This is a summary of the latest news and information regarding Operation
Save America's upcoming event in Columbus, Ohio, and the organization of an
effective response. For details, go to http://www.theanswerisno.org/.
Latest News
-----------
* Our article, "Dog, pony and ass marching to Columbus to 'Save America',"
has been published in the July 2004 edition of The Columbus Free Press,
hitting the streets now, and on our website at
http://www.theanswerisno.org/media/freepress-article.html.
* The Operation Save America homepage
(http://www.operationsaveamerica.org/), continues to display two wildly
false accusations against the two of us who operate this website. See
http://www.theanswerisno.org/index2.html#news for our previous statements on
this matter.
Special Notice
--------------
* Those who are interested in participating in the Clinic Escort/Defense
training program should contact me directly, or at
contact@theanswerisno.org, for further instructions.
------
Mike Doughney and Lauren Sabina Kneisly
Answering Operation Save America in Columbus, Ohio - July 2004
http://www.theanswerisno.org/
contact@theanswerisno.org
This is a summary of the latest news and information regarding Operation
Save America's upcoming event in Columbus, Ohio, and the organization of an
effective response. For details, go to http://www.theanswerisno.org/.
Latest News
-----------
Operation Save America leaders' statements move from "maliciously clueless"
to "dangerously delusional"
Mike Doughney writes: OSA leadership has issued false claims over the past
six days, alleging that the two of us who operate this website somehow
"disrupted" the OSA national event three years ago in Wichita, Kansas. They
are mischaracterizing our work today as an attempt to "silence their voice"
here in Columbus.
OSA leadership is now insisting that we somehow organized a "concerted
effort" against them in Wichita by getting "Refuse and Resist" to somehow
disrupt their events while we watch with cameras.
The idea that Refuse and Resist listens to us for direction is hilarious.
Nevertheless, OSA leaders, as shown from their online statements, truly
believe that they face this kind of well-organized conspiracy from the
imaginary foes they see in the mirror. This is the kind of nonsense that you
get from people who can't ever believe that individuals, disorganized and
unaffiliated with visible organizations, might on their own just disagree
with them, and be willing to stand up and say so in public.
For the record, BARF is two people, and Lauren Sabina and I are not part of
any coalition or formally organized opposition. We are just telling what
we've learned about OR/OSA over the past seven years and sharing it with
whoever cares to hear about it here in Columbus. It is likely that most of
our views and advice will be disregarded here.
The charge that anyone with "Refuse and Resist" is going to "submit to the
leadership" of an SUV-driving, meat-eating, white male heterosexual hardcore
capitalist is so ridiculous it isn't even worth answering, nor would we want
that role, if that role even exists anywhere.
Media Coverage
--------------
* "'Save America' group can't handle progress," Letter to the Editor from
Mike Doughney, The Columbus Dispatch, June 21, 2004.
http://www.theanswerisno.org/media/dispatch-20040607.html#letter
Special Notice
--------------
* Those who are interested in participating in the Clinic Escort/Defense
training program should contact me directly, or at
contact@theanswerisno.org, for further instructions.
------
Mike Doughney and Lauren Sabina Kneisly
Answering Operation Save America in Columbus, Ohio - July 2004
http://www.theanswerisno.org/
contact@theanswerisno.org
This is a summary of the latest news and information regarding Operation
Save America's upcoming event in Columbus, Ohio, and the organization of an
effective response. For details, go to http://www.theanswerisno.org/.
Latest News
-----------
* The Operation Save America homepage
(http://www.operationsaveamerica.org/), as of 6/17/2004, displays two wildly
false accusations against the two of us who operate this website,
incorrectly claiming that we somehow "disrupted" their national event three
years ago in Wichita, Kansas, and mischaracterizing our work today as
attempting to "silence their voice" here in Columbus.
Both accusations are false; they are so false, we have no idea what they
stem from. Our activities in Wichita were primarily confined to videography,
documenting events at the clinic there and in outdoor public spaces
downtown.
Certainly, today, encouraging the citizens of Columbus to answer them by
saying "No" - from a position of understanding what it is they are actually
demanding - will not be "silencing" them in any way.
We will be preparing a more detailed response to this matter in the next few
days.
Media Coverage
--------------
* "Traveling abortion foes make waves in Sedalia," The Sedalia (Missouri)
Democrat, Thursday, June 17, 2004:
http://www.sedaliademocrat.com/283917552349981.htm
Special Notice
--------------
* Those who are interested in participating in the Clinic Escort/Defense
training program should contact me directly, or at
contact@theanswerisno.org, for further instructions.
------
Mike Doughney and Lauren Sabina Kneisly
Answering Operation Save America in Columbus, Ohio - July 2004
http://www.theanswerisno.org
contact@theanswerisno.org
This is a summary of the latest news and information regarding Operation
Save America's upcoming event in Columbus, Ohio, and the organization of an
effective response. For details, go to http://www.theanswerisno.org/.
Upcoming Event
--------------
* NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio will be holding their Columbus Area Choice Action
Team Meeting on Tuesday, June 15, 7:00 pm, at the Main Branch of the
Columbus Public Library.
Latest News
-----------
* Leaders of Minutemen United, a Central Ohio group that is sympathetic to
Operation Save America and is actively working to prepare for this summer's
event, have said in an e-mail message to their supporters on May 20 that
they are contacting 400 Ohio churches and appealing to them for help and
logistical assistance, including housing, transporation and food.
* J. Patrick Johnston, an associate of Minutemen United who says he's
"serving" Operation Save America leader Flip Benham, told us during a brief
interview in early May that OSA will obtain a permit to parade through
German Village. They've targeted German Village, according to Johnston,
because it has a "the reputation of being a place where a certain class of
sinners reside," that it is "the neighborhood that is known throughout the
town for having a lot of homosexual couples residing there." The video and
transcript of this interview are now on our website.
Recent parades organized by Operation Save America / Operation Rescue in
Wichita, Kansas, have been extremely disruptive to neighborhood residents
and businesses. OSA has claimed that a parade permit gives them "control of
the street" and they have deliberately used these parades as an attempt to
block access to entire streets in front of particular businesses that they
seek to eliminate.
* Mike Doughney and Lauren Sabina Kneisly, the "oppositional researchers"
who created theanswerisno.org and have studied Operation Save America /
Operation Rescue for a number of years, have moved to Columbus for the
summer and are available to speak to your organization or group in the Ohio
region. Contact us for details.
* The downloads page has been updated with the latest fliers and posters.
News Media Coverage
-------------------
There have been two recent newspaper articles about the upcoming OR/OSA
event: one from The Other Paper from late May, and another from the Columbus
Dispatch from this past Monday, June 7. Scans of the articles and our
responses to the editors are up on the website.
------
Mike Doughney and Lauren Sabina Kneisly
Answering Operation Save America in Columbus, Ohio - July 2004
http://www.theanswerisno.org