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the orland park prairie | July 19, 2018 | 9
Pro-Life Action League demonstrates at 159th and LaGrange
Bill Jones, Editor
Motorists traversing one
of Orland Park’s busiest intersections
around lunchtime
July 11 encountered an uncommon
sight.
Lining sidewalks on all
four corners and walking
between cars stopped by
red traffic lights, roughly
20 members of the Chicago-based
Pro-Life Action
League displayed images
and text related to their antiabortion
message and distributed
pamphlets to those
willing to take them at the
intersection of 159th Street
and LaGrange Road.
“We’re here to deliver
bring our message,” said
Eric Scheidler, executive
director of the organization.
“We like to go to different
locations around the city.
… We also like to go places
where we have a good base
of support.”
The Orland Park stop was
one of three on the day in the
southwest suburbs for the
group, which started July 11
in Flossmoor and ended it in
Mokena. And that day was
part of a eight-day “They
Were Our Brothers and Sisters”
tour conducted by the
organization.
The demonstration’s coincided
with the announced
of the retirement of United
States Supreme Court Justice
Anthony Kennedy, which
has reignited national debate
regarding abortion. In a
press release, the group noted
“Kennedy was the swing
vote on abortion, upholding
some restrictions and striking
down others. A more conservative
replacement would
likely open the door to further
restrictions on abortion, even
going so far as to overturn the
1973 ‘Roe v. Wade’ decision
that legalized abortion in all
50 states.”
But Scheidler said “that’s
really more of a coincidence”
that dovetailed with
Pat Kovacs, of Orland Park, holds a sign during the
demonstration.
the league’s yearly plans for
a series of demonstrations,
but the organization pays attention
“to see if there’s an
issue we can play into.”
Pat Kovacs, of Orland
Park, took part in the demonstration
by holding one of
the signs along northbound
LaGrange Road, approaching
159th Street. She noted
she is a member of the Respect
Life Ministry through
St. Michael Catholic Church
in Orland Park and regularly
protests outside the Planned
Parenthood facility in Orland
Park.
“I don’t think a lot of people
even realize we have a
Planned Parenthood office,”
she said of the importance of
demonstrating in her hometown.
She said she thinks restrictions
on abortion have
been “eased too much,” and
she was upset about another
Planned Parenthood facility
that opened recently in
Flossmoor.
“I just can’t believe what
the political atmosphere in
Illinois has done,” she said.
Some passersby made efforts
to show their feelings
about the demonstration.
One woman slowed before
the intersection to yell, “My
body, my choice,” at one of
the women holding a sign.
A motorist held a horn while
waiting to turn left at the intersection.
And demonstrators tried to
interact with traffic, to a degree.
On the northwest corner,
one girl signaled with
Alberta Rael, of Arlington Heights, passed out pamphlets titled “They Were Our Brothers
and Sisters” during a Pro-Life Action League demonstration on July 11 at the intersection
of 159th Street and LaGrange Road in Orland Park. Photos by Bill Jones/22nd Century Media
Signs placed in four directions leading up to 159th Street and LaGrange Road warned
motorists of the demonstration.
her arm in an attempt to get
a semi-truck driver to honk
his horn, while a man gave
motorists a thumbs up while
holding his sign. Demonstrators
generally let the signs
do the talking, though, and
moved from the sidewalks to
clear paths for pedestrians.
“We’ve got great volunteers,
great staff,” Scheidler
said.
The league even posted
warning signs in four directions
leading up to the site,
allowing motorists to take
alternate routes if they preferred,
Scheidler said, noting
the group works with local
authorities when planning
its demonstrations and rarely
encounters problems.
Police said the demonstration
in Orland Park went off
without a hitch.
“We had no issues on
our end as the group exercised
their First Amendment
rights,” Orland Park Police
Cmdr. Tony Farrell wrote in
an email to The Prairie.
“We’re here to bring out
message,” Scheidler said.
“Respect and civility is going
to get us a lot farther than
confrontation.”