As a young teen I liked Teen Vogue quite a bit and never suspected they would publish a pro-abortion choice article. After reading the article by Kara McGinley, a Planned Parenthood escort, I decided to respond.

What we do

I went sidewalk counseling for the first time three years ago, at 17 years old, with my college’s pro-life group. The other students gave me a sign and several pamphlets with information on help and resources for both mothers who had crisis pregnancies and abortion workers. Our signs had messages like “There is another way, we will help you find it” and “You didn’t grow up wanting to work in an abortion clinic.” Usually the most graphic signs we had were of unharmed pre-born children instead of real photos of aborted children.

Whenever someone comes to the Planned Parenthood, one of us calls out to them, and the rest of us do not interrupt. We tell them that we are here for them regardless of their situation and ask them to consider some of the alternative health centers or employment opportunities we can connect them with. On my first day, I was told that we usually try to lengthen our words, to avoid sounding as if we are yelling angrily.

Challenges we face

Sidewalk counseling is very difficult. My group in particular faces several challenges. Because of classes and other events, Saturdays are often our only days to sleep in, but instead we wake up at around 5:00 a.m. or 5:30 a.m. every Saturday to pick up everyone and get to our nearest abortion clinic by 7 a.m.. It is usually impossibly, painfully cold. We stay and stand for about five hours, and by the end we are stiff and sore and it feels as if our bones have been frozen. But Kara McGinley was right about how bad weather isn’t enough to deter us.

I was given some warning about the angry drivers before my first day, but I was still rather shocked when I left. Pro-choicers driving by scream that they hope bad things happen to us, or blast their car horns—“Honk Honk HOOOONK!!!”—while flipping us off. I had underestimated how often it would occur. When they scream at us, those are the moments we think about which side is showing that they really care about people.

Sometimes clinic workers will flip us off when we try to talk to them, or come out and threaten to call the police for something, or actually call the police, who have to answer the call even though they know from experience with our group that it’s probably nothing. But usually the workers don’t bother us, and not half as much as the pro-choice drivers.

The mothers going in are usually mild. It is quite rare when they show any interest in being unkind to us. More often, their family members will come and talk with us, or shout at us if they’re angry or scared of what the pre-born child will do to their family. But the mothers walk in and out quietly. Sometimes they look upset, and a few times they are crying as they drive in or come out, but usually they keep their faces blank.

We all try not to lose our composure at the clinics. Crying makes it harder to talk to the families and help our group. We also don't want to make the other students choose between being there for the families and comforting us. But sometimes one of us will fail. Sometimes it's me.

This is hardest when the mothers show their emotional turmoil or when we see or hear of a possible save and it turns out to still be the end of the child’s day.

Moments we treasure

When someone driving by rolls down their window, we brace ourselves for another possible scream attack. It is always a relief and encouragement when it is a supporter giving us a thumbs up or wishing us well.

It’s also a great surprise when supporters bring us coffee or hot chocolate or even unexpectedly join us for a while!

When we hear that an abortion worker has quit and is receiving support to find a different line of work, we are filled with hope for a day when almost no one considers ending pre-born children’s lives to be a morally acceptable career choice.

When a woman chooses life, we are filled with joy that another woman has been empowered to choose love against violence and another child has been saved from dehumanization and destruction and allowed his or her basic human right to life.

The crying girl

Once, a blonde girl and an older woman who seemed to be her mom drove into the Planned Parenthood parking lot. I was quite near the street edge, offering information pamphlets to those who drove in, and as they did I saw the girl through the window. She was crying quite a bit, holding a tissue with a few more scattered around her. Her mom stared straight ahead and drove past me, looking determined. She parked in the closest spot to the door of the clinic, about half the parking lot away from us, where we knew they could still hear us. It seemed clear that an abortion had been planned for that day.

So we called out to them. We let them know we had information about life-affirming centers where they would be welcomed. We told them that if they wanted to speak to someone about anything, we were there and willing to help. We asked them to reconsider any plans for abortion they might have for the young woman if she was carrying a child.

They stayed in the car and did not enter the facility. Instead, after a while, they drove away.

We don’t know if we said anything that strongly affected them. We don’t know if they changed their minds again later or anything about their situation. But we were glad we were there that day for them. We were there to remind the young woman that if she had a crisis pregnancy, the whole world didn’t think she should “just have an abortion”. We were there to remind her that non-judgmental, life-affirming help was available if she realized or felt that this was the wrong choice. We were an example of the fact that those who would fight for her child’s life were not cruel or crazy people that only care about pre-born humans, but would fight for her life as well and give her legitimate support however we could. Every child’s life spared, every woman and family saved from abortion, is worth all we face on the abortion clinic sidewalks.