A new type of civil disobedience has developed in the movement to protect women and especially unborn babies from abortionists.
People are entering abortion businesses and quietly give red roses to women waiting there, attached with the message “God is love.”
Whether or not it will be effective remains to be seen.
But it’s already getting attention, with two groups in Michigan now convicted of trespassing for taking part.
They will appeal the convictions, said the American Freedom Law Center, which likely will only elevate the profile of the activity.
The legal team says the pro-life groups went to the Northland Family Planning Center in Sterling Heights and the West Bloomfield Western Women’s Center a few months ago, “armed with red roses and a message of love and hope.”
To Sterling Heights went Dr. Monica Miller, William Goodman, Matthew Connolly and Abygail McIntyre, while Miller, Goodman, Connolly, Robert Kovaly and Patrice Woodworth-Crandall went to the other facility.
AFLC said the pro-lifers “peacefully entered the waiting rooms of the abortion centers.”
“They did not use any force to enter. They simply walked in. They did not carry with them nor brandish any weapons. They had red roses with cards attached to the stems containing a simple message of love. They did not make any threats nor engage in any violence.”
AFLC said the activists “abhor violence, including the violence of abortion.”
“They did not cause any property damage nor vandalize the property in any way. They did not block or obstruct anyone from entering or leaving the abortion center. Rather, they engaged in what they firmly believed was a simple and necessary act of love and charity in an effort to protect mothers and their unborn babies from the harm caused by abortion.”
They simply handed out roses and cards, which read: “God is Love. And He loves you and your unborn baby! Don’t be afraid. Your life circumstances will change – and this baby will give you boundless joy! Call the numbers on other side of this card. Le[t] us help you! There is help for you and your baby.”
Abortion-business workers called the police, the pro-lifers were arrested and later convicted of trespassing.
Plans are under way for appeals in both cases, which were handled separately. In Sterling Heights, AFLC said, the judge allowed pro-lifers to talk about their motivation, and the convictions were on only a single trespass charge.
Their sentence was probation, and they don’t even have to report.
The trial in West Bloomfield Township was much different, AFLC said.
“The judge would not permit the pro-lifers to call the Western Women’s Center an abortion center. Their counsel couldn’t ask the potential jurors during voir dire (the time when counsel question jurors to determine potential bias) their views on abortion. The pro-lifers were not permitted to testify as to their reasons for entering the abortion center that day. And, of course, the judge denied the pro-lifers’ request for a necessity/defense of others instruction.”
Sentencing also was more harsh, with orders to stay away from any abortion business anywhere in the nation.
AFLC spokesman Robert Muise explained: “Throughout these proceedings, the elephant in the room was a tiny, innocent, unborn child awaiting death through abortion. This child had no voice. Lady Justice is blind in ways that are beneficial to society, but in this case, her blindness to innocent life in the womb was far from just.”
He continued: “These proceedings reminded me of a passage from the Gospel of St. John, which reads as follows: ‘And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.’ Our clients live the truth and come to the light. Their works, while considered ‘criminal’ by secular authority, are clearly seen as done in God.”
