Recently, an article, “Two years after move to Minnesota, Red River Women’s Clinic workers, protesters reflect on changes,” ran on the front page of The Forum.
Challenges to some inaccuracies have been noted by others. As a pro-life sidewalk advocate offering life-affirming choices to the abortion-vulnerable at this facility and a journalist seeking truth, I add the following for my colleagues and the public pursuing the same.
Firstly, the headline promises voices of both “protesters” and workers, but the article expends only two of 28 paragraphs on the pro-life perspective. “Protester” itself misleads, insinuating we’re against the women, which is wholly untrue, though we do protest the taking of innocent blood.
As for the shovels, last winter, the escorts realized their snow shovels, when scraped against the bare parking-lot, made a loud screeching sound and began employing this “happy accident,” along with vulgar music at times to drown out our offers of help.
One escort, to justify the shovel racket, claimed we “shout at the patients, interrupting their day,” making it sound like the clients are going in for a manicure rather than to end their child’s life.
Do we yell, and if so, why? The article explains how the new location buffers clients from us. Now be honest. If someone were walking into a burning building, would you whisper to save them?
Tammi Kromenaker, who runs the clinic, said she’s angry about having to relocate, though it appears business is booming with spillover from neighboring states restricting abortion.
She expressed happiness, however, that Minnesota doesn’t require a 24-hour waiting period for the women to think through this decision, or to supply them with information about what abortion really is, and its adverse effects.
She also applauds that the state doesn’t require under-18 clients to seek parental permission before aborting their children. I’d bet most would agree that pregnant teens still need the mature wisdom, love and guidance of the parents who gave them life, especially in such a critical moment.
Kromenaker also gloated over how Minnesota politicians have welcomed them, yet I’ve heard from plenty of Minnesotans who are grieved by the facility’s unwanted presence.
As for the comment that “patients still express fears about the protesters,” I wonder what, and whom, feeds this exaggerated, unfounded fear?
Kromenaker applauded the dedicated escorts who show up every week, rain or shine. We’ve noticed the space heater she’s provided them in frigid months, yet we sidewalk advocates remain out in the elements without protection, also rain or shine.
Finally, the article expounds on the building permit obtained recently by Women’s Care Center, a pregnancy resource facility, for a nearby lot, then disparages such facilities. I’ve interviewed many women who’ve found life-giving, long-term help at the center. Perhaps it’s time to unearth those voices?
Thankfully, Kromenaker shirks any worry over the forthcoming, new neighbor, despite her escorts’ hasty snapping of photos the minute the bulldozers showed up to level the ground.
She’s right to be undisturbed. Life is always a winning proposition.
[For the sake of having a repository for my newspaper columns and articles, I reprint them here, with permission, a week after their run date. The preceding ran in The Forum newspaper on Sept. 1, 2024.]
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