You can contact La Crosse Police Chief Ed Kondracki and respectfully request a formal review of the incident.The Servants of Our Lady of Guadalupe are a pro-life apostolate working in the Diocese of La Crosse, WI, to promote respect for life through prayer, study of Church teaching, and missionary outreach to the preborn and other victims of the culture.
This week, while trying to practice solidarity with the smallest of Jesus's brothers and sisters, the Servants held peaceful prayer vigils with sidewalk counseling outside abortifacient dispensaries and surgical abortion centers. This Monday in Winona, MN, while handing out literature, a crude female passerby "mooned" the participants on the public sidewalk and yelled abrasively as an indication of her displeasure that the organization was trying to raise awareness about health risks due to abortifacient contraceptives.
Not long after that, counter-demonstrators loudly interrupted the prayer-vigil yelling "hail Satan!" over and over again, and shouting loudly at those praying the Rosary on the sidewalk. The police did not take any action.
Yesterday in La Crosse, WI, Patrick O'Donnell of the Servants was placed under unjust arrest for what the police claimed was his being "aggressive." (?!?) Patrick was trying respectfully to hand out medical data on the connection between "the pill" and breast cancer, as well as health and pregnancy resources in the area. Employees were unhappy with his presence at the site.
A worker from the "Options" facility kept interfering with Mr. O'Donnell's efforts by walking between he and their customers on the public sidewalk and continually insisted that he should not speak in public if there was anyone who did not want to hear him. Pat continued to politely and quietly share the truth about life, yet the police were called and Pat was quickly and unfairly put into handcuffs while he was silently praying the Rosary on a public sidewalk. Pat had twice given his name to the officers, but they refused to behave in a professional manner toward him. The arrest was viewed by the other pro-life vigilers as unbelievable and even as an act of bullying by the two policemen.
Pat was released after about 20-30 minutes of detention in a La Crosse police car and was given a ticket for $174 for the bogus charge of "Obstruction." No complaints by anyone at the facility or their customers were filed against any of the pro-lifers. His hearing is scheduled for July 20. Pat plans to fight this injustice.
"None of this would have ever happened had it not been on account of the evils of abortion and contraception." Said Mr. O'Donnell.
When asked if he was doing ok after the arrest, search, and confiscation of this video camera and personal affects, Pat responded: "I feel violated." The police later returned to the scene to give Pat his property back, but the camera had been disassembled.
Patrick vowed to continue to go out in the streets, "On Friday we will be in Madison, on Monday in Winona, and next Wednesday back in La Crosse. With God's grace, we will not be deterred."
"As the attack continues against the helpless preborn, so too does the harassment continue against those who would help them." Said Will Goodman, member of the Servants. "We will pray for all of those who are persecuting the innocent, that they may one day respect the reality of human dignity and human rights for all: born and unborn."
Chief Kondracki
Tel: (608) 789-7200
kondrackie@cityoflacrosse.org
4 comments:
Dear BC:
This I was not aware of til now. Thank you for the blog item!
Public sidewalk witness, free speech, the Truth, love for others as Jesus loved us-Lord have mercy!
God bless the Servants, and all who are persecuted for His Name's sake.
Jesus I trust in Thee!
Has anyone brought this to the attention of Lifesitenews?
As a pro-choice American who is committed to strict adherence on First Amendment issues, it sounds (assuming the facts you have presented are true) like Patrick should definitely fight the ticket. No business is entitled to have someone arrested or cited merely because they are handing out information critical of that business outside their doors on a public sidewalk.
I am reminded of the time a Liberals grocery store in Dayton Ohio called police (or maybe it was a KMart, but in Dayton there WAS a chain called Liberals), because United Farm Workers was picketing them about grapes and lettuce. Next day in court, everyone had to be let go. The DA saved face by asking for an agreement not to picket the store during hours when it was closed!
Yes, this was brought to the attention of lifesitenews
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