Growing in grace: A Week With The Police

Hi everyone.
This week we did yet more ministry. This time we did not escape without a little confrontation with law enforcement.

On Thursday we went to Augusta for an hour of abortion ministry in Augusta followed by homeschool day at the capital and a meeting with our senator. At the abortion mill we had heard that Maine Family Planning will call the cops on the protesters. We stood right next to the entrance to the abortion mill, but definitely outside of the marked boundaries. Right before we left a police officer pulled up and said that someone had called and made a complaint that someone was blocking the roadway. We told him that we were not blocking the roadway and he just said to make sure we did not block it and drove off. He was a nice officer and did not give us any more trouble.

After we left the abortion mill we drove to the state house. We went to the homeschool rally at the capitol in the Hall of Flags. There was a man playing Francis Asbury who was a circuit riding preacher in early America. He was a Methodist bishop and an amazing man. He faced many dangers and barely survived many times but God saved him and used him to preach the Gospel to many people.

After the homeschool rally we went upstairs to find State Senator David Miramant. He was in caucus when we arrived but came out to meet us. I do not think he recognized us which is good because then he could not find an excuse to not meet with us. We strongly disagree with him on the issues of abortion and assisted suicide but nonetheless we were still able to have a peaceable conversation. We may go back to the state house to meet with him sometime when he is not as busy. We only had a few minutes to talk so we did not have a long conversation but he knows that we stand for parental rights and the dignity of human life from conception to natural death. We left him with a gospel tract. Please pray that he would read it and consider the truth in it and that God would grant him repentance and faith.

That afternoon we went to Wiscasset to meet with some of our friends who want to get out and do more evangelism and discipleship. I had previously written to the chief of police asking if it would be okay to use amplification in our religious speech. This is the email that I sent to the chief:

My name is Virginia Cowperthwaite. My family and I are hoping to come to Wiscasset on Thursday and we were wondering if we would be able to use a 7 watt amp to amplify religious speech. We would be standing in such a way to not block pedestrian traffic or vehicle traffic. We wish to abide by any laws but we would like to be able to use amplification. Thank you for any information. ~Virginia

This is his response:
Ms. Cowperthwaite,

The ordinance does not cover amplified noise (listed below) but there may be another ordinance I am unfamiliar with . I would request you reach out to our Town Planner (Ben Averill) or Code Enforcement Officer (Stan Waltz) for additional information. They have been CC’ed above.

Thanks

Jeff

I then wrote to the town planner and code enforcement as was suggested but I did not receive a reply. We went out to Wiscasset where we stood holding signs and Daddy preached. A police officer showed up and a man came out to meet him. I saw that the officer's badge said that he was the chief so I reached out my hand and introduced myself. He then started telling me and then Mommy when she came over how we were breaking the law. He showed us a law that states that 3 or more people may not stand in a group or near each other in such manner as to obstruct free passage, after a request from a officer of the peace to move on. The chief tried to leave out the part of the sentence that said in such manner as to obstruct free passage.

After a little while Daddy came across the street to talk with us as well. The chief said that we may not use amplification which we understand but then told us that Mommy and my two younger siblings, ages 2 and almost 5, were not allowed to stand together even though they were not obstructing free passage and regardless of the fact that Red's Eats across the street had people waiting in line who were blocking the sidewalk in both directions and spilling out into the road. The chief said that they were a business, so there were allowed to do so but we were not. In the course of discussion, he found out that I was the one who had sent me the email and asked me how old I was. We told him I was 14. When he heard that he said that he did not know he was writing to a 14 year old and "that makes all the difference". And that we "could not rest our case on a 14 year old talking to the chief of police". Daddy told him that I was using his email and told me what to write and read what I wrote. As you can see above we have proof of what the chief said, so this is not a matter of he said/she said, so it wouldn't matter how old the person typing was as his answer had nothing to do with the question at hand. We have contacted a lawyer and we think that this is a case of selective enforcement because they did not agree with our message. Please be praying for chief Lange.

