Louisville Magazine

MAR 2014

Louisville Magazine is Louisville's city magazine, covering Louisville people, lifestyles, politics, sports, restaurants, entertainment and homes. Includes a monthly calendar of events.

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3.14 LOUISVILLE MAGAZINE 5 1 have," Luchini says. "I never approach women at Babies 'R' Us and say, 'Excuse me, have you thought about abortion?' It is each person's decision." Walter and several others don't want their last name or age in print. "We've all heard too many horror stories about people stalking you," he says. Jenn, a programmer at a "major company" in town, adds, "You don't know who the pro-lifers or pro-birthers are who can put the kibosh on your career." Sara, 44, never takes the car she typically drives because she's only seen one other like it in town and is afraid it would make her too easy to identify. Ken, who is 50 and escorts on Tuesdays, takes photos of every new face he sees outside the clinic. "We don't know when the next bombing is coming," he says. Meg says, "I have to hand it to the protestors on a very small level. Tey show up for something they believe in. I think they're brainwashed and full of shit, but they're show- ing up." By a little after 7 a.m., several men and women holding rosaries have formed a gauntlet on the sidewalk to the left side of the entrance. One woman, in an ankle-length jean skirt, holds her bundled-up infant. Calvert wears a laminated Virgin Mary picture around his neck. "Hail Mary, full of grace. Te Lord is with thee," Calvert says, leading the others this February morning. "Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." Tey sing "Ave Maria." Some kneel. To the right of the entrance is a large waiting- room window, blinds always pulled shut. Dur- ing the four months spent reporting this piece, only once did a woman poke her head through. "Gonna kill your baby today?" a man on the sidewalk asked. Trying to rile him up, she nod- ded and, with a thumb, acted as if she were slit- ting her throat. Tose behind the window tend to become each preacher's involuntary congrega- tion. Andrew King, originally from Bradenton, Fla., and now a doctoral student at the Southern Baptist Teological Seminary in town, seems to lead the group from Immanuel Baptist, located on South Clay Street. Tey wear neon-yellow vests, and he insists this is not an attempt to confuse clients. Some prayer warriors once wore orange vests that said "Life Escort" on the back. "We have the vests so we can stand out. We don't wear the pro-life badge. We wear the Jesus- has-been- raised-from-the-dead badge," King says. While preaching, he likes to mention how he and his wife have an eight-week-old and are in the process of adopting another. A barricade of orange vests forms on the clinic side of the line in the sidewalk. Te prayer warriors are on the other side. Shoe tips to shoe tips, no space between them. "Guerra," says a Spanish-speaking man from Ecuador who comes to the sidewalk to pray. War. T he gold-colored Saturn parks at a meter on Market, near First, which means the young man and woman, who looks to be in her late teens, must take what the escorts call "the long walk" to the clinic, which is closer to Second Street. Te sidewalk is an ice rink, which is why 64-year-old Pat Canon, an escort who comes every Wednesday, Tursday and Saturday morning, has brought a plastic sack of cleats for her fellow volunteers to attach to the soles of their shoes. Te young woman wears Battle lines drawn (from top left): anti-abortion protestor Philip Calvert (with white beard and Virgin Mary sign); fellow "prayer warrior" Angela Minter; E.M.W. clinic director Anne Ahola; client escort Dan Rudyk; 17-year veteran protestor Donna Durning; and a team of escorts clearing a path for an E.M.W. client. 42-53 Abort BUS.indd 51 2/20/14 4:51 PM

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