There have been whispers of a possible revival of clinic blockades, also known as rescues. Thanks the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) act and similar state legislation, the penalties can be very high. Veteran rescuers with prior convictions are not likely to jump back into the fray due to the high costs - but a new generation of young people just might be willing.
But the question has to be asked "would this be productive?" That's a good question, according to a recent study on the shift towards life in our culture, clinic bombings, blockades, and other incidents during the "abortion wars" didn't help change public opinion on abortion. Despite the best efforts, clinic blockades kept the public debate on clinic access and law enforcement - and not on the unborn.
Yet, as any rescuer can attest to, closing down clinics for a day or so can save lives - I've personally witnessed many saves while I was blockading clinic entrances.
But would a revival be counterproductive, reversing the trend of people identifying themselves as being pro-life?
Yes - despite the success of blockades in saving lives, a general revival of this form of activism will be counterproductive.
That's not to say babies aren't worth saving because national strategy is more important, but even the public perception on abortion can, in my opinion, affect the abortion rate.
While many people still identify themselves as being "pro-choice," the debate over the procedure, and not the debate over clinic blockades and bombings, certainly caused many to rethink what they would personally do in a crisis pregnancy. The result is that the focus on the procedure changed hearts and minds.
So a full on revival may potentially be counter productive - but what about a limited revival?
Focusing on illegal abortions is the key to any successful but limited rescue revival. This would consist of focusing on mills that, despite Carhart, may still be performing the partial birth abortion. It would also consist of focusing attention on George Tiller, the notorious abortionists who allegedly flouts the abortion laws of Kansas. Finally, it would keep the focus on the late term abortions - something a majority of the American public has no appetite for.
Another effort the scope of the 1991 Summer of Mercy, albeit with a different focus, would possibly complement the pressure that O'Reilly and Operation Rescue have put on elected officials in Kansas. Just today 19 charges were filed against George Tiller, and without the persistence of O'Reilly and OR, would have probably have never happened.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating a rescue revival - that's something the pro-life leadership has to debate. Many unintended consequences could result from a revival gone wrong, including botching the case against Tiller, so this must be thought out carefully.
What I am suggesting if such a revival were to take place, it should center on clinics whose policies ignore abortion restrictions. That's a strategy that will save lives, create pressure to enforce laws, and keep the public debate over late term abortion on message.
While many people still identify themselves as being "pro-choice," the debate over the procedure, and not the debate over clinic blockades and bombings, certainly caused many to rethink what they would personally do in a crisis pregnancy. The result is that the focus on the procedure changed hearts and minds.
We need to keep the focus on exactly what abortion is and what it does and the question: "How exactly can taking a baby apart limb by limb be helping his mother?"
Instead of a blocade, how about a huge, "Look at all these people. Surely ONE OF US has the means to help you!"
This would abolish the idea that prolifers do nothing to help the pregnant women.
Imagine if the woman had to walk past a blocade's worth of people each holding a sign saying something like, "Could I help you look for better housing?" "Could I help you find a better job?" "Do you need help getting out of an abusive relationship?"
She's perfectly free to walk past -- but she can no longer pretend nobody is willing to help her. This could, God willing, change the feeling of being trapped and without hope.