{"id":64138,"date":"2015-05-29T09:35:41","date_gmt":"2015-05-29T13:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"\/news\/?p=64138"},"modified":"2015-05-29T00:41:43","modified_gmt":"2015-05-29T04:41:43","slug":"believe-free-speech-right-life-heres-protect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/believe-free-speech-right-life-heres-protect\/","title":{"rendered":"Believe in free speech and the right to life? Here’s how to protect both."},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lynchburg, Virginia has a few interesting features. For a while, it was America\u2019s premier source<\/a> of ChapStick and enemas.<\/p>\n

It also experienced some dog attacks<\/a> when I was living there, so I wasn’t pleased to come home one night and find a large pitbull standing between me and the door. Seeing that its muscles were tense and its tail stiff made for a nerve wracking experience.<\/p>\n

Or at least it would have been–the 9mm pistol I had on my belt took some of the edge off (it didn\u2019t stay on my belt for long).<\/p>\n

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A bit of a standoff ensued; the dog dropped its head and I dropped into a Modified Weaver<\/a>. After after a few minutes of eyeballing each other, our confrontation ended. The dog turned away and walked down the street, while I went into my house with renewed appreciation for the Second Amendment.<\/p>\n

Recently, Australian \u201chuman rights activist\u201d Tanya Cohen reminded me why also I\u2019m a big fan of the First Amendment. As Rebecca Downs reported<\/a>, Cohen is\u00a0calling for a ban<\/a> on pro-life speech.<\/p>\n

\u201cLaws,\u201d she explains, \u201cexist to enforce acceptable behaviour. Arguing against a woman\u2019s right to choose is not acceptable behaviour. Ergo, there is absolutely no reason that it should be legal either.\u201d She goes on to ask, \u201cDoes \u2018freedom of speech\u2019 allow people to oppose the values of the nation?\u201d According to Cohen, it doesn’t.<\/p>\n

A few things come to mind here. One is that if people have no right to oppose \u201cthe values of the nation,\u201d then it would seem those fighting for religious freedom and gender equality in many parts of the world have a duty to keep their mouths shut. For some reason Cohen didn’t mention that.<\/p>\n

Another is that if Cohen thinks interfering with \u201ca woman\u2019s right to choose\u201d is unacceptable behavior, then she should have a real problem with the abortion industry. After all, it’s got a history of helping abusers and human traffickers deny choice to women and girls. The bad news is that Ms. Cohen appears to be unaware of this. The good news? I\u2019m free to fill her in.<\/p>\n

If you’re an abusive partner wanting to avoid the hassle of child support, you’ve got a good reason to be pro-choice…as long as that choice involves having an abortion, of course. Pimps have a similar incentive. Simply put, a trip to the clinic is an easy way to keep your victims on the street and bringing in money. Unfortunately, neither of these groups are fond of hearing the word “no.” The results can be deadly when they do.<\/p>\n

Women have been shot<\/a>, slashed<\/a>, suffocated<\/a>, burned<\/a>, and fatally beaten<\/a> for refusing to have an abortion, so it shouldn’t come as a shock that the CDC lists\u00a0 homicide as a leading\u00a0cause of death<\/a> during pregnancy. Nor should studies reporting that more than half<\/a> of women who abort feel pressured to do so. “Choice providers” aren’t surprised<\/a> that coerced abortions happen. In fact, some are willing to arrange them.<\/p>\n

In 2011, Live Action investigators took\u00a0hidden cameras<\/a> to Planned Parenthood facilities along the East Coast. Posing as pimps using underage prostitutes, they documented how Planned Parenthood’s staff were ready to lend a hand. Among them was Perth Amboy, New Jersey clinic director Amy Woodruff. Despite being told the prostitutes \u201ccan\u2019t speak English<\/a>\u201d and \u201cwon\u2019t know what\u2019s going on,<\/a>\u201d Woodruff was unfazed. \u201cIf they\u2019re 14 and under just send them right there if they need an abortion, OK?\u201d<\/p>\n