Police and Blockade

Thank you to Chief Burgreen and Lt. Larry Morratto of the San Diego police for their even-handed, effective, and appropriate actions on Sept. 16 when about 60 Operation Rescue illegal blockaders surrounded the office of Dr. Phillip Milgram. The police responded in a commendable fashion to a difficult situation.

Despite the scare tactics of these religious zealots, all patients were safely escorted into the doctor’s office. Operation Rescue spent six hours harassing women in their final months of their pregnancies who were seeking routine pre-natal care for the children they do plan on having. Why did they try to prevent these women, who clearly were not going to have abortions, from entering their doctor’s office? To do so seems to be in direct opposition to their claim to be “pro-life.”

This was by far the smallest number of Operation Rescue blockaders that has ever attempted to illegally disrupt medical services in San Diego. The recent sentencing, heavy fines and guilty verdicts for previously arrested blockaders have clearly put a significant dent in Operation Rescue plans to frighten women away from medical services. Given the rate at which their numbers are dwindling, I expect Operation Rescue will entirely cease its harassment tactics due to lack of supporters.

SUSI BUENO

San Diego