Down Goes the Fence
Posted by Matt Yonke, April 9th, 2008
In an interesting twist, the infamous Dominick's fence came down yesterday afternoon, and with it many of the flowers and other commemorations pro-lifers had attached to it over the last six months.
In trying to figure out why it came down yesterday particularly, I took a look at the permit documentation for that fence, which we acquired back in December. You'll recall that the fence went up in October, after Planned Parenthood launched a nationwide effort to flood Dominick's, and their parent company Safeway, with phone calls complaining about our presence on their property.
Dominick's received a six month fence permit which expired yesterday. What's strange is that they only had permission for a temporary fence through December 10, 2007. By all rights it seems that the chain link fence should have come down and been replaced by something permanent four months ago.
Though we were certainly distraught when the fence was erected, as with so many things that Planned Parenthood has tried to use against us, it never impacted our ability to protest and minister to abortion-bound mothers. We continued to rally, pray, counsel, sing Christmas carols, and display pro-life signs just as effectively as we did before.
So why didn't the fence come down when it was supposed to? Will there be another, more permanent fence? Will this make our lives at Planned Parenthood easier or more difficult? Why doesn't the rule of law apply to anything in or around Planned Parenthood?
Answers will only come with time, but two things are certain: Life is never boring at Planned Parenthood Aurora, and no matter what lengths Planned Parenthood takes to stop us, we will not be stopped from bringing hope to babies and their mothers, and showing Aurora the truth about abortion.
Man, I've kind of grown to like the fence. Well, at least we still have part of the green fence by the side-walk in the back of PP.
God Bless,
Roger
April 9th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
…Ok, now that the fence is gone, where do we hang up our religious stuff? ;>
Seriously, I did remember reading the part about the fence coming down early December…what gives? The Aurora local gov't forgot to enforce it's own laws again?
April 9th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Does this mean I should begin shopping at Dominick's again? I told them why I was not shopping there. Fran
April 9th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
People were seriously boycotting Dominick's because they didn't want people trespassing across their lot?
April 9th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
In a way, I am sorry to see the fence go down, it became very practical. Could use it as a wind breaker, by placing a blanket over it, enabled people to place flowers and religious articles in it. If you forgot your chair you could lean on it if you got tired. So what else does PP have planned for us? As usual we will adapt.
April 9th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
That fence was private property anyway, so why are we so distraught about it being down, because we hung stuff on it, leaned on it or used it as a windbreaker?
It is kind of a sign that maybe Safeway is backing down on supporting PP and trying to get rid of us or it could mean the lot has been sold and we won't be allowed to be there after the new business moves in. Who knows.
April 9th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
You're upset when the fence is upset. You're upset when the fence is down. It seems like some of you just enjoy being upset.
April 9th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
We just like being upset!
God Bless,
Roger
P.S. Just kidding!
P.P.S. Apparently, some people WERE shopping elsewhere!
April 9th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Student is happy when the Catholic leaders allegedly don't support the life begins at conception "mind-set." Student is silent when she is shown to be making up nonsense. It seems like you enjoy being a blowhard.
April 9th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Just in time for the spring/summer rallies
April 9th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
This is great news. It really was an eyesore. And the fence was inconvenient to pedestrian traffic coming to and from the shopping plaza. I hope no permanent fence goes up, and I really hope SafeWay tells PP to get lost? I'll bring some diapers for the pregnancy center/shower.
April 10th, 2008 at 12:24 am
Brian,
"Blowhard" is the best you can do? How very typically christian of you.
Margaret Thatcher
April 10th, 2008 at 7:39 am
I am glad the fence is down only because it was a eyesore to the community. Also, last year flocks of geese settled inside the fence leaving their remains. I'm sure that was a health harzard because it was so numerous in a concentrated place.
Next, the clinic will be closed and torn down leaving the trees of life standing! Inside there also, remains are left.
WE STAND STRONG.
April 10th, 2008 at 9:05 am
Student and Brian,
Let's try to avoid the personal attacks in both directions if you please. Try to keep the dialog on the issues.
That said, I don't think anyone's upset that the fence is gone. I think some people had developed a bit of an attachment to it, the way people in difficult situations develop attachments to whatever accoutrements are around.
Student, it might be a little easier to understand if you had spent hours at a time up against that fence in snow and freezing temperatures for the last several months.
That said, as I said in the post, it doesn't matter what if there's a new fence or no fence. We'll still be there standing up for women and babies.
In Christ,
Matt
April 10th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Fair enough. I think blowhard is a pretty mild rebuke to her nitpicking. I also think that if you're going to make a claim about religion citing a source that doesn't support your claim, you should acknowledge that you were full of it. But if that was overly personal, I won't do it again.
April 10th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Matt,
I've yet to resort to name calling, but have been on the receiving end multiple times.
April 10th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Brian,
I don't think my interpretation was any more distorted than the blog here describing HB5615. However, two wrongs don't make a right and it certainly wasn't completely accurate. I should have read it more closely. My apologies. I should have said that the RCC refused to back a bill stating that life begins at conception. I think we can both agree that statement is much more accurate.
April 10th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
You might not name call, but you disparage people when you say they just like to be upset for the heck of it. It was a snarky little comment.
April 10th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Student and Brian,
No harm, no foul. I'm just trying to nip this thing in the bud. Nobody has said anything horribly offensive yet. Let's keep it that way.
As you were.
Matt
April 10th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Brian,
I apologize if you feel "disparaged." However, I heard a lot of complaining when the fence went up and now I hear complaining that it's down. It seems like no matter how it plays out, people aren't going to be happy. Have I mischaracterized the situation?
April 10th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Student,
I'll be out there praying tomorrow for the first time since the fence came down. I expect that it will feel strange, to say the least, after having stood so frequently in bad weather over the past several months. I've actually grown kind of attached to it. I'll let you know afterward if I feel any differently towards the women and girls who are going in for "various services". Somehow, I don't believe a fence can change my heart or my passion to help them.
God bless you
Sandy
April 10th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Brian,
How are you going to reason with a person that puts herself in denial and refuses to acknowledge that anybody in the world is pro-abort? Patience is the word that comes to mind when I think about it.
April 10th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Truthseeker, I made a mistake in calling her a blowhard. I think it's a mild insult, but it's an insult nonetheless.
April 10th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Student
Regarding my post #21 above, nope, whether the fence is there or not, I still care about those women and babies! Nothing has changed.
April 11th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
I guess Planned Parenthood may have been urging Dominick's to take down the fence in order to try to get away from it's "Concentration Camp" image.
This won't fool us. We still know PP is a killing center. It's only a matter of time — once fences are put up, eventually they must come down.
I think I will now reward Dominick's and start shopping there once again.
—
In a way I wish the fence was still up. I was coming up with ways to hang signs on the fence to show the people of Aurora "what abortion really is".
Mike
April 13th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Trespass
Clinic protester arrested
Constance Betz, 60, of the 4800 block of Clearwater Lane, Naperville, was charged with misdemeanor criminal trespassing at 9 a.m. Friday at the Planned Parenthood clinic, 3051 E. New York St., Aurora police said. Betz went on the clinic's property in an attempt to talk with and hand literature to people going into the clinic, police said. Reports indicate Betz had been warned numerous times not to come onto the property.
April 19th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Don't let it slow down Constance. God will always provide you with the fortitude to perservere.
April 19th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
This is very curious of the police, I see people "trespassing" on Planned Parenthood Abortion Clinic's side all the time. You know, it's near a shopping mall, and neighborhood. Umm…
April 20th, 2008 at 12:07 am