The 40 Days for Life was first founded on three very important principals: Prayer & Fasting, Peaceful Vigil, and Grassroots Community Outreach…
… And since our beginnings in 2009 we have stayed true to our commitment of peacefully praying for an END to Abortion while asking our volunteers to abide by the statement of peace.
Over the last few months, however, something has changed in the St. Louis city government or police force. Planned Parenthood has become increasingly aware of our effectiveness and has dramatically increased their calls to city officials and police accusing our volunteers of anything from False Advertising to Littering.
The normal procedure is that several police will arrive, tell us we can’t stand here or there, or we can’t have this kind of sign or that kind of sign and then leave after a little while.
Well yesterday was a little different. Rita Sparrow (69) from St. Charles who walks with a limp arrived early with a chair because she had planned to stay for many hours to pray. Shortly after the police arrived asking Mrs. Sparrow to put her chair back in her car stating that she was littering. Mrs. Sparrow commented that she had that chair for when she became tired and politely asked to see the ordinance in question.
The ordinance in question was #11.18.140 that deals specifically with a landlord who is evicting a tenant. Rita is not a landlord nor is she leaving her chair, she was going to sit in it. We at the Coalition for Life believe that this law is poorly written, unconstitutional, and should be quickly rectified by the city law makers.Shortly thereafter Rita was placed under arrest for littering and taken to the local police station. She was quickly released, however did not receive a citation leaving her with no ability to defend herself in court.
(link to St. Louis blog)
… And since our beginnings in 2009 we have stayed true to our commitment of peacefully praying for an END to Abortion while asking our volunteers to abide by the statement of peace.
Over the last few months, however, something has changed in the St. Louis city government or police force. Planned Parenthood has become increasingly aware of our effectiveness and has dramatically increased their calls to city officials and police accusing our volunteers of anything from False Advertising to Littering.
The normal procedure is that several police will arrive, tell us we can’t stand here or there, or we can’t have this kind of sign or that kind of sign and then leave after a little while.
Well yesterday was a little different. Rita Sparrow (69) from St. Charles who walks with a limp arrived early with a chair because she had planned to stay for many hours to pray. Shortly after the police arrived asking Mrs. Sparrow to put her chair back in her car stating that she was littering. Mrs. Sparrow commented that she had that chair for when she became tired and politely asked to see the ordinance in question.
The ordinance in question was #11.18.140 that deals specifically with a landlord who is evicting a tenant. Rita is not a landlord nor is she leaving her chair, she was going to sit in it. We at the Coalition for Life believe that this law is poorly written, unconstitutional, and should be quickly rectified by the city law makers.Shortly thereafter Rita was placed under arrest for littering and taken to the local police station. She was quickly released, however did not receive a citation leaving her with no ability to defend herself in court.
(link to St. Louis blog)
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