GOVERNMENT INTIMIDATION AND ABUSE OF POWER

 

GOVERNMENT INTIMIDATION AND ABUSE OF POWER

On September 23, in Bucks County, a contingent of twenty or more FBI agents, with guns drawn, stormed the home of pro-life leader Mark Houck, who had no history of violence.  He was charged with violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE) by physically resisting a so-called “escort” of an abortion clinic in Philadelphia.  Houck denies the charge and has pleaded not guilty, since he and others were demonstrating but not blocking the entrance.  During the demonstration on October 13 last year a 72-year old male “escort” of the Planned Parenthood facility was pushed away by Mr. Houck because he was harassing his twelve-year old son.  The man fell to the ground and scraped his arm.  The Philadelphia District Attorney declined to press charges, and a law suit filed by the “escort” was thrown out of court.

In May the Department of Justice informed Mr. Houck that he was the target of a grand jury investigation for violating FACE.  His lawyer offered to bring him to the U.S. Attorney’s office to face the charges but did not receive a response.  Five months later the FBI, without warning, raided Houck’s house.  According to news reports they had guns drawn on Mr. & Mrs. Houck with their children nearby.  The FBI denies that the guns were pointed at them.  According to Mrs. Houck, “They said they were going to break in if he didn’t open it [the door]. And then they had about five guns pointed at my husband, myself, and basically at my kids,” (Catholic News Agency, Sept 29 edition).

It seems obvious that the Biden Administration wanted to create a scene for political purposes.  President Biden is committed to maintaining the legal right in our nation to kill unborn children for whatever reason, and his people are apparently not reluctant to use force to intimidate pro-lifers.  Commonsense indicates that Mr. Houck was not a threat to anyone, including law enforcement officials.  The FBI claims that they believed he might have a gun in his home.  Even if this were so, it would not be unusual for a home in rural Bucks County to have a hunting gun.  Mr. Houck does not have a history of violence, has not been convicted of a gun offense, and had already offered to appear at the Philadelphia FBI office for processing.  Why was it necessary to raid his house, since they did not even search it when they did? 

By all appearances, whoever made the decision to raid the Houck family home wanted to create a splash in the media for the sake of intimidating others who might take part in a demonstration against an abortion mill.  Mr. Houck’s spokesman, Brian Middleton said, “What he did, even if you were to not be able to justify it as defending his son, if what took place … [occurred] in a restaurant, it would be completely dismissed as nothing. But it took place on the sacred ground of the walk-up to an abortion clinic.  He pushed a guy, justified or not justified, it doesn't justify multiple numbers of FBI agents, with automatic weapons and shields… showing up at this guy's house and shackling him in front of his children" (Fox News, Sep 26).

Twenty-two Republican lawmakers have petitioned Attorney General Merrick Garland for answers on why such a show of force was necessary.  In a statement they said, “Surely, the FBI must have an extraordinary reason for showing up at the home of an American family, allegedly with roughly 25 heavily armed federal agents, and arresting a father in front of his seven children,” the lawmakers said. “At the moment, it appears to be an extraordinary overreach for political ends.”  In my opinion, the reason is apparent.  The purpose was to intimidate pro-lifers to keep them from demonstrating.  The reality, however, is that violence at abortion clinics is not committed by pro-life demonstrators but by the abortionist and his or her assistants within the clinic.  Babies in their mothers’ wombs are brought to a Planned Parenthood center to be killed.  Demonstrators who pray and demonstrate outside of these abortion mills attempt to discourage it from happening.  They are the last ones in this world to show love to the babies who are about to be killed, and I would argue, to show compassion to the mothers who are about to make the biggest mistake of their lives.  For the sake of love and justice we need to be vigilant to protect the right to free expression on this and other issues.  We can no longer presume it.  On the streets, in the courts, and by the ballot box we must work to protect our right to advocate for justice and the right for innocent life not to be killed.