Mass. Buffer Zone For Abortion Clinic Patients Struck Down

[kairos12]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/26/mccullen-v-coakley_n_5533136.html
snip:

The Supreme Court ruled on McCullen v. Coakley Thursday, striking down a Massachusetts law requiring protesters to stay at least 35 feet from an abortion clinic's entrance and walkways.
In a unanimous opinion, the court held that such buffer zones violate First Amendment free speech rights.

"This decision is incredibly disappointing and ignores the very real threats of violence and intimidation that abortion providers and their patients face every day," Saporta said. "Since 1977, there have been 8 murders, 17 attempted murders, 42 bombings, 181 arsons, and thousands of incidents of criminal activities.

My guess is that Supreme Court Justices do not allow people to videotape, scream, and stalk them as they go to work. What a disastrous decision.

[lostincalifornia]

1. Actually it is a misleading headline. Typical of msm. 8 feet is ok, 35 ft not

[PoliticAverse]

2. No the court didn't strike down buffer zones, it found (9-0) that a 35' zone here was too large. n/t

[frazzled]

3. Just the Massachusetts law

Other places prevent such harrassment by other means:

Roberts said that as an alternative approach, Massachusetts could consider an ordinance such as one adopted in New York City that "makes it a crime 'to follow and harass another person within 15 feet of the premises of a reproductive health care facility.' "

The state could also adopt a law that makes it illegal to attempt to injure, intimidate or interfere with anyone because they're either coming from or heading toward a health clinic, he said.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/06/26/325806464/states-cant-mandate-buffer-zones-around-abortion-clinics-high-court-says

I'm disappointed by this, but given that the decision was unanimous, with even the liberal women joining in, the idea that there are other ways to successfully prevent women from being harrassed at clinics must be the case. This isn't the end, I think, of pushback at the harrassers. It's just that the Massachusetts law was too narrow.