Behind the Scenes at a Texas Pro-Life Meeting
Almost five minutes of audio, posted in full below, obtained by Naral Pro-Choice Texas and Progress Texas, shows the tactics Texas anti-abortion activists are using in order to exploit recent court decisions -- like McCullen v. Coakley, which outlawed buffer zones around health clinics that provide abortions -- and prevent abortions.
The audio was recorded during an August 4, 2014 training session hosted at the State Capitol by anti-abortion groups. It outlines the techniques used by the groups to track abortion providers and women seeking abortions, keep women who arrive at clinics from actually going inside.
"You track license plates," Karen Garnett of the Catholic Pro-Life Committee of North Texas says on the tape, "the license plates that are coming into any abortion facility. We have a very sophisticated spreadsheet."
This allows the groups to track whether or not a woman returns after being turned away by sidewalk protesters -- or, as they insist on calling themselves, counselors -- and to "identify if you've got a new abortionist," Garnett says. Later in the tape, Abby Johnson of Live Action describes how she dug through tax appraisal records to figure out the potential locations of a new Ambulatory Surgical Center -- something all abortion providing facilities will be required to be as of September 1 -- in Austin.
More at http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2014/08/behind_the_scenes_at_texas_alliance_for_life_meeting.php .
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Nobody (the women and even the men that are there to support) should have to deal with a confrontation when seeking assistance for any medical procedure. When I lived in Austin there was an abortion clinic located in the same building as my optometrist. I had a couple of confrontations with the protesters who were trying to coerce me from seeking vision care in that building. In other words, they would go to any extreme to shut down that particular clinic which even included vengeance against the owner of that building. Things became pretty ugly as I stated my opinion that I'm pro-choice.
A big hello since I haven't seen you online in awhile. 
so I understand the need to take a break.
I spent the weekend in a crisis shelter. I wasn't feeling bad, but I had an initial psych evaluation and the doctor put me on a 48 hour hold that turned into 80 hours because I was truthful about some thoughts that occurred within the past month. The doctors changed my medication regimen so I haven't slept but for a couple of hours within the past two days and I've been everywhere from woozy to euphoric to crying. Last night was really tough and I was having audio hallucinations hearing a radio in the background and realizing that I may become schizophrenic.
There is some frustration dealing with social services, but the fact that I was hospitalized again may work in my favor towards getting disability. The therapists were using words like "unemployable" and "major depression with psychosis". I can hold it together for awhile, but when an unexpected event occurs it has the potential of sending me into a despondent state. I don't see how I could hold it together both physically and emotionally if I returned to the working world.
I'm trying to roll with the punches and I was successful in calming down my brother a couple hours ago over a relatively minor issue. While my brother has done a lot to support me, he is also a stress trigger so it is a challenge to deal with him to prevent manic episodes. The logical part of me is capable of making rational decisions, but the emotional part is vulnerable. It looks like I'll make it through another day, hope to get some restful sleep and I'll with a few more issues tomorrow. It's that "one day at a time" deal right now.
Thanks for caring and asking since I consider you one of my virtual buddies. 
At times there are so many news stories spread out across the state that it is difficult to keep track. I'm hoping that by aggregating those stories within the Texas Group that it provides a sense of awareness and overlap. If we GOTV then we can topple the fools that we have in Austin and within the state delegation in Congress. I don't want either Rick Perry or Ted Cruz to receive any more national prominence that they undeservedly already have.
I don't recall if I told you this before, but welcome to DU and to Texas--the good, the bad and the ugly.