ANTI-Abortion Protesters Storm South Florida Obama Office

Coral Gables, Florida-- A group of approximately fifty anti-abortion protestors, with Spanish-language press in tow, descended upon the Obama for America campaign offices in Coral Gables, Florida yesterday, October 30. Escorted by their activist priest, the group was armed with printed signs depicting aborted fetuses. Their hand-printed signs read, "A Vote for Obama is a Vote for Dead Babies", and other slogans equating support for the Democratic candidate with a pro-abortion stance.

Obama, like others on the Democratic Party slate, is pro-choice, not pro-abortion, and supports a woman's right to choose, this event was clearly organized in concert with McCain campaign supporters, as cars and vans decorated with McCain paraphernalia were seen driving around the rally, honking horns.

Police arrived to keep the marchers from blocking streets, parking spots and entrances to retail businesses along the "Miracle Mile" district in downtown Coral Gables. Obama volunteers refused to engage the protesters and quickly responded by printing signs reading "People of Faith for Obama" and "Women for Obama", attaching the signs to their personal cars, parked on the street. If the protest's organizers had hoped to block the everyday goings-on of the busy Obama office, they were mistaken. Eager volunteers walked the gauntlet and continued to enter the field office to pick up yard signs, printed material and instructions for canvassing and phone banking. A group of volunteers inside the office shook their heads and clucked their tongues, describing the crowd in Spanish as "los fanaticos..." commenting that the protest rally was clearly the sign of a desperate campaign in the midst of defeat.

Despite the obvious presence of many McCain-Palin supporters, Obama offices are hubs of continual activity, with new volunteers dropping in throughout the day and evening.

Comments

[AZ AF VET]

Just because I support a woman's rite to choose what to do with her body, does not mean that I am "pro death" as antiabortionists suggest. I oppose Death in unwarranted wars, I oppose the death sentences in legal issues. I oppose death by starvation as seen throughout the United States and around the world. I oppose death caused by lack of medical coverage. So don't tell me that I'm not "pro-life!"

[Dorksforobama]

When are they going to get it? When science is able to impregnate men?

Ugh.

[justoverit333]

They just need to get over it. People don't want
to talk about abortion now. They want to know how
they will heat their homes this winter.
OBAMA/BIDEN 08

[MJ6]

Even if we can't all agree as to when 'Life' begins, I doubt that many would disagree that, ideally, there'd be zero abortions, ever, anywhere.

But what's so illogical and, frankly, perverse, is that many of these so-called 'Pro Lifers' are vehemently against the very sex education and access to birth control (both here and around the world) that would help prevent untold numbers of unplanned pregnances (paging Sarah Palin!). Further, they absolutely refuse to acknowledge the well-documented reality that making abortions illegal DOES NOT PREVENT THEM, but merely forces them underground, seriously endangering the health, even the life, of the mother.

And finally, if a person is truly 'pro life', shouldn't they, by definition, also be 'anti death penalty' ? Especially now that DNA testing is revealing that 10% to 15% of death-row inmates are -- or , even worse -- were innocent. And yet most opponents of Roe v. Wade seem to be chillingly pro death penalty, despite the fact that most of the 'Civilized World' has rejected it as utterly barbaric. Not to mention those God loving souls that take it upon themselves to blow up clinics, and to try, prosecute and execute doctors that don't share their views. Hmmm, stir-in a little pro-assault rifle, pro-unprovoked war, and cries of 'kill him!' at Palin rallies, and it all begins to sound rather more 'Pro Death' than 'Pro Life'........

[whit4brains]

I'm sure some women choose to have an abortion due to their financial situations so a vote for Obama, who will do more to help the 90% of us who have been getting robbed during the Bush years, will be a vote for less abortions.

[Kay72403]

A vote for Obama is a vote for pro-life. The unborn have a better chance for a healthy birth with adequate health care for its mother. And after its first breath, new life has the right to health care until its last breath.

