ROCKY RIVER – Fred Sokol, Chair – Stop Abortion in Rocky River Committee reports increased support and opposition over our Prayer, Protest, Display of graphic abortion signs in front of Rocky River [Planned Parenthood] Health Center – 20800 Center Ridge Road – Rocky River, Ohio 44116 [that “offers … abortion pill (medication abortion) up to 9 weeks after the start of your last menstrual period.” ].   

• Rosary for Life Group and Stop Abortion in Rocky River Committee gather weekly Tuesday [evening] 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm and Saturday [morning] 10:00 am to 11:30 am … and is ‘the only’ front line of defense against abortion and death for the unborn baby in Rocky River.

• “Yet I am proud to say that we are ‘the man and woman on the street’ that come to pray and protest abortion at Rocky River [Planned Parenthood] Health Center.  While our elected officials, church officials, city leaders, business leaders and school officials that should stand with us at RR[PP]HC do not”, says Sokol.

• Yes there is ‘positive support’ from ‘everyday men, women and children on the street’ during our public prayer, display of graphic abortion signs and protest against abortion in front of Rocky River [Planned Parenthood] Health Center.  For example …       

• In the fall of 2008, we talked to a pregnant woman who was holding her two little children by the hand one on each side of her.  As she was heading to the building that housed Rocky River [Planned Parenthood] Health Center.  First, two pro-life ladies were talking with her on the beauty of life.  Then I came up and talked to her as well and showed her a graphic abortion sign.  She told me my graphic abortion sign was gross.  I told her abortion is gross.  Then I asked her, “Is it right you decide if your unborn baby dies?  Don’t you think your unborn baby deserves a say in this?”  She didn’t answer me.  After further friendly discussion with her she spoke out loudly to all pro-lifers in earshot that she was not going to take any pills to kill her baby.  God Bless the lady for having faith that God would help her through her pregnancy.

• People also drive by us [who honk, thumbs up and wave] as we stand in front of RR[PP]HC.  Some motorists even stop, stand and pray the rosary and the chaplet of divine mercy with us.

• We have school kids from St. Ignatius High School that regularly stand, pray the rosary and recite the chaplet of divine mercy with us in front of RR[PP]HC. 

• We also had a student from a School in Rocky River stand, pray the rosary and recite the chaplet of divine mercy with us in front of RR[PP]HC as well.  

• For all these beautiful people God has called to be His Witness to the Sanctity of Human Life.  [Yes, God does not make junk.  Each Human Life He creates is a Gift to us all.]  It is clear these beautiful people I have just referred to know that.  They have clearly shown it in their actions.  God Bless Them All.

INCREASED OPPOSITION

•  “There are also naysayers to our effort to protect and to save the unborn baby from abortion in Rocky River.  Their outrageous outbursts directed at us is clear to me they fear our anti-abortion message.”

1.    Verbal Outburst Number 1: A lady bended over at the hip with clenched hands and screamed at me [no more than 20 feet away from me].  She told me she respected my pro-life stand but the graphic abortion pictures were disgusting and how dare you show them.  I looked at her for a second and then turned away and continued praying the rosary and displaying my graphic abortion signs.  As I thought, why speak to those who have eyes wide shut and hands on their ears?  When so many have eyes that want to see and ears that want to hear the truth?

2.    Verbal Outburst Number 2: A panel truck slowed down and stopped next to me right in busy traffic on Center Ridge Road. The vehicle’s rider’s side window was open, with a man driving and a woman in the rider’s seat.  The man calmly upon stopping his truck in front of me turned towards me as the woman looked at me as well.  He told me that God Blesses me for standing up for the unborn but your [my] graphic abortion signs are not appropriate.  I then calmly told him that the reason for the display of my graphic abortion sign was to show him how his tax money is being spent. [I was referring to the fact that his federal tax money is paying for the violent abortion and murder of American unborn babies that my sign illustrated.]  I am sure he understood what I was telling him.  After my comment his jaw dropped and with a blank stare on his face drove off not saying anything else.  I then thought there is no debate of the violence of abortion and death upon an unborn baby. 

3.    Verbal Outburst Number 3: A car raced by us with a woman in her 20’s with her head stuck out the rider’s side window of the car.  She was screaming at me at the top of her lungs saying “Get a [I cannot even allude to what she said] you [expletive, expletive].”  The lady that was praying next to me at RR[PP]HC shuddered and then made a sign of the cross and said a prayer for the troubled woman.  I then thought, Satan hates what we do  in Rocky River.  

4.    Verbal Outburst Number 4: A car load of people raced by us with their windows all closed.  The people inside the enclosed car screamed at me in unison at a very high pitch and could easily be heard even though the car windows were all closed.  This time the lady praying next to me in front of RR[PP]HC and myself both made a sign of the cross and said a prayer for the troubled people in the car that sped by us.  I then thought, let evil wail and gnash its teeth.  For God is with us and evil will not come any closer to us.

5.    Verbal Outburst Number 5: Finally, a pro-death couple walked up to me as I stood in front of RR[PP]HC to challenge and to argue with me as I prayed and displayed my graphic abortion sign.

·        The pro-death couple told me they respected my concern for the unborn [yet they didn’t mean it].  Then they told me that my graphic abortion sign I was displaying is disgusting … and how can I display that sign with so many children seeing my disgusting sign? 

·        I then looked at this pro-death couple straight into their faces and I made the Sign of the Cross and said to them “God Bless You.” 

·        They then angrily realized I would not engage in conversation with them, not seek compromise with them over the issue of abortion.  Furthermore they also realized I would not put my graphic abortion sign down, because these pro-death people did not like my sign.   

·        Then the pro-death people walked away from me and tried to argue with another pro-life person who stood with me … about my displayed graphic abortion sign. 

·        It is clear to me graphic abortion signs work well as a pro-life message in Rocky River, Ohio.  I then realized the pro-death crowd in Rocky River are incapable and have failed to find an argument to shut down the truth of the ‘horror of abortion’, the ‘humanity of the unborn’ and the ‘lunacy of choice’ that my display of graphic abortion signs show.

·        “When it comes to pro-death people trying to debate with us pro-life people in front of Rocky River Planned Parenthood over abortion … there is no debate.”   

SO LET US DEBATE GRAPHIC ABORTION SIGN DISPLAY ANYWAY.

• “I challenge anyone to a public debate who thinks we “The Guardian Angels” should not peacefully and legally attempt to protect and save the unborn baby from abortion in Rocky River, Ohio”, says Sokol.

• C’mon Rocky River Naysayers, tell me to my face and to the public of Rocky River.  [1.] Why the people of Rocky River should not see for themselves the truth, of the innocent and defenseless humanity of the unborn baby after it was violently and horrifically cut to pieces alive and aborted in their mother’s womb and in America!

• Also, tell me and tell the people of Rocky River, why you are so verbally abusive to us pro-lifers … that display graphic abortion signs depicting the horrific truth of abortion and death of the unborn baby?

IN CLOSING

Fred Sokol, Chair – Stop Abortion in Rocky River Committee JMJ