CLEVELAND ABORTION CLINIC FIREBOM

New York (LNS)--In the recent upsurge of right wing anti-abortion activities, legal initiatives, sit-ins and disruption of abortions have given way to a new tactic from the forces purporting to champion the "'right to life": a series of violent attacks on abortion clinics.

In the latest of these attacks, the Concerned Women's Clinic in Cleveland was destroyed by a firebomb on February 18. While abortions were being performed, a man entered the clinic under the pretense of delivering a package. He threw a chemical into the face of a woman worker, temporarily blinding her, and then firebombed the clinic. A target of vandalism previously, the clinic had reopened only a few days earlier.

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This is the sixth firebombing to occur in the past six months at a mid-western abortion clinic 4 in Ohio and the others in Omaha, Nebraska and St. Paul, Minnesota. Ohio police officials claim they are investigating the possible links between the Cleveland fire and two others at clinics in Columbus and Cincinnati. But many women's rights activists have their doubts about the alleged investigations. "The police department has been very lackadaisical here in their efforts," Susan Allen, a New Orleans activist who came to Cleveland to help rebuild the clinic, reported.

"For instance, yesterday I was at the clinic and there was an anti-abortion demonstrator out front. Now this is three days after the clinic was firebombed and he is out there carrying an inflammatory sign. The owner of the building that the clinic is housed in went down to talk to him and he said that he was glad that the clinic was firebombed, that it was 'unfortunate' that the woman had been injured, and that the Lord had sent him and the

Editorial: Getting Ourselves Together

It's becoming harder and harder to ignore the trend in antiabortion legislation. Unfortunately, it isn't a simple matter of thumbing your nose at a Right-to-Life motorcade to make yourself heard. It's standing up to a highly organized, highly vocal mass of people whose basic security is threatened -the security afforded by the system where women make babies and men make the world go around..

The image which antiabortionists strive to project is one of utter respectability: pleasant-faced women bouncing babies on their knees at city council meetings; women baking cakes and cookies to sell for the cause; men showing their faces on the media and equating abortion with murder. Their tactics are subtle, but have foreseeably destructive results, such as the recent firebombing of the Concerned Women's Clinic.

It's frustrating. You turn your back for a moment and it's happening somewhere else. It's so much easier to withdraw into the women's community and hope that somehow the rest of the world will step into line. After all, there have been dedicated groups and individuals in the community who have been working for abortion rights for a long time. But since this issue affects every woman, each one of us must learn to become effective in the struggle. Recent events have shown us that we have a lot to learn!

Early this month, Cleveland feminists had the opportunity to confront the opposing forces three times in five days. On March 1, some of us participated in the Public Square TV show dealing with abortion, televised on March 4 and 11. The panel consisted of Dr. Eduard Eichner, pro-choice gynecologist formerly affiliated with Preterm, and Robert Frazier, an officer of the Right to Life Society. Two men arguing the issue -a poor beginning. The crowd was split about 50/50 between pro-choice people and Right to Life people. It was hot, boring, and about half of us had to stand during the taping.

But, of greater consequence, we were illprepared. Dr. Eichner, although obviously of the correct persuasion, was speaking as an individual rather than a representative of the movement. Pro-choice questions from the audience were unrehearsed, and frequently misinterpreted by Dr. Eichner. The other side didn't fare much better, bringing up the usual stories of doctors' strangling babies in the nursery and distorting statistics to fit their immoveable stance.

The show closed on a particularly heavy note

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when a Right to Lifer asked a question about saline abortions on women in the third trimester. Dr. Eichner was ineffectively arguing the point when Mr. Frazier cut in with, "But abortions are being done up to the moment of birth." End of show. Cut to commercial about family security through life insurance, babies cooing. It was unfortunate timing, but a victory for neither side.

On Saturday, March 4, several women and a few men met at Public Square to march in honor of International Women's Day, calling attention to the problems of unemployment, abortion rights and anti-gay bigotry. Once again, the Right to Life faction was represented. Not surprisingly, the police hassled only the pro-choice group who were moving in a circle on the sidewalk with their signs in compliance with the law; the Right to Lifers, who were standing still in violation of the law, were not hassled.

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The third confrontation came on March 6 at the Cleveland Heights City Council meeting. It seems that the city is reviewing its zoning ordinance pertaining to health clinics at the same time an abortion clinic is attempting to open up in the city. This time we had a larger showing and were better prepared. Our spokespeople were more articulate, but the results hardly less frustrating than at the TV show. Most of our questions were met with the response, "The city is merely reviewing an ordinance passed. in 1973. Our legal department is looking at it closely, and, based on our past record, we would hardly do anything unconstitutional." But, as we should have learned by now, the constitutionality of an issue has little effect on legislation except to hang it up after the damage is done. (And, as Bob Frazier himself pointed out, "We try to work around the law as much as possible.")

There are already several groups working in Cleveland for pro-choice, such as the Reproductive Freedom Coalition, Women Speak Out for Peace and Justice, and the National Organization for Women. But it is going to take a lot more involvement from the feminist community to stand up to such a highly organized and well-financed threat to our freedom. We must become more articulate and plan tactics as a group. It is imperative that all women's and social action groups organize around this basic and critical issue. It is time for us to stop talking about grass roots organizing and realize that, in this struggle, we are the grass roots.

wrath of God would be brought on women who had abortions.'

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"The police were called to question him in connection with the bombing," she continued. "The police station is located directly across from the clinic and it took them two and a half hours to respond to the call. There are also five people who have been waiting for the police to come to make a composite sketch of

the suspect.'

WOMEN'S CLINIC

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Pro-Choice Group

Form Freedom Freedom of

March 12, 35 spokespersons from Ohio pro-choice organizations met in Columbus and formed FREEDOM OF CHOICE OHIO, a statewide coalition. Plans are to:

Develop a statewide plan of action in defense of the right to choose abortion as guaranteed by the Supreme Court in 1973.

Establish a resource bank of experts to lend assistance to local pro-choice organizations throughout the state. Represented at the meeting were Ohio NOW, ACLU, RCAR, NARAL, and Planned Parenthood.

A statewide communications network has been established. Action committees include medical, legal, research, community education, and political action.

Immediate priority is to respond to Dr. Wilke's edict to Right-to-Life chapters to file "Akron” ordinances in every city where there is a Right-to Life chapter. Dauton. Kettering and Boston Heights will file in April. ACLU is writing briefs seeking permanent injunctive relief in Akron. The briefs will be filed before April 1.

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