[freebird67]

I like the fact that a lot of people have started using the terms anti-choice rather than pro-life, idea being that all people are pro-life, but are either pro-choice, or anti-choice. Anti-choice puts the onus on them, making them appear the "bad" guys so to speak.

[VTya]

A vote for Obama/Biden is a vote to end the poverty which is often the cause for women choosing abortion. Better financial options, healthcare, affordable childcare, jobs, education, would result in less abortions. I have not seen anti-abortion activists fighting for these issues. Most of them come from the neighborhoods that did well during the Bush years. That's the real reason they oppose Obama.

[haveitoldyoulately]

You People Want To Protest? Protest Bush and his group for sending these BABIES off to their fate. Walking, Talking, Breathing Human Beings .....These Are ALL Some Ones BABY, that have been ripped from them due to LIES

Iraq War

American Armed Forces
OVER 4,000 Dead
OVER 45,000 Wounded
OVER 500 Amputees (toes or fingers don't count)
OVER 7,000 Traumatic brain injuries
OVER 125 Suicides
OVER 1/3 of troops have Mental illness

[whit4brains]

And don't forget the million+ Iraq civilians (adults, children and babies) who have lost their lives as well.

[Msmommamia]

Thousands of parents in this country have lost their grown babies to escalating violence and war . I believe Obama, more than McCain, is more apt to reduce our part in wars and violence. He just seems more sane that way. Additionally he is open to discuss the issue rationally. I don't know how anyone can scream "pro-life" and not talk about health care, war, poverty, education and violence against woman. If it is simply getting judges on the SC to over turn Roe V Wade, it seems less about Life and more about criminalization of women. It is offensive.

[towny]

I am pro choice but am not an abortion supporter. That means although I would not have one I support a womens right to choose.

So I guess when I vote on Tuesday I am voting to kill babies...thanks right wingers for clearing this all up for me!

[The Lorax]

i'm with you, towny.

I already voted for Obama.

[blahblahblah2]

They are probably pro gun also. How many guns have killed are young people? Look what is happening in Jacksonville, Florida...murder capital of the state.

[elementalchick]

"A vote for dead babies" !
How stupid. Dead babies can't run for office. (humor humor do not lynch me)

Seriously, if these people cared for children, they would be advocating free prenatal care and health care for all children, quality education - basically Obama's platform.

[Keith52]

They act as though it is every woman's dream to have an abortion. Sex education, planned parenthood funding would protect more babies than all of their ignorant protests.

[haveitoldyoulately]

Everything Palin/McCain are against

[cyndeewi]

These same people sent their sons and daughters to fight a war that should never have been waged.

[DebbieinPhx]

Our economy is in a total freefall, we are involved in two failed wars,we have global warming, we're borrowing trillions of dollars from China in order to send it to the Middle East for Oil, and these morons do what? Hash out the same old cr@p!!

This entire argument is all such disingenuous garbage. If you want to all but eliminate abortion provide women with adequate healthcare! It is that simple. A packet of birth control pills can cost anywhere from $65-$120 per MONTH. If you are struggling to make ends meet, put food on your table, that kind of money adds up.

Why is it that the VERY same people who are screaming SO loudly about this issue are the same ones who oppose helping to lift people out of poverty/providing them with adequate healthcare..the very thing that would stop nearly ALL abortions (stats don't lie...look at Europe, Canada or anywhere with open access to medical care..their rate of Abortions is nill).

If Church goers are so concerned about stopping Abortions why don't they advocate better healthcare and ending poverty versus CRIMINALIZING women and their doctors? Show me one line in the New Testament that showed Jesus advocating criminalizing someone's behavior as a way to change them for the better? He didn't. He showed them a better way forward.. he advocated helping the poor.

This issue is just so DARK AGES and disingenuous... it drives me nuts!

[jadeba]

They were probably hired by the MC campaign - who got off lucky when they filled their rally with those poor students. I still think they should have to pay them as "extras".

[Philly Gadfly]

And the outcome of this display is...... nothing changed, except someone got their name in the paper.