By Susan Redden
sredden@joplinglobe.com
More than a dozen protesters gathered Monday in front of Democratic campaign headquarters in Joplin to call attention to Barack Obama’s stance on abortion.
“A lot of people aren’t aware of his record, and they should know before the election,” said group spokesman Martin Guilfoyle, of Fort Scott, Kan. “They want to vote for change, but we think they don’t know the change they’d be voting for.”
He said some of the group came from Kansas, and others were from Joplin and other communities. Protesters stood from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in front of the campaign headquarters building on East 32nd Street holding anti-abortion signs and anti-Obama signs.
Guilfoyle said the protesters were not part of an organized group, but that the effort was “inspired” by a call from Randall Terry, former leader of the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue.
“He said people shouldn’t sit quietly,” Guilfoyle said. “So many people say they’re against abortion, but they’re not doing anything. We don’t believe that Obama can care about people when he’s for abortion and partial-birth abortion.”
Guilfoyle said he could not speak for others on the protest line but that he, as an individual, also is an opponent of birth control and has reservations about school-sponsored sex education.
“As a Catholic, I can’t support birth control,” he said. “Sex education without moral responsibility is dangerous, and that’s what they’re taking in a lot of schools today.”
The group was joined by several area residents, including Kathleen Newberry and Mary Schriever, of Joplin.
Newberry said she opposes abortion, and that candidates’ stances on the issue will influence how she votes in November.
“I could never support a Democrat platform that says it’s OK to kill babies,” added Schriever.
Bobbi Batemen, a regional spokeswoman for the Obama campaign, said abortion opponents should not be confident in their backing of Republican candidate John McCain.
“Earlier, he said he wouldn’t support the repeal of Roe v. Wade,” she said. “He’s flip-flopped on that just like he has on offshore drilling and a lot of other things.”
Obama’s Web site calls the candidate a champion of reproductive choice, and notes he also sponsored legislation to help reduce unintended pregnancies by expanding access to contraception and prevention services, ending insurance discrimination against contraception, and providing assistance to rape victims.
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