> > > Poster meant to shame, witness says > > > Associated Press - > > > PORTLAND _ A poster that lists the home addresses of ``The Deadly > Dozen'' abortion doctors and brands them ``guilty of crimes against > humanity'' was meant to shame, not threaten, an activist testified > Tuesday. > > ``Those fliers contained nothing illegal, no threats,'' said Monica > Miller, an abortion foe from Wisconsin who helped design the poster. > ``We did not intend ... that abortion providers would be frightened.'' > > But abortion doctors and clinics claim in a $200 million federal lawsuit > that the posters and a similar Web listing called ``The Nuremberg > Files'' made them very afraid and amount to nothing more than a hit > list. > > They contend that even though the materials contain no explicit threats, > they seem to encourage violence through the use of such tactics as > providing detailed personal information and crossing through the names > of slain doctors. > > As the case headed into its second full week, attorneys for more than a > dozen defendants pressed the argument that the posters and Web site were > constitutionally protected political speech. > > Miller testified that the poster was designed merely to incite protests > at abortion providers' homes and expose their work to neighbors and > members of their church. > > > Miller, once named in the lawsuit but later dismissed, was the first > witness called by the defense. She was followed by defendant Michael > Dodds, an anti-abortion activist from Kansas. > > Dodds, who helped organize the American Coalition of Life Advocates > conference where the ``Deadly Dozen'' poster was unveiled, blamed the > media for its wide dissemination.
Poster meant to shame, witness says Associated Press - PORTLAND _ A poster that lists the home addresses of ``The Deadly Dozen'' abortion doctors and brands them ``guilty of crimes against humanity'' was meant to shame, not threaten, an activist testified Tuesday. ``Those fliers contained nothing illegal, no threats,'' said Monica Miller, an abortion foe from Wisconsin who helped design the poster. ``We did not intend ... that abortion providers would be frightened.'' But abortion doctors and clinics claim in a $200 million federal lawsuit that the posters and a similar Web listing called ``The Nuremberg Files'' made them very afraid and amount to nothing more than a hit list. They contend that even though the materials contain no explicit threats, they seem to encourage violence through the use of such tactics as providing detailed personal information and crossing through the names of slain doctors. As the case headed into its second full week, attorneys for more than a dozen defendants pressed the argument that the posters and Web site were constitutionally protected political speech. Miller testified that the poster was designed merely to incite protests at abortion providers' homes and expose their work to neighbors and members of their church. Miller, once named in the lawsuit but later dismissed, was the first witness called by the defense. She was followed by defendant Michael Dodds, an anti-abortion activist from Kansas. Dodds, who helped organize the American Coalition of Life Advocates conference where the ``Deadly Dozen'' poster was unveiled, blamed the media for its wide dissemination. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
