Black and Pro-Life in America: The Incarceration and Exoneration of Walter B. Hoye II by Robert W. Artigo & Alveda King

Author:Robert W. Artigo & Alveda King [Artigo, Robert W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Spiritual & Religion
ISBN: 9781642290608
Publisher: Ignatius Press
Published: 2018-11-20T06:00:00+00:00

One week after Oakland passed its long-awaited bubble ordinance, Walter Hoye stood dutifully near a tree in front of Family Planning Specialists on Webster Street. As he had so many times before, he held his sign saying, “God loves you and your baby. Let us help you.” Sister Elga Kendall and Christiana Downer, Walter’s steadfast companions, stood across the street. Walter was mindful of the new law. They all were.

Several police cars were parked near the clinic. The escorts in their bright-orange safety vests were gathered near the clinic entrance, talking among themselves. Walter watched the Oakland police officers watching him, and the escorts watched Walter and the police watch each other. All the while everyone had an eye out for arriving patients.

Walter approached the police car parked at the curb across the street from FPS. Seeing the window down, he asked the officer in the driver’s seat, “Are you here to arrest me?” They weren’t if he didn’t break the law, the officer replied. Walter said later that they were polite. “Okay,” he responded with a hint of cautious curiosity in his voice. He was fairly certain that he understood the new law, and he was determined to maintain the lawful distance from any person approaching the clinic.

After a while, a buzz began among the escorts. Some young women were headed toward the clinic. Walter remained eight feet away from them and raised his sign saying, “God loves you and your baby. Let us help you.” He held out his literature, and some of the women accepted it. The escorts tried to insert themselves between the women and Walter and to block his sign. The police officers watched. It went on like that for two hours.

Inside the clinic, director Jackie Barbic sent an e-mail to Council-woman Nancy Nadel decrying Walter’s attempt to test the new ordinance, as she characterized it. Frustrating her even more were the police officers outside, who appeared ignorant of the bubble zones. She told Nadel that she was not able to get anyone on the phone at the city attorney’s office.

The police did not arrest Walter or even act as if there had been complaints. When Walter’s vigil for the day was over, he walked away, and a few minutes later the black and white patrol car drove off. Apparently the outcome was not what the bubble backers had wanted, for they sent each other a flurry of e-mails.

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