Opinion - Columns - Julie Lynem

Published: Sunday, Jun. 07, 2009

Julie Lynem: Local debate on abortion is more civil than nation’s

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When it comes to abortion politics, I’m not optimistic that we’ll ever bridge the divide. Convince me otherwise, but I believe passions on both sides are too strong to resolve our differences.

After the killing last week of Dr. George Tiller in his Kansas church, however, I also question whether our society is capable of having a civil debate about women’s reproductive rights without resorting to acts of violence. Fortunately, our community seems to be one of those places where we have been able to disagree, for the most part, in a respectful way. And that’s encouraging.

The San Luis Obispo police have reported only three cases of anti-reproductive rights crimes to the Department of Justice since 2002. That is when two laws — the Reproductive Rights Law Enforcement Act and the California Freedom of Access to Clinic and Church Entrances Act — were adopted. The laws not only make it a crime to injure, intimidate or interfere with the work of health care providers or those seeking care, but include murder, assault, arson and property damage, death threats and harassing phone calls or e-mails.

The San Luis Obispo cases occurred in 2003 and all involved the harassment of a local physician who performed abortions. Bumper stickers were placed on her car, intended to spotlight and humiliate her, police said. No one was arrested.

San Luis Obispo police Capt. Dan Blanke said calls come in periodically from people representing both ends of the spectrum, and in 2005, a protest sign was torn and tossed in the trash. That has been the extent of it, and I pray that we never see the protests deteriorate to the point where our local health care workers feel unsafe to do their jobs.

Neither does Christine Lyon, vice president of external affairs at Planned Parenthood in San Luis Obispo.

“People protest on a regular basis, and they have a right to do that,” she said. “As long as they’re peaceful protests, that’s OK.”

Lyon believes there’s support in the county to retain access for women’s reproductive health care and to keep abortion safe and legal. She also noted that most women arrive not seeking abortions, but rather to get pap smears, breast exams and information about contraception so they can decide when to start a family.

“We will keep our doors open and be there for the women that need us,’’ Lyon said.

Maria Estrada, executive director of LifeLine and Choices — nonprofit, Christian-based pro-life organizations in San Luis Obispo County that provide education and counseling to pregnant women — condemned the murder of Dr. Tiller.

“My stance is that anyone who intentionally murders a human being … it’s wrong any time; whether it’s someone who is 50 or an unborn baby,’’ she said.

Estrada said employees do not protest publicly and are trained to understand that violence is unacceptable.

“Rather than fight each other, the focus should be on prevention of unwanted pregnancies,” said Jennifer Miller, interim executive director of San Luis Obispo ALPHA, a nonprofit organization that provides nonpartisan, nonjudgmental support for women facing pregnancy, and support and education for pregnant women and new parents. The organization does not provide health services.

“No matter how deep people’s differences are, all of us need to stand together to say that violence is not the answer.”

That’s something, I hope, we can all agree on.

Reach Julie Lynem at jlynem@thetribunenews.com.