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Thursday, June 26, 2014

Abortion Law Buffer Zone Struck Down By U.S. Supreme Court, 9-0

I have long felt that these buffer zone no-free-speech zones outside of abortion clinics were bizarre.  You could burn an American flag as protected free speech, but not hand out anti-abortion literature or verbally express your disapproval of abortion on public sidewalks.  The U.S. Supreme Court decided that wow, free speech even applies to abortion.  From the June 26, 2014 San Jose Mercury-News:
The high court justices unanimously concluded that a 35-foot zone around clinics that provide abortion services prevents protesters from any free speech rights, even though the justices made it clear such laws serve the state's "legitimate interests." The ruling hinged on the fact that the law, broader than most in other states and cities, restricted speech in public areas such as sidewalks and street entrances.
"The buffer zones burden substantially more speech than necessary," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the court.
The ruling has been closely watched in California, which has a long history of court battles over regulation of protests outside abortion clinics. San Francisco, which has a 25-foot buffer zone around clinics, backed Massachusetts in the case, joined by 17 other U.S. cities. California was among 13 states also urging the Supreme Court to uphold the law.
The comments on this article are pretty interesting and disturbing as well.  You would get the impression that Christianity still plays some significant part in influencing Americans.  Perhaps someone is posting through a time-worm-hole from 1985.

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