Liberal activists target pro-life pregnancy centers
(The Washington Times) Slate magazine recently profiled a supporter of abortion access who was found guilty of vandalism against a pro-life crisis pregnancy center in Buffalo, New York. Sadly but not surprisingly, Slate takes the side of the 39-year-old woman.
It isn’t the only one. The woman receives high-priced legal representation from the Manhattan office of Davis Wright Tremaine. (The firm’s D.C. lawyers share office space on K Street with The Washington Post.)
From the article and the response of the pro-life pregnancy center CompassCare, there are plenty of claims and counterclaims. In Slate, the woman says her pregnancy test was positive, a revelation complicated because “due to a medical condition, she believed she could not conceive but wanted a medical professional’s confirmation.” She could have turned to an OB-GYN or her own medical professional.
Instead, she found CompassCare, a 35-year-old crisis pregnancy center in Buffalo. The pro-life group’s website includes the tagline “Erasing the need for abortion.” One of its slogans is “Three lives saved — one appointment.”
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The woman says her appointment went poorly; Slate says she remains “haunted” by it. Later, she spray-painted the word “Liars” in giant letters with blood-red paint on CompassCare’s business sign facing the street. She was arrested and charged with third-degree criminal mischief, a Class E felony that carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison.
Local media reported that the woman had entered a plea agreement and avoided jail time; she also agreed to pay $2,580 in restitution. Soon after, she filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against CompassCare. Enter Davis Wright Tremaine.
To those following the seemingly limitless attacks against Christians and abortion foes, the CompassCare story features several familiar patterns: first, the sophomoric lashing out in anger of a supporter of abortion access.
Also, by finding CompassCare instead of her own gynecologist or her own doctor, the woman traveled the well-worn path used by activists in Colorado who have trained their sights on bakery owner Jack Phillips, a Christian. His refusal to bake cakes for events that conflict with his beliefs, such as same-sex weddings and gender transitions, has led to harassment, lawsuits and, for him, a near-equal amount of courtroom vindication.
It also follows the pattern of the political left engaging in violence against those with whom it disagrees. Starting in May 2020, the Catholic News Agency began tracking vandalism and other attacks by pro-abortion groups against pro-life organizations or churches. This includes vandalism, graffiti, property damage, threats, theft and even arson.
In roughly 21 months, CNA documented 115 attacks. (CNA’s study includes the vandalism by the 39-year-old woman against CompassCare.) As of last November, CNA counts attacks against pro-lifers in at least 32 states and the District of Columbia.
Tweet This: As of last November, Catholic News Agency counts attacks against pro-lifers in at least 32 states and the District of Columbia.
As for CompassCare, it remains committed to defending itself and exposing what it feels is the targeting of pro-abortion activists. “People have a right to know who is funding [the] high-dollar attorneys out of Davis Wright Tremaine a New York City law firm,” said the Rev. Jim Harden, CompassCare CEO. “If truth and the rule of law is so loved by pro-abortion legislators and lawyers, how can the provocation of violence against pro-life people go uninvestigated and uncensored?”
Mr. Harden added, “abortionists do nothing but abortion for a fee while Christian pro-life pregnancy centers do everything but abortion for free.”
Indeed, the CompassCare website landing page highlights a fundraising campaign. It is encapsulated in three sentences: “Serve Women. Save Babies. Never Stop.” Sadly, it appears that, at least for now, attacks against pro-lifers and the unborn will never stop either.
Editor's note: Scott Wheeler is an investigative journalist who has been a war correspondent and foreign correspondent, and worked undercover inside Hamas. This article was published by The Washtington Times and is reprinted with permission.
