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Defend Life Holds 14th Anniversary GBMC Protest

A long, blaring, unbroken beep means the driver is pro-abortion.

A series of short beep-beep-beeps signals that the driver is pro-life.

That was Joe Frese’s analysis of drivers’ reactions at Defend Life’s 14th anniversary picket in front of the Greater Baltimore Medical Center July 20.

Joe ought to know.  He has been a faithful protester at GBMC since Defend Life began demonstrating in 1991 against the hospital’s performing of abortions.

Defend Life Director Jack Ames and John Hergenroeder began and led the protests, which took place weekly.

But with the passage of anti-life legislation in Annapolis in 1995-96, said Frese, the weekly demonstrations almost ground to a halt.

“We were here every Wednesday, but not many people were showing up,” he recalled.

At that point, he conferred with two other faithful picketers, Sue Priest and Sr. Nancy Hansen.

“We said, this is not a good witness; let’s do it once a month, and get a good crowd.”

Since then, they have picketed on the third Wednesday of the month.

“We’ve got a core group of seven to ten people,” said Joe.  “Our average attendance is about a dozen.”

About four years ago the demonstrators augmented their use of conventional pro-life signs with graphic posters of aborted babies.

The graphic signs have generated some strong reactions, said Frese.

One typical reaction comes from a mother with small children in the car.

“She totally loses her ability to reason,” said Joe.  “The kid says, ‘What is that picture?’ and she goes bananas, is absolutely irrational.  She doesn’t want to process any information other than that the sign gave her a difficult moment.

“A second common reaction is from young people, usually a guy reacting with guilt:  he doesn’t want to be reminded of what he forced his girlfriend to do – or from a girl, who doesn’t want to be reminded of what she did to her unborn child.”

But at least two-thirds of motorists’ responses are positive, Joe estimates.  His sense is that many more people are reacting positively now than did years ago, when passing motorists’ responses were about 50-50.

Twenty pro-lifers held signs at the July 20 demonstration, including Bernie Gugerty, who commented, “I think the abortion issue is the number one issue in this country.  Approximately 3,600 babies are being aborted each day!

“I wonder how long God is going to put up with this and keep blessing our country.  He has to be distressed at our killing our children.”

Jeffrey Krauss, who, with his daughter, Chauna, 10, and son, Justin, 13, was at the demonstration for the first time, said he was trying to pass on his pro-life views to his children in a tangible way.

Taking part in such a protest causes “some fear and trepidation” at first, he admitted.

“But once you do it, it hardens your belief system.”

Frese, who has been coordinating the protest for years, plans to keep coming.

“As long as GBMC does abortions, the Lord wants us out here,” he explained.