Revolutionary Worker #906, May 11, 1997
In March Operation Rescue announced a reactionary campaign to educate high school students about the "realities of abortion". They denounced public schools as "the gates of hell", and urged supporters to join in a "major new offensive to take back the land our enemy has stolen". A March press release stated, "It is in the high schools where the battle for the heart and soul of our nation's children is raging...we are not merely looking to bring prayer back into the school room, we are looking to bring God, himself, back to school--Ten Commandments and all. We are looking to kick Planned Parenthood out and all of its malevolent sex ed. Curriculum. We will make no attempt to appear fair and open-minded to the lies of the enemy."
The RW heard of at least one instance in which high school students gave this campaign by Operation Rescue an appropriate "welcome." In Madison, Wisconsin police were called for a near-riot situation when Operation Rescue was met by students at Madison West High School who ripped their signs from their hands and surrounded them. The national head of Collegians Activated to Liberate Life (CALL), a rabidly anti-abortion group with ties to convicted abortion clinic bombers, claimed that five students jumped him. He then decided that for his visit to Madison East High School, he would ask for a police escort. The police did protect his small crew, but this didn't stop students from confronting them. Dozens of youth yelled, swore, and waved inflated multi-colored condoms in front of the anti-abortion nuts. One young woman asked their (male) leader, "Do you get pregnant? No? Well, shut up!" Christian Fascists, welcome to the gates of HELL!
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