryland to drop the charges shows that our side of the story was the true story. There were no traffic jams. There were no people running in and out of traffic. There was no refusal to disperse. They plainly and simply violated our First Amendment rights!" - Defend Life Blog

And at the Phatmass blog, a friend of the young people reports,

"The officer followed them, and once they had set up, he came and arrested my friend. He said nothing except for "Turn around, you're under arrest." When she asked why she was under arrest and what her rights were, he ignored her. Then they arrested everyone who was there. It took all night for them to be processed. They were all relased by around 9:30am-- some on bail (out of staters), others just released." - Phatmass Blog

"It's a woman's choice" they tell us.  But as abortion-survivor Gianna Jessen says so aptly, "if abortion is merely about women's rights, then what were mine?"  Consider the young women shown in the photos being handcuffed and carted off to jail; where was their choice?

Is abortion so sacred to the state that they are prepared to illegally arrest and detain citizens who are merely voicing their opinion?  The answer is glaringly obvious, and it is Yes.