'Deeply Saddened': Pro-Life Witness Speaks About Ketanji Brown Jackson's...

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AND THE ORDER IS A LITTLE

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DIFFERENT HERE, I'M TOLD.

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THE NEXT WITNESS IS

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MRS. ELEANOR McCULLEN.

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MRS. McCULLEN?

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>> Ms. McCullen: THANK YOU.

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MR. CHAIRMAN, RANKING MEMBER

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GRASSLEY, AND MEMBERS OF THIS

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WONDERFUL COMMITTEE, MY NAME

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IS ELEANOR McCULLEN, AND I

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AM HONORED TO BE WITH YOU

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TODAY.

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AS YOU CONSIDER THE NOMINATION

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OF JUDGE JACKSON TO THE

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SUPREME COURT.

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I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SAY I AM

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GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF YOUR

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SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY.

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I HAVE DEDICATED MY LIFE AND

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SERVICE TO EMPOWERING WOMEN AS

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A SIDEWALK COUNSELOR.

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I WAS ALSO THE LEAD PLAINTIFF

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IN AN IMPORTANT FREE SPEECH

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CASE, McCULLEN VS. COAKLEY.

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TODAY I WOULD LIKE TO TOUCH ON

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TWO TOPICS THAT ARE VERY NEAR

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AND DEAR TO MY HEART.

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THE FIRST THE IMPORTANCE OF

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EMPOWERING AND SUPPORTING

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PREGNANT WOMEN WHO FEEL ALONE

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AND WITHOUT OPTIONS.

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TWO, THE IMPORTANCE OF

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CONFIRMING JUDGES COMMITTED TO

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PRESERVING ONE OF AMERICA'S

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MOST CHERISHED FREEDOMS, THE

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FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

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FOR OVER 20 YEARS I HAVE

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SERVED AS A SIDEWALK COUNSELOR

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AND I OFFER HOPE, HELP, AND

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LOVE TO THE BOSTON WOMEN AND

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THEIR FAMILIES.

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SO MANY WOMEN I HAVE MET

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BELIEVE THAT THEIR ONLY CHOICE

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IS TO END THE LIFE OF THEIR

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BABY.

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IT IS IN THAT MOMENT OF

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ISOLATION AND FEAR THAT I HAVE

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THE PRIVILEGE OF OFFERING A

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DIFFERENT CHOICE.

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ONE THAT EMPOWERS AND

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ENCOURAGES THE WOMAN TO KNOW

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SHE IS FULLY CAPABLE OF

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BECOMING A MOM AND PURSUING A

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JOB AND GOING TO SCHOOL AND

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HAVING A SUCCESSFUL AND HAPPY

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LIFE.

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WHEN I SEE A WOMAN APPROACHING

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COMING DOWN COMMONWEALTH

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AVENUE, I ALWAYS SAY GOOD

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MORNING.

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I'M ELEANOR.

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HOW CAN I HELP YOU?

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IT'S A POWERFUL MOMENT WHEN A

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WOMAN LOOKS AT ME AND OUR EYES

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CONNECT AND SHE STOPS TO

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TALK.

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IT'S IN THAT MOMENT I PROMISE

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HER SHE WILL NEVER WALK HER

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JOURNEY ALONE.

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OF COURSE WOMEN OFTEN SHARE

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WITH ME THEIR FEARS.

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AND THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THEIR

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PREGNANCY.

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I HONOR THEIR THOUGHTS AND

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CONCERNS AND I SAY: I

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UNDERSTAND.

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THAT IS A CHALLENGE."

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.

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BUT I ALSO KNOW YOU CAN DO IT

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WITH SUPPORT AND I WILL

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SUPPORT WITH ALL MY KINDS OF

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SUPPORT.

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I WILL STAND WITH YOU

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THROUGHOUT THE NINE MONTHS AND

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BEYOND, I WILL HOLD YOUR

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HAND.

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I'M ABLE TO PROVIDE THE

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MOTHERS WHATEVER RESOURCES

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THEY MIGHT NEED IN THAT MOMENT

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INCLUDING MEDICAL CARE,

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FINANCIAL SUPPORT, OF COURSE

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THEY COME TO OUR HOUSE.

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OF COURSE BABY CLOTHES AND

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BASS SIN NETS.

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I HAVE HAD MANY, MANY, MANY

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BABY SHOWERS.

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OF COURSE AS SOME OF MY

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MOTHERS GOING TO SCHOOL WE'RE

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ABLE TO HELP THEM FINANCIALLY

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TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL.

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I JUST STICK WITH THE MOTHERS

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AND THEIR FAMILIES FOR AS LONG

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AS THEY NEED MY HELP.

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FOR ME, IT'S A JOY TO BE ABLE

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TO OFFER WOMEN LOVE AND

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KINDNESS, NO MATTER WHAT TIME

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OF NIGHT OR DAY THEY MIGHT

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CALL AND NEED ME.

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AND BEING ABLE TO WATCH THE

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CHILDREN GROW UP, CHILDREN WHO

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WOULDN'T BE HERE HAD THE

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MOTHER NOT STOPPED TO TALK TO

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ME, THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE

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PRIVILEGE.

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IN THE MIDST OF THIS JOY,

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HOWEVER, I KNOW FIRSTHAND THE

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PAIN OF BEING UNABLE TO SERVE

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WOMEN WHEN THE GOVERNMENT

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TRIES TO VIOLATE OUR RIGHT TO

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FREE SPEECH.

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IN 2007.

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>> Ms. Mascott: ENACTED A

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BUFFER ZONE.

