“Like a monument to paganism”
Family Planning Associates, Miramar Road, San Diego, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010
Every Saturday across America the silent screams of unborn children echo from buildings and strip malls that hide dingy little clinics. The Metroplex strip mall in San Diego, with its landmark white tubular steel pyramid that rises like a monument to paganism, is home to a dingy little abortion clinic named Family Planning Associates. This rainy Saturday morning on the sidewalk in front of Family Planning Associates, twenty prayer warriors huddled under umbrellas humbly praying for God’s grace to move the hearts of the parents who are considering sacrificing the lives of their unborn babies, while four sidewalk counselors tried to keep their pro-life literature dry as they pleaded with abortion intent parents for the lives of their children. One sidewalk counselor, Terry, spoke in the driveway for several minutes with a 26-year-old woman, an army veteran, who was a victim of rape. This woman confided that she was the mother of twins and that she was contemplating her second abortion; her first was when she was 18. The young woman was alarmed when Terry informed her of the abortionist’s abysmal malpractice record, and listened intently to the description of the physical and emotional dangers of an abortion. The woman said she was intent on having this abortion. During their conversation that lasted several minutes, the young woman avoided looking into the counselor's eyes. Terry expressed sorrow for what had happened to her and told her she would feel victimized twice: the first time by the person who raped her, and then again by this abortionist. Terry told the young woman that she could not undo what was violently done to her, but that she could intervene for her little pre-born child, who is as innocent and defenseless as she was. Terry tried to get the young woman to call a pro-life doctor right away. but she refused. The counselor said, “You’ve been through war as a veteran and you raised twin boys alone. You are a strong young woman. I know you want to hurt somebody, but please remember this 6-week-old little one inside of you now is a part of you and has hurt no one. You are not alone this time, there is a lot of help for you as well as for your twins. Please let us help you.” The young woman finally looked up at Terry with mixed emotions on her face; she quickly looked down and said, “I want to think about this.” She drove in to the lot and sat in her car for about ten minutes. But sadly, she then got out of her car and entered the mill. Anne, another sidewalk counselor, stopped a car whose passengers were a Spanish speaking married couple and their teenaged daughter. The father indicated that they were in a hurry and drove in to the lot. Anne called Terry on her cell phone, who informed Luis, a Spanish-speaking counselor. Luis ran over to the Hispanic family’s car. As the father exited the car he put out his hand as to ward off the counselor and said in broken English, “ Thank you for your concern, but please keep your distance.” They went into the abortuary and the father and daughter came out leaving the mother behind.
An angry man from one of the mall's stores came up to Anne and threatened to call the police because he believed she was harassing his employees by asking if they were going to the clinic. The counselor told him that she had to do her job. He responded that her she should do it somewhere else. Anne stopped another car of Spanish speakers. She handed the young woman a picture of a 12-week-old unborn baby and showed her a life-like model of a 12 week old. The young woman seemed shaken. After they pulled into the lot, one of the prayer warriors approached Anne and asked if she had given the couple a brochure in Spanish. Anne didn’t think she had any more Spanish brochures but when she searched in her bag she found one. She ran into the lot and gave them the information, saying, “Don’t go.” Sunlight began to stream through the dissipating rain clouds as Anne returned to her spot and prayed with the prayer warrior. The Hispanic couple sat for several minutes in their car and then drove out of the lot.
