Angry Tom and the Abortion Clinic Next Door
Reflections on the hypocrisy of protestors I deal with each week.
Shortly after moving into my home, I realized the business next door was an All Women’s Health Facility that specializes in family planning, and is also a provider of abortions. Oddly, it wasn’t the sign in front of the business that keyed me in — it was the protestors.
There’s always at least one protestor, but sometimes there’s an entire crowd. It’s usually a complete circus. I’ve been surprised by my own reaction to their presence but it comes from a personal place.
Nearly 20 years ago, my then girlfriend and I had an abortion. It wasn’t a fun experience by any measure, but a path we both decided on early in the pregnancy. She’d been on birth control but fell into the smaller percentage of women who still get pregnant on it.
This isn’t a fact I have ever shared, or one I share lightly. But that is what happened and I don’t regret it. It was the right decision for us. I suspect it is also that experience that has made me quite bothered by the protestors. And it’s not like I can look away.
Even when I’m leaving, traffic frequently backs up in front of this facility, so I’m forced to watch whatever ridiculous scene is unfolding. Very often, protestors form this…