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IT WAS A LAW PROHIBITING

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PRO-LIFE SPEAKERS FROM COMING

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WITHIN 35 FEET OF THE ENTRANCE

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OF AN ABORTION FACILITY.

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AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, THIS

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PREVENTED US FROM BEING

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COMPASSIONATE AND SERVING

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WOMEN AND THEIR BABY BECAUSE

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THE LAW PREVENTED US FROM

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HAVING QUIET, INTIMATE

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CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM.

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I QUICKLY REALIZED THAT IF I

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WANTED TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING

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WOMEN AND BABIES, I AS A

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SIDEWALK COUNSELOR, I HAD TO

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CHALLENGE THE LAW.

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EVEN THOUGH I NEVER THOUGHT I

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WOULD BE PART OF A LAWSUIT, I

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KNEW I COULDN'T COMPROMISE OR

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ALLOW.

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>> Ms. Mascott: TO ROB

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AMERICANS OF OUR

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CONSTITUTIONAL FREEDOM.

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SO I STOOD FOR WOMEN.

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>> I STOOD FOR THE BABIES.

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AND FOR EVERY AMERICAN'S RIGHT

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TO SPEECH REGARDLESS OF THEIR

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VIEWS ON LIFE AND ABORTION.

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I WAS DEEPLY SADDENED TO FIND

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OUT JUDGE JACKSON WHILE IN

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PRIVATE PRACTICE ADVOCATED IN

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FAVOR OF.

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>> Ms. Mascott: PREVIOUS

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BUFFER ZONE LAWS IN HER AMICUS

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BRIEF ON BEHALF OF ABORTION

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CLINICS.

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SHE AND HER COLLEAGUES

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MALIGNED PRO-LIFE COUNSELORS,

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CHARACTERIZING US IN UGLY AND

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FALSE WAYS.

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HER MISREPRESENTATIONS

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CERTAINLY DON'T DESCRIBE ME OR

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ANY OF THE SIDEWALK COUNSELORS

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THAT I HAVE WORKED WITH OVER

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THE YEARS.

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INDEED, THE ENTIRE REASON I

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CHALLENGED THE BUFFER ZONE LAW

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WAS BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO

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SHOUT FROM A DISTANCE OR COME

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ACROSS AS A WOMAN WITH NO

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COMPASSION.

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THANKFULLY, IN 2014, ALL NINE

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JUSTICES OF THE SUPREME COURT

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RULED THAT.

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>> Ms.

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MASSACHUSETTS BUFFER ZONE DID

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VIOLATE THE FIRST AMENDMENT.

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WHEN A WOMAN IS ALONE,

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SIDEWALK COUNSELORS WALK WITH

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HER IN THAT MOMENT, WHEN A

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CHILD IS JUST MINUTES FROM

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LOSING HIS OR HER LIFE,

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SIDEWALK COUNSELORS SERVE AS

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THEIR VOICE, THE UNBORN HAVE

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NO VOICE.

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AS AMERICANS, WE WILL DISAGREE

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ON MANY IMPORTANT ISSUES, BUT

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THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF WHY OUR

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CONSTITUTION PROTECTS FREE

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SPEECH AND ALLOWS EACH OF US

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TO SPEAK TRUTH WITH LOVE.

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MY HOPE IS THAT THIS PRECIOUS

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FREEDOM, WHICH PRESERVATIVE

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OUR NATION FROM TYRANNY AND

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VIOLENCE WILL REMAIN RESPECTED

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AND UPHELD.

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I WOULD ASK JUDGE JACKSON THAT

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IF SHE IS CONFIRMED TO THE

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SUPREME COURT, THAT SHE WILL

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CHOOSE TO UPHOLD ALL

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AMERICANS' FIRST AMENDMENT

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FREEDOMS.

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AND I WOULD LIKE TO END WITH A

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STORY.

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IT JUST HAPPENED THIS WEEK.

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I WAS HOME AND THE TELEPHONE

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RANG.

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AND THE WOMAN SAID, ELEANOR?

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I SAID YES.

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SHE SAID OH, I'M SO GLAD TO

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TALK WITH YOU.

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SHE SAID I WAS JUST LOOKING

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THROUGH MY BABY BOOK OF MY

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LITTLE 3-MONTH-OLD LITTLE

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GIRL.

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AND UNDERNEATH THE PICTURE OF

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THE BABY WAS MY CARD.

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MY CARD THAT I GIVE OUT HOPE

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HEALTH AND LOVE.

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AND SHE HAD PASTED THAT IN THE

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ALBUM UNDERNEATH THE BABY

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PICTURE.

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THERE WAS MY CARD.

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AND MY NUMBER.

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AND SHE CALLED ME.

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AND SHE SAID I HAVE TO TELL

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YOU, SHE SAID, ROSE IS NOW

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18.

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SHE IS GRADUATING FROM HIGH

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SCHOOL, SHE IS ON HER WAY TO

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COLLEGE.

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AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR

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BEING THERE THAT DAY IN

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JANUARY AND YOU TALKED TO ME

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AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, ROSE

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IS THE JOY OF OUR LIFE.

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SO, IN CONCLUSION, YOU MIGHT

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ASK WHY AM I SO PASSIONATE

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ABOUT SUPPORTING MOTHERS AND

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FREE SPEECH?

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WELL, IT'S CALLED LOVE.

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AND LOVE YOU CAN'T ARGUE WITH

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THAT.

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AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR

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LISTENING.

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>> Sen. Durbin: THANK YOU,

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MS. McCULLEN FOR BEING HERE