The prolife position got at least an equal billing in the press, helped out by a "Divine set-up" (to use a Fr. Norman Weslin term) when three young African-American women from Spring Valley showed up quite by accident and had their anti-abortion feelings covered by the Journal News (article and video links below) and Channel 12!
http://lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071008/VIDEO01/71008010
Heated debate on abortion in Nanuet
Columbus Day sure ain't what it used to be!
With temperatures nearing 90 degrees, advocates for life and promoters of abortion duked it out, figuratively and literally on a street corner in Nanuet on this 2007 Monday holiday. The day before had marked Respect Life Sunday and many participated in Life Chains taking place in several locations that day in Rockland County, Mt. Kisco, and Yonkers, to name a few. Thanks to this and Saturday's clinic witnesses including the 40 Days for Life witness, PP was feeling the heat.
Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic put out the call via their website Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, Inc to join the counter-demonstration near their Spring Valley abortion site to offset the 40 Days' witness taking place around the country in 89 cities and 33 states, from September 26 until November 4.
PP's invitation asks supporters to "convert your outrage into dollars" and send money to make "a pledge against the protesters".
Three of the Hudson Valley Coalition for Life co-directors, Tony Felicissimo, Tom Faranda, and Judy Anderson arrived at Route 59 and Middletown Road to see about fifty people holding signs to passing drivers who stared, looked away, honked horns, or shouted they were with or against them. Pictures confirm the animated sight with protesters from both sides intermingled. At first glance it was difficult to tell who was for or against what. The Planned Parenthood signs were rather ambiguous; there were no signs with overtly pro abortion sentiments. As a matter of fact, the word "abortion" did not appear on their signs at all. The signs referred to women's health, building healthy families, protecting "choice" and family planning with "Planned Parenthood" in small print. Do we see a change in their media messages and tactics here? Oh, yes.
Three young woman (below) spoke on camera to the Journal News saying they were against abortion because "You don't need to kill the baby, if you feel you don't need them...It's not the child's fault...".
Among others on hand were Eileen Peterson, Peggy Beirne, the Downeys and Floyd Etienne; present to witness for life. The Rally had drawn a number of PP supporters from Westchester. Tom Faranda saw a man who had spat at him at the Dobbs Ferry clinic protests (center below, with sunglasses. His name is Robert Philipson, and his wife Daphne [holding the lap dog] is a big shot with PP in Westchester) - Oh, sweet prolife memories!
Eileen Peterson, back to the camera, speaks to the Journal News, while holding a child who'd been saved from abortion by sidewalk counselors.
Local news station Channel 12 was on hand to cover the events. (Gee, why can't we get them to cover the annual Women's Equality Day Reformed LifeNet: Women's Equality Day Reformed Redux in White Plains - too tame? too pro-life?) Interviewed by Journal News reporter Christina Jeng, Judy spoke to her about what she feels is one of the main differences between the two groups: "abortion is the ultimate hopeless act by (and to) a woman; we seek to give women before or, sadly, after an abortion, hope."
Two women ministers in clerical garb were present to support Planned Parenthood and represent the Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights (RCAR), one affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and the younger of the two with the United Church of Christ (Obama's denomination) in White Plains. Their support of PP was a double-edged sadness for us. Rev. Peggy, the older of the two and using a rolling chair/walker, got into a conversation with Tom, after he asked what church she belonged to. She mouthed the usual platitudes you expect from a 20 year old pro-abort - "You want to control women... it's their choice... you think you're right about everything... you think you have all the answers... (and then a new one) abortion is Jesus' gift to the world... choice, choice, choice..."
Tony Felicissimo did not fair as well. As the demonstration wound down, the same Reverend passed him and he said in a very calm voice, "Look we both have the same intentions, we both want to help women and children." She glared back, "You want to control women..." at which point Tony said "You should take off that phoney collar" (she was wearing a velcro Roman collar) and she hauled off and punched him in the arm. Tony kept his cool and did not file a complaint, legally within his rights to do.
For the entire two-and-one-half hours Tony stood his ground and continued holding his sign of one of the more familiar, graphic anti-abortion images, the photograph of a dismembered fetal child. One policeman challenged him to put it away, but Tony said politely, "If it's not against the law and you make me take it down, I'll see you in court." The policeman left him alone. On a day when PP chose to hide the word "ABORTION," this photograph was a grim reminder of what the day's shouting was really about. It is what they would like you to forget.
Judy's sign (below) was from the recent New York City Silent No More witness LifeNet: Silent No More Speaks Out in NYC!. The message: Pregnant women deserve support, not abortion". She asked that people listen to the voices of post-abortive women; their stories tell the true facts of abortion's aftermath. Unfortunately, no one wants to hear. Instead, women tell other women that only a few have "bad" reactions, most women are relieved, they say. Grief? Regrets? Physical, mental, emotional damage? Tom asked the younger minister who said she has held the hand of women having abortions, "But are you there six weeks from now, six years?"
Judy then challenged the clinic representatives for not offering better care to women. For what other major surgical procedure do you not want an ultrasound, if helpful? Not want to be fully informed? Not get truthful answers to your questions or grief counseling if needed? She asked why clinics look the other way and involve themselves in criminal behavior of pedophiles and rapists? Why coerced abortions on minors who are victims of statutory rape go unreported? "They get referrals," was the answer. "You refer statutory rape?" "It's their choice," was the answer. "Statutory rape is a choice?" asked Judy. Silence. Quick end of conversation.
Members of our pro-life contingent tried to encourage the young women present to look at history and informed them that Planned Parenthood's founder was racist, a eugenicist and promoter of population control. One of the older women called Margaret Sanger "a saint". So, how has this organization managed to cloak itself in so much respectability? They are now welcomed into our schools and teach our children, while their clinics are in predominantly minority neighborhoods, wiping out the population of the "poor" they say they help. Planned Parenthood is being promoted overseas to countries where the poor's only real wealth is their children. PP's solution: Take even that away from them. Why are so few screaming at the sick irony and crime of it all?
A car drove by with a young, black male (below) leaning out the car window.
He shouted as he passed Tony that the picture gave him the creeps, then he shouted to the line of mostly young and some older women, "...a sixteen year old wants to get a piece of ass - you gonna help...?" There was silence on the street corner. Judy then asked the young women if that's how they see themselves - a piece of ass? Do they understand that PP is helping some men use women? "Women deserve more than this - you deserve more. Think better of yourself. A woman on her back on an abortionist's table is not the pinnacle of choice."
What a wonderful witness for Life. Your answers were inspired. God Bless You. We will change hearts one or one hundred at a time. Your efforts make it possible.
Posted by: Joy Dechiario | October 09, 2007 at 06:31 PM
As I look back on this almost 10 years ago, Reina Schiffrin, the CEO of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, Inc. is gone and we have come so far in exposing the evil of what the profitable predator does.
Posted by: Eileen Peterson | February 09, 2017 at 04:31 PM