But the laws are steps in the right direction for women seeking special medical treatment, which includes abortions. The Colorado measure is specific enough and narrowly tailored to medical entrances. It still allows for activists to assemble without severely limiting their First Amendment rights. Protesters have more than enough space within eight feet of clinic entrances to make whatever point they are trying to get across without being hostile or violent. All Americans have the right to seek out health care, and that right includes the ability to enter clinics without fear of being harmed by violent protesters.
Protesters have the right to assemble.
But they do not have the right to harm others or violate others' rights at the same time. Civil rights are a two-way street. It is important to keep the balance between the rights of the individual and the rights to free speech. Eight feet is hardly a threat to that balance. This editorial was originally published in the Daily Collegian, the student newspaper at Pennsylvania State University.