All things that were said far too often to women entering Planned Parenthood clinics. I had volunteered to become an escort for these women who were at risk simply by entering one of these clinics. The Abortion issue will always be a hot topic of debate, and there will always be those who oppose both sides. Up until the point of my volunteering, I had thought of these issues as civil and fair. Never did I imagine the extreme measures some people would take to ensure their voice was heard. People gathering with signs, children, and their bibles in order to push their views upon those entering the fiery depths of hell they had learned to …show more content…
It was obvious these people didn’t agree with the values of Planned Parenthood. The atmosphere outside of the clinic had drastically changed. There was visible tension as the protesters eagerly awaited the opening of the health center. Upon entering the clinic, the atmosphere amongst the staff was different as well, like they were preparing themselves for war. I vividly remember one of the workers at the front desk had changed from the usual bubbly middle aged woman, eager to help anyone entering the clinic , to a large African American gentleman wearing a security uniform that seemed to be rather intimidating. Similar changes seemed to be apparent throughout the clinic as the staff was preparing to start the day. Suddenly it was time to open our doors and begin letting in those who had an appointment. The moment the doors opened, there was a roar from the crowd waiting eagerly outside the doors. Suddenly, I was being herded outside along with the seven others, all of us wearing matching cotton blend Planned Parenthood t shirts, and faces of pure terror as we were greeted by the masses outside the …show more content…
It didn’t occur to me that these people were here to oppose Planned Parenthood, not for what they stood for, but because they decided to give women the choice over their own bodies. Less than a year before, I joined planned parenthood in a youth program to teach comprehensive sexual education in my surrounding area. This included things from anatomy, to contraception, all the way to the dynamics of a healthy relationship. This had opened my eyes to all the good that Planned Parenthood does, and is what brought me to volunteer. All of the thoughts of all of the good that Planned Parenthood does filled my head as I opened the door to greet the first terrified woman. She stepped out of her car, introduced herself, and we proceeded towards the clinic. Lucy, the first woman to enter the clinic, was five months pregnant and was there to hopefully find out the sex of her new child. Unfortunately, the people waiting outside the clinic didn’t know that. They were under the assumption that Lucy was at the clinic in order to abort her unborn child, and they were determined to convince her to change her mind. Between the shouts of the protesters I did my best to calm Lucy, to no avail. As we neared the door, I could feel the pure fear that surged through Lucy as the “peaceful” bystanders yelled things like “ Woman regret killing their baby ma’am, don’t