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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 18, 2017)
Street Roots • August 18-24, 2017 News Page 7 known as Operation Save America, 25 years after it drew 25,000 people to a pro-life rally in Wichita, Kan. (That rally was followed by abortion clinic bombings and assassinations.) You wrote: “Whereas the 1991 Sum m er of Mercy paralyzed the city o f Wichita, the 2016 protests often dissipated by lunchtime. ” Why is it that while the rescue movement’s numbers are shrinking, its political influence appears to be increasing at the same time? RIGHT W IN G , fro m page 5 talking about major tax cuts, so that dynamic is still happening; it’s just overshadowed by the Trump show. E.G.: There seem to be a lot o f different right-wing factions - from the pro-life and anti- LG BTQ movement to the militias, white nationalists and anti-immigrant movements. Are you seeing that these groups are coming together in a cohesive way, or are we still looking a t a bunch o f splintered fringe groups? M.B.: I don’t know that they’re all still fringe groups. Political alliances can always be a little strange, and I think that, for instance, the alliance between the pro-life movement and the anti-immigration movement has always been kind of weird in that they have very different values - but they’ve found the same politicians to champion them. I think they’re coming together in new ways. Everyone still has their areas of priority, but you see Christian right leaders or evangelical leaders who have been, up until now, all about virtue in the public square, backing Trump and de facto allying themselves with vicious racist movements that are also backing Trump. These people might not see eye to eye, but they’ve found common ground in a president who has promised to help them and advance their goals. E.G.: Are there any right-wing players or organizations that you think have more potential fo r damage than they’re getting credit for right now in the media? Are we underestimating any potential threats? M.B.: Where to begin! The influence of conservative evangelicals has been reported, but I don’t think it’s fully understood how much influence they have in that Trump has handed over some major areas to the movement. He’s basically promised these folks, who have been working to remake the federal courts, that he’ll remake the federal P H O T O B Y M IK E SEG AR/REUTERS Donald Trump appears at a Sept. 17, 2016, campaign event in Houston with members o f The Remembrance Project, a group that recognizes Americans killed by undocumented immigrants. courts with people who are not only friendly Childhood Arrivals). I think that’s something to keep an eye on - that these groups aren’t to corporate causes, but hostile to LGBTQ going to let Trump get rights and hostile to away with not doing "Y ou see C h ristia n rig h t reproductive rights. That’s one of the biggest leaders o r e va n g e lica l lead that. (Tanton founded and influences a president ers who h a w heenf up « u til funded the Federation for can have, and he’s mostly nowr a ll about v irtu e In American Immigration ceded that to the the p u b lic sgnare? b a ckin g Reform, the Center for religious right. It’s also worth keeping T ra m p and de la c to a lly in g Immigration Studies and U.S. Inc. These groups themselves w ith vicio u s an eye on the anti- immigration movements. have strong ties to local anti-immigrant group, Oregonians for Immigration Reform. You can read more about them in the 2016 report “The Anti-Immigrant Lobby: The White Nationalist Roots o f the Organizations Fighting Immigration, ” at rightwingwatch.org.) r a c is t m o v e m e n ts th a t a re There are a handful of also b a c k in g Tramp« These groups founded by a people m ig h t not see eye to Michigan activist named eye, b u t tb e /v e io n n d com John Tanton, who has m on g ro u n d in a president expressed some white who has prom ised to help nationalist thoughts, them and advance th e ir expressed interest in eugenics, and he created g o a ls," the anti-immigration w o raw ba b l u e movement as it exists today. These groups are E.G.: I wanted to ask you about your report happy with some of what Trump’s done, but “Return to Wichita.” You examined the return they are really pushing hard for him to end of the rescue movement, a pro-life organization the DACA program (Deferred Action for o FARMERS’ MARKET WEDNESDAYS 2-7PM C E N T R A L C IT Y C O FFEE SMnhuitlLS^tMd- Sourcing & roasting craft coffee to benefit programs at Central City Concern. IN STORES New Seasons Market, Whole Foods, Food Front Cooperative Grocery, Green Zebra, Chuck's Produce, Food Fight!, Cherry Sprout Produce, and Know Thy Food. AT YOUR OFFICE Interested in serving Central City Coffee at your office? Get in touch with us and we can help you make that happen. 503.226.7387 ON OUR WEBSITE Buy Central City Coffee online and have it shipped directly to you or a friend. passionate about helping our community healthy food that they can tru s t By shopping market, you’ll get extra food dollars while ting local farmers and community. >E 21st Ave. btwn Powell & Division AT KASBAH MOROCCAN CAFE Get your espresso favorites at Old Town's newest spot (201 NW Davis Street), featuring Central City Coffee! Follow our Facebook page for updates and specials. centralcitycoffee.org facebook.com/CentralCityCoffee coffee@ccconcern.org M.B.: Operation Save America had its big national event this year in Louisville, Ky., where there is one remaining abortion clinic in the state. They protested in front of this clinic and actually tried to block its doors to keep people from entering, but they also have been working behind the scenes to talk with state lawmakers in a number of states. They met privately with Matt Bevin, who is the governor of Kentucky, to push this idea that state governments should just ignore federal laws on abortion rights. There’s no evidence that Bevin has listened to them, in taking it that far, but he has also been working on his end to try and close this remaining clinic through the enforcement of TRAP laws: targeted restriction on abortion providers. I think you see that dynamic happening in a lot of places where you have these more outwardly extrem e people protesting in fr o n t o f t h e c lin ic s , m a k in g a s c e n e an d making it really uncomfortable for women going into the clinics, but you also have legislators who are trying to close down abortion providers in using targeted legislation and the courts. They are two sides of one coin. I don’t know if I’d say the rescue movement has become more influential over recent years, but I’d say that it’s seeing some of its goals being achieved, whether or not they’re the ones who are making the difference. emily@streetroots. org Follow on Twitter @greenwrites
