Indecision

I'm not sure how I feel about the Supreme Court's decision today to allow abortion protest. I haven't been following the case (which uses extortion and organized crime legislation to ban protests at abortion clinics) that closely but I understand that it has been kicked around a variety of courts since 2003 and that the consistent ruling is that pro-life protesters are well within their legal rights. Groups like the AFL-CIO are sympathetic to the pro-life legal argument as they are afraid limited protest in any form will lead to a silencing of pro-labor groups. I have supported social protest for as long as I can remember. My grandmother still has picket signs in her attack from the General Motor's strikes of the 1930's and many of my relatives organized the sit in's. But I think protests (even the non violent kinds) outside abortion clinics inherently limit a woman's right to choose. If you read the moving words from women who suffered through the "walk of shame" into a clinic while strangers were shouting at her, praying for her, crying out in anger about her, you realize that many women choose not to put themselves in that situation. I think there are distinct differences between labor protests and pro-life protests. Ever the supporter of the first amendment, I am uncomfortable with my willingness to limit demonstrations and social discourse. However, it seems to me that if we are a "pro-life" country (at least legally and for the time being), we should do all we can to ensure that women really do have a right to choose.