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		Points of View Bill Fink February 15, 2002 Guest Column and Photos © 2002 Bill Fink Published with Permission

Planned Parenthood Protester Profile

HOUGHTON -- What motivates a person to display graphic signs of aborted fetuses during Houghton's traffic rush? I attempted to find out by interviewing one of these anti-Planned Parenthood protesters. at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb 8, 2002, during heavy rush-hour and Winter Carnival traffic.

James Niemela, 24, of Arnheim, displays a graphic anti-abortion sign to traffic near the Portage Lake Lift Bridge on Friday, February 8, 2002. (Photo copyright 2002, Bill Fink Communications)

1. What is your name? James Niemela.
    
2. How old are you? 24.
    
3. Where do you live? Arnheim.
    
4. What church, temple or mosque do you attend? Apostolic Lutheran in Chassell.
    
5. Are you here today as an official representative of that congregation? No.
    
6. Why is it important to you that women not have the freedom to make their own reproductive health decisions? Because the child at conception; a child is created, and that child is a totally separate person than the mother, and has all of the rights of an American citizen from the day of conception on. And therefore she’s not making a choice about her own body, she’s killing another person. I feel it should be outlawed, totally, every instance and case. [Even to protect the life of the mother?] That’s my personal opinion, because I believe a sovereign God has control over everything.
    
7. What do you hope to accomplish by being here today? The main thing is, we’re protesting Planned Parenthood coming in town, and I’d hope that eventually God would bless our small effort and in some way to get them to close shop and leave town. That’s the ultimate goal, and to expose abortion for what it is, because it’s just a overused word nowadays. The pictures that we hold, they are offensive, but they are offensive because it’s actually abortion and it happens every day.
    

   James Niemela (Photo copyright 2002, Bill Fink Communications)

8. Why is it important to you that such graphic signs accompany your protest? As I said, it adds punch to the word, abortion. You know, when you use a word so, over and over, it becomes such an overused word it doesn’t mean anything. Now, abortion means something when you actually see what it is.
    
9. What would you like to say to the parents passing by, as they try to explain to their own children in the car, about what these signs show and why people would want children to see them? Well, let me tell you. I have three children myself and the oldest is going to be four in March. They’ve all seen them; I explained to her when she was two or whenever the first time she saw it, in ways that a two year old would understand. I told her God sent this little baby down from heaven and evil people killed it. And she accepted it. [And what would you say to other parents?] Tell your child the truth. And also, a lot of how a parent handles it and reacts is how a child’s gonna react...
    
10. How do you, in your personal life, assure that children, born into family situations where they are not wanted, are protected from abuse and neglect? I guess personally I don’t do much, but there are groups and organizations that handle crisis pregnancies and other things. We have one right in town, Pregnancy Services – they handle crisis pregnancies.
     
11. Aside from issues involving abortion, how do you feel about the other reproductive health and family planning services provided by Planned Parenthood? I’m opposed to Planned Parenthood because they attempt to usurp a parent’s authority over their children. I was brought up in a home where I was taught to respect and obey my parents, and I believe that’s the right way. As far as what you’re talking, sex education and Planned Parenthood, have you ever seen the book, "It’s Perfectly Normal"? [No.] It’s recommended for 10 year olds and older, and it has nudity throughout, and all types of sexual acts, and homosexuality, and all sorts of perversions, and it’s promoted for 10 year olds and older. And that’s extremely offensive to me. I can’t tell you how offended I would be if my 10 year old even saw that. Their endorsement is on the back, and it’s extremely offensive.

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