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Protecting “Choice” or Restricting Access to Information? Part 2

The abortion clinic's dumpster, where our signs were tossed.
The Albany abortion clinic dumpster, where our signs were tossed

Now that the Albany Medical Surgical Center abortion clinic in Chicago has aggressive deathscorts on duty, it is particularly difficult to offer real choice to the women who come there thinking abortion is their best option. Many have no idea that abortion can be dangerous or that help is available just less than a block away.

So to make sure they have an opportunity to choose life, we have printed professional signs with the name and phone number for The Women’s Center, in both English and Spanish.

Clearly the sidewalk counselors and prayer warriors are having an impact on the abortion clinic.

First they installed the deathscorts.

Now they are attacking our signs.

Abortion Clinic Guard Calls Our Signs Garbage

Today, I posted five signs—three in English, two in Spanish. When it was time for me to leave, I gave the signs to the prayer group that was coming on duty next.

But the clinic maintenance man, Tim, decided that it was his job to remove the signs from the public parkway. Andrew, who was still there praying, told Tim those were our signs.

Tim replied that they were garbage and we weren’t getting them back. He picked them up, tossed them in his truck and drove back into the clinic parking lot, where he deposited the signs in the dumpster.

Chicago Police Say It’s Not Theft

Andrew call the police to report the theft of our signs. But the police officers concluded that Tim had no way to know who those signs belonged to, and since they were in the public parkway, he could remove them. Ultimately the police asked Tim to retrieve the signs from the dumpster and return them.

By the police officer’s logic, anything you see on public property is fair game. So be very careful the next time you park along a public road, or put anything in a public place. Even if you are standing right there, how does anyone know who your stuff belongs to?

According to the Chicago Police, it isn’t theft even if you claim ownership. The “thief” has just as much right to it as you do.

Something’s wrong here.

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