I consider myself the mother hen of our clinic. The people I work with are my family, and I think it's my responsibility to protect them. So most days, I don't think of myself when I see the protesters. I think of my patients, and I think of my staff. But the protesters have gotten a lot worse in my 15 years working here. The other day when I came outside, a protester was taking a picture of my license plate number. I was furious. It's one thing to yell things at me and wave signs in my face, but it's quite another to violate my privacy and jeopardize my family.
I told the woman to erase the picture from her camera, and I stood there until she did it. Sometimes these things can get me down, but when it comes down to it, I love my job. And every morning when I come into the clinic, there are more patients waiting for our doors to open than there are protesters telling them not to walk through them. And that will always be enough to keep me coming back.
Protesters: 11
I am Emily X.
I am Planned Parenthood.
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22 comments:
I'm sure your state has privacy laws regarding releasing driver information from the DMV. Why not spend a few minutes of your time taking pictures of all the protesters then put a gallery up of them. :) Take pictures of their license plates, their cars, etc. On another note, I'm glad there are people like you that will fight for what they feel is right no matter the adversity. Good luck.
You are brave, and I'm grateful that you're doing this important work.
That is crossing the line! I wonder, if this continues, if they could be charged with intimation? Thank you for all that you do in the face of all these protestors!
This is why I am afraid to work at Planned Parenhood. I applaud you and your bravery and I only hope that someday I can become as brave as you.
Thank you so much for this blog and what you and all Planned Parenthood workers do! I live in Aurora, IL, and photographing license plates is something the protestors have been doing at the new PP clinic here too.
reading your blogs brings tears to my eyes. i am SO grateful that there are people like you who put up with this crap so that people like myself can get help and information.
That is just sick- how does that even help with a protest????? Keep up your amazing work Emily- it is GREATLY appreciated!
you are an incredible 'mother hen' and woman. i am so thankful for you! =)
"but it's quite another to violate my privacy and jeopardize my family."
Is it though? Anti-choicers don't care about women's privacy or their families. Otherwise they'd be pro-choice. They'll stop at nothing until they have a stranglehold on womankind.
So creepy! Kudos to you for calling her on her deeply inappropriate behavior on all counts. And please take care of yourself as well as your patients.
you are an amazing person.
Call the cops. They are allowed to peacefully protest, but with the history of fundamentalists actually killing doctors and bombing clinics, the police should take photographing license plates VERY seriously.
Other than that, I'd echo the suggestions for you to go out and blatantly take pictures of them and their license plates. See how they like it.=o)
"I told the woman to erase the picture from her camera, and I stood there until she did it."
Why does that seem incredibly brave?
(Because that kind of scare tactic works? Because normally someone might be too afraid or embarrassed to confront the person with the camera, and the antichoicers know it?)
Keep working, and keep blogging! You give courage to us all.
how sad that these protesters can't see how many other much more worth while causes there are for them to throw their time at. If they are so opposed to abortion, then why don't they insted spend their time tending to all the foster care kids who's parents can't or won't raise them? our society can't care for the unwanted /abused kids it already has, they want to add some more?
I live near the Aurora PP Clinic, and the wonderful staff at our site has been dealing with the same type of outrageous behavior. I spoke with an Aurora police officer who told me the protestors were leaving pictures of aborted fetuses on the doors of the homes in the neighborhood. The "latch key kids" (kids who let themselves into their house after school) were coming home and finding these pictures. They also go door to door in the neighboorhoods of the PP workers, passing out "information" about what their neighbors do for a living. Tactics like this make me ill. Here's an article written by columnist Eric Zorn from the Chicago Tribune about the tactics the pro-lifers use.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-zorn25sep25,0,456593.column
That sounds awful. There are some crazy people in the world. Thank you for all you do to keep women's health care available to everyone. My daughter is an intern at Planned Parenthood for her master's program in Social Work. She loves it there, and the people she works with. Keep up the good fight Emily!
I genuinly appreciate the work you do. If it weren't for people like you, women really would have no choices. Thank you!
I think this crap is just outrageous! I am an avid supporter of planned parenthood,all it does and all it stands for...everyone has their own opinion but I think these protesting idiots need to keep their opinions to themselves! Unless of course THEY themselves want to take care of the unwanted babies in the area? I somehow don't think they are up for all that...but of course Planned Parenthood isn't JUST about abortions (and the smart people know that) which is why I will be making MY appointment at the Aurora clinic for next month...and I'm hoping there are some protesters out there the day I go so I can have a little fun with them. Kudos to you all for being supporters :)
Things I'd like to ask those protesters: Where were you when I found that lump? Where were you after my friend was raped & found out she was pregnant? Where were you when another friend had a miscarriage? Where were you when another friend decided to break the cycle of violence by not having kids? I didn't see you there, holding her hand and handing her a tissue while she cried. Where were you?
Thank you..... from the bottom of my heart.
reading all these entries make me so sad. i respect what you do and i hope you and your family are safe it's scary to think of what these people could do to get their point across.. thanks for what you do.
Is there any record of anyone ever being harmed because their license plate was photographed?
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