Letters to the Editor
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Facts
Well, we've heard from the two hysterical wings on this issue: the paranoid "liberal" and the dissembling "conservatives."
The fact is that Operation Rescue and other groups have, by their own admission, taken this tactic in order to get the very information "Elephantman" (and other America-hating anti-liberty advocates on the far right) claim will be redacted. There is of course nothing in KS law that requires the information be redacted, only that it may be if requested or necessary to protect a person from harm. Second, under certain other provisions of KS law, public citizens could bring action to open these files, if they in fact become part of a court proceeding. Such requests could likely only be refused if the release of the information might cause harm to those being identified.
Ultimately, if the case did proceed and the grand jury began questioning individuals, any individual who had received a "questionable" late term abortion could be subpoenaed to appear before the jury. No law would protect their identity in this case. And it would be the prosecutors and/or the grand jury who made the decision as to what would be "questionable."
Even if the (clearly biased) prosecutors were inclined and able to keep those identities redacted at this early stage of discovery, they would be unable to do so.
It is clear that the tactic here is to force the revelation of the identities of these unknown women in an effort to shame them, as well as provide a somewhat threatening context for any woman who seeks a late-term abortion in the future. Any obfuscation of this fact is questionable, especially when it comes from someone whose ideological commitment influences their legal reasoning.
There is no attempt at justice in these types of actions. The true sentiments of this crowd can be seen in the comments of "brightstar65." They do not want justice: they want vengeance. These anti-freedom zealots will stop at nothing - not limits of propriety or limits of law - to malign and terrorize women seeking a legal medical procedure.
The true commitment of the so-called anti-abortion crowd is neither to justice nor liberty, but to terrorism and oppression.