But I have many pro-lift friends and colleagues who pray the Rosary or peacefully protest on the sidewalk. I have the utmost respect and admiration for them. It's difficult to comprehend the abortion lobby's contention that peaceful prolife protests by housewives and grandparents somehow encourage violence. I fail to see how their legislation would reduce violent incidents such as the shooting of Slepian. New York already has laws on the books penalizing violence.
Murder is a felony.
Yet even the threat of execution did not deter Slepian's killer. Harassment, vandalism, arson and assault, wherever they occur, are all against New York's Penal Code. Anyone aggrieved by someone silently praying or handing out literature can already call in the federal marshals. Some localities have clinic-access laws all their own. The defendants have retained counsel and incurred significant legal expenses to defend themselves against this baseless lawsuit.