Joyce Cappiello, AAP’s Director of the ROE Consortium, shares a story about her work at a clinic that provides comprehensive reproductive healthcare to women. Joyce’s story was recently published the November newsletter from Clinicians For Choice, a member organization for nurse practitioners, nurse-midwives, and physician assistants through AAP’s colleague organization, the National Abortion Federation. In addition to her work with AAP, Joyce is a member of the Advisory Committee for Clinicians for Choice.

I overhear the conversation of a staff member explaining to a woman on the phone about what to expect during her abortion appointment. She is giving routine information about bleeding, cramping and then I hear her words, "and you will see picketers." I hope that this woman is able to roll up her car windows and look the other way as she drives into the clinic parking lot. I think back to an incident I had with a picketer - a person who still pickets outside our office some 20 years later. At the time, my daughter was a five year old pre-schooler. Her school was closed that day for some reason, so a staff member at the health center invited my daughter for a play date with her children at her home. At the end of the day, she brought my daughter to the health center. My daughter had been to the center a few times before; her experiences there were like that at a comfortable old house with friendly women doting over her.

It was a cold November day in New England, when darkness comes as early as 5 pm. As my co-worker and I, along with three children walked out the door, a group of picketers surrounded the five of us. They specifically directed their comments to the children, "Your mommies kill babies! Did you know that?" They repeated their rhetoric over and over, "Did you know your mommies kill babies at this health center?" These small children, ages 5-7, were totally bewildered and scared, as they just looked up at us. The look in their eyes spoke volumes -"Who are these people? Why are they so close to us? Why are they saying these things?"

I consider myself a nonviolent person, and I was certainly tested to the limit at that moment. I did my best to contain myself as I provided verbal reassurances to the children while quickly steering them beyond the presence of the picketers. It was a difficult situation to explain to young children, but they seemed to accept our reassurances. However, I was furious as I thought, "How dare the picketers use small children as pawns in their opposition to legal, safe abortion?" I was also left with an empty sense of powerlessness, as I could not really do anything about the situation. It reminded me of the vulnerability of women, and the harassment they have to face as they walk through the picket line to make their abortion appointments. The other thought was of how difficult it must be for our physician providers, who are not only heckled personally but have their homes picketed and their children followed to school. Staff members were often harassed while doing their grocery shopping by a store employee who also happened to be a picketer.

Since this incident, our clinic has moved to a new and better location. It is no longer on the first floor, located right off the sidewalk, where picketers could put their mouths right up against the windows. The new building is now set back from the street with a private parking lot. Management at the grocery store has stopped its employees from any further harassment. Through the years, zoning and court cases have better defined where picketers may or may not stand on the street outside the healthcare center. However, I think it cannot be easy for women to drive by the graphic posters and heckling. And my daughter? She is now a wonderful young woman in her twenties, who has no recollection of the incident. The picketers didn't make a lasting impression on her and I still continue my work at the health center. Today, I take this opportunity to thank all of the dedicated professionals who walk through picket lines and listen to heckling, but continue to come to work each day with pride and dedication. Thank you.