To the editors:
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The Pro-Choice Alliance [PCA] mistakenly believes that demonstrators should not confront the antiabortionists at clinics. Indeed, according to the article by Nolan, they should remain silent with their hands in their pockets. This strategy is absolutely wrong and disastrous to building the numbers, morale, and confidence of pro-choice forces. Our purpose in being at the clinics should be to defend the clinic from closure and to confront the Right-to-Life. While we support escorting individuals into the clinics, we have a larger ultimate goal. We want to demoralize these self-righteous, bible thumping lunatics so they understand that WHENEVER they try to blockade a clinic, they will be met by a loud and militant group of pro-choice women and men who will attempt to stop them.
On the morning that Concorde Clinic was hit, the Pro-Choice Alliance was not the only organization there. Members of the Emergency Clinic Defense Coalition and the International Socialist Organization arrived to defend the clinic. The escorts were attempting to escort women through the gauntlet, and those who were not escorting were standing on the sidewalk across the street. The PCA members were told by their leaders not to block the sidewalk and to stand against a building–and yet the antis were both blocking the sidewalk and picketing in front of the clinic, which made it almost impossible for women to get in! The police, who Nolan described as “cheerful” and “friendly,” allowed the clinic to be shut down for two hours. They stood around doing nothing or policed the pro-choice people while a crime was being committed by the antis. This is why we cannot rely on the police to do our work for us.
Chicago
