The unequal justice system in America is highlighted by the two-year prison sentence given to 75-year-old Paulette Harlow for praying outside a Washington D.C. abortion clinic.
Harlow’s husband expressed concerns about her well-being in prison and her ability to survive without his support.
Kollar-Kotelly expressed her wish that Harlow would “make an effort to remain alive” as it was a “tenet of [Harlow’s] religion.”
Harlow and a group of pro-life advocates visited the Washington Surgi-clinic on October 22, 2020, with the intention of praying for the unborn children of pregnant women considering abortion in the hope that their lives would be spared.
In an incident that unfolded, a total of nine individuals, including Harlow, were taken into custody on allegations of breaching the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.
According to the law, individuals are prohibited from participating in “violent, threatening, damaging, and obstructive conduct intended to injure, intimidate, or interfere with the right to seek, obtain, or provide reproductive health services.”
Before Harlow was sentenced on May 15th, the Department of Justice issued a statement regarding the incidents surrounding the day of her arrest. The previous day, seven of Harlow’s fellow activists had already been sentenced.
In the statement, Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division was quoted as saying, “The seven defendants executed an extensive blockade of a reproductive care clinic, including faking a patient appointment to enter the facility.”
“FACE Act violations are distressing to anyone attempting to safely access reproductive healthcare, and, in this case, unfortunately resulted in the physical injury of a nurse. The FBI continues our work to ensure everyone has unimpeded access to reproductive health care facilities.”
“The Justice Department will continue to protect both patients seeking reproductive health services and providers of those services. We will hold accountable those who seek to interfere with access to reproductive health services in our country,” according to a statement by Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department.
The Department of Justice’s focus on handling demonstrators related to “reproductive health” raises questions about its inaction towards left-wing activists who engage in vandalism, violence, and murder.
Incidents like Maxine Waters encouraging harassment of Trump administration officials and the defense of disruptive actions by Black Lives Matter and antifa members following George Floyd’s death underscore the perceived bias in justice priorities.
The portrayal of violent events as “mostly peaceful” by media outlets and the neglect of those praying for unborn children’s protection point to concerns regarding the justice system’s alignment with progressive Democratic ideologies.
