Department of Justice Targets Right-to-life Groups as Terrorists

In 2009 we learned that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did a “threat assessment” on Wisconsin right-to-life groups (presumably including Wisconsin Right to Life) because of our opposition to a late-term abortion plan approved for the Madison Surgery Center. DHS eventually admitted the department had worked with local law enforcement in “the collection, retention and dissemination of U.S. person information regarding protest groups which posed no threat to homeland security and…violated [DHS] Guidelines.”

Now comes disturbing news that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is working with the FBI and staunch abortion advocates to target peaceful right-to-life activists as terrorists and label their peaceful activities as “violence.” LifeNews.com reports that in August, the FBI and DOJ along with Planned Parenthood, the National Abortion Federation and The Feminist Majority Foundation had a training seminar in Portland, OR.

Right-to-life individuals attended the seminar which featured a document entitled “Resource Guide: Violence Against Reproductive Health Care Providers.” Alliance Defense Fund attorney Matthew Bowman points out that: “The analyses urging the prosecution of ‘clinic violence’ [define] a large swath of nonviolent, legal, free-speech activity such as picketing under the broad category of ‘violence’…This raises serious concerns about the United States government investigating peaceful, legal free speech activity in efforts that are ostensibly aimed at violence.”

The Resource Guide names prominent right-to-life organizations and leaders and targets their websites. Included in this group are our parent organization, National Right to Life, and also Priests for Life and 40 Days for Life. This suggests that at the bidding of pro-abortion groups, the DOJ and FBI have drawn up a “hit list” for prosecution of non-violent right-to-life groups. An ominous development, indeed.

Barbara Lyons