Clarion Ledger Lies Again

See below for article Jackson police overtime up $26K for rally .

Clarion Ledger Lies Again
By Flip Benham

Regarding Jackson police overtime up $26K for rally by Kelli Esters, August 23, 2006:

Here is yet another example of the Clarion Ledger, the local newspaper in Jackson, Mississippi, bringing forth as fact, a bold faced lie.  Never in its history has Operation Rescue or Operation Save America ever been tied to a violent crime - not ONE!  In the over 57,000 arrests that have taken place at Operation Rescue sponsored events since 1986, there has not been one convicted act of violence anywhere in America, or on the face of this globe. 

Why?  Because Christians are constrained and restrained by the Gospel of Christ.  Those who oppose us are restrained by nothing.  They call themselves anarchists for a reason.  It was the anarchists who slashed tires, clashed with Christians, smashed cars, and reported a "fetus" being disposed of in a downtown building.  Kelli Esters simply forgot to mention that.

As for the expenditure of money by the city of Jackson to protect its lone child-killing center from Christians - what utter foolishness!  The city not only paid $24,420 in overtime for officers, but paid thousands more to install state of the art surveillance equipment on city telephone poles on Fondren Street and on State Street . We were there and observed city employees installing these cameras at the mill.  What other business do you know that can get the city to install surveillance cameras at tax-payer expense?

The city of Denver was the site of our national event last year.  The total expenditure by the Denver Police Department to deal with gentle Christians storming the gates of hell?  $00.00.  What was the difference between the two cities?  The city of Jackson believed the lie.  It chose to allow sweet little Susan Hill and abortionist Booker to rip apart children in the peace and tranquility of their abortion mill.  It chose the "politically correct" path of pandering to the abortion industry.  It chose to criminalize Christians who were giving mothers a real choice.  It chose to ignore the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America.  It chose death over life - the devil over Jesus.

This is never a good idea.

Following is the article Flip is responding to.

Jackson police overtime up $26K for rally

· City assigned 57 officers to special unit during eight days of anti-abortion demonstrations in Jackson

By Kelli Esters
kesters@clarionledger.com

August 23, 2006

The city of Jackson paid more than $26,000 in overtime to police officers who worked during the weeklong abortion protest last month, according to information obtained through the Mississippi Public Records Act.

Throughout the eight-day protest from July 15 to July 22 at the Jackson Women's Health Organization on North State Street, churches and parks, 57 officers were assigned to a special unit.

Police were seen arriving at in squad cars, buses and on horseback. Some were dressed in riot gear.

Police Lt. Jessie Robinson said the extra manpower was brought in so regular beat officers weren't taken from their normal duties.

He said the week's special operation was twofold - ensure the clinic personnel had the opportunity to perform their services according to law and protect the protesters' right to peacefully protest.

"There are so many unknown variables," Robinson said. "We were very prepared and we did our homework. We were prepared for extremism, and fortunately we didn't get that."

Operation Save America has been tied to several violent crimes against abortion clinic workers and at clinics in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Rev. Philip "Flip" Benham of Operation Save America, a national anti-abortion group, said those who perpetrated those violent acts were not Christians and not part of his group.

Peyton Prospere, director of Jackson's administration department, said the city will pay for the overtime from the reserve fund.

Susan Hill, president of Jackson Women's Health Organization clinic, said the clinic also paid $20,000 for extra security and surveillance cameras.

"We felt very safe. We felt really confident in our security," Hill said. "The Jackson Police Department was very professional and really planned ahead. They didn't take sides. They really knew what they were doing."

Benham called the extra security "utter foolishness."

"It was a disgrace," he said. "If I were a taxpayer in Jackson, I would be incensed with what happened in the name of God with my taxpayer money."

The week included spats between protesters and counter-protesters, a bomb threat, slashed tires, a false report of a fetus being disposed of in a downtown building and the burning of a copy of the Quran.

On the fourth day of protests, U.S. District Judge William Barbour Jr. denied a request for a temporary restraining order against the police for alleged First Amendment violations.

Lawyers for Operation Save America said police were showing favoritism to the abortion-rights advocates.

There were about a dozen reported misdemeanor arrests for violations of the noise, sign and event ordinances.

Those arrested were released on site and ticketed. They had court dates last month and earlier this month and were assessed fines.

Benham said his group will continue working in Jackson to eventually get the only abortion provider in the state closed.

"Of course, that's our prayer," he said. "When the state of Mississippi is abortion-free, it sends a message to all the others."