On Friday we went to Portland for the regular abortion ministry. We got there before anyone else besides the deathscorts and the police. We were fine for a while but later Heather crossed the sidewalk from where she had been standing going toward the door. The officer chased her and told her that we were "not allowed to stand within an arms length" of a deathscort. I do not think Heather and Stephanie were going to test him on it but Daddy said that there was no law that said that.

Brian and Daddy then stood next to the deathscorts to see what the officer would do or say. The officer said nothing to them. He only came after the women. I find this to be very cowardly to only approach women and not the men who are doing the exact same thing. Later in the day I went and stood near the deathscort "M". The officer came up and told me to move so that the edge of my sign was an arms length from the deathscort. He did not tell me what law I was breaking but said it was a lawful order. I know that a officer can not just make up laws and when he saw that I was not just going to move he decided to go talk to Daddy.

He said to Daddy, "Sir can you please tell your daughter to move away from the volunteer. She just keeps getting closer and closer." (At the time, I was very near arm length away) Daddy asked if he had a law that said that I could not stand on a public sidewalk. The officer said, "It is disorderly conduct. I will absolutely enforce it whether you want me to use your child to do it or not." Daddy did tell me to step away rather than disobey, but we were not about to leave it at that.

I am writing to the chief of police asking for a law that says that I can not stand within arms length of a volunteer. I said that if there is not a law that said that I ask for a formal apology from the officer otherwise we will be contacting a lawyer about this case. If I remember correctly this is the same officer who was there the week that the deathscorts were pushing up against me and physically blocking me in. This once again seems to be a matter of targeted enforcement because of our message. After the officer had told me this "lawful order" the deathscort that I had been standing "too close to" said to me, "FYI I have no idea where that came from." She found it ridiculous that the officer would even say such a thing. I was in no way intimidating her at all. This is the same deathscort that took tracts from me one week. She seems to be a little less hostile towards us as some of the others. Please pray for her salvation.

Not to much happened yesterday but Daddy did have some conversations with people. One conversation was with Jonathon who is a young male, not man, who walks by chanting "Abort all the babies. Abort all the babies." He is wicked and said that me and all my siblings should be murdered because we are parasites to the planet. Please be praying for his salvation as well.

One talk was with a young lady named Jada. She talked to Daddy for probably 45 minutes. She used to go to church but does not have a church here in Maine. We disagree but Daddy was able to have a good talk with her and she took our email address along with information for Redeeming Grace Fellowship. We hope that she gets in contact with us so that we can talk more. Pray for her as well.

At one point Chloe and Stephanie knelt down on the sidewalk across from the door to the abortion mill. All three of us knelt and prayed and sang. Here is a video of that time. After that we stood up and shouted the Jesus anthem. At least 2 people came and stood at a window where the curtains had been pulled back and were watching us. The officer was not listening to us and actually brought earplugs so that he did not have to listen to us. Please pray for his salvation. The letter to Portland Police is copied below.

We just received a box from Human Life Alliance. We got comic books for kids about the journey of life in the womb. We also got booklets called "The Truth Behind Planned Parenthood". They also included 15 or 20 free bumper stickers that say "Life, What A Beautiful Choice".

Prayer
Please be praying for the salvation of all these police officers that were mentioned. Please also be praying that God would give us wisdom as we figure out what legal action to pursue in these cases. Pray that if this proceeds to court, justice would be served and that God would be glorified. Pray that we would be given wisdom to not back down but not to seem disrespectful of the authority God has given them.

With love in the Lord,
Virginia

Virginia's email to the chief of police in Portland, Maine

To whom it may concern,

My name is Virginia Cowperthwaite. I am a pro-life advocate and I regularly stand outside the Planned Parenthood in Portland with my family and friends. On Friday June 2nd we had an officer I believe his last name is McCusker. This officer said that my friends and I were not allowed to stand within arms reach of a Planned Parenthood volunteer escort. My friend earlier in the day had been standing across the sidewalk and when she walked across toward a volunteer the officer chased her over and told her this law.

Later in the day, he came up to me, a 14 year old girl, and told me that I must stand so that the edge of my sign was an arms length away from the Planned Parenthood volunteer. He did not tell me what law I was breaking and no other officer in over a year of me being there doing the exact same thing has ever said that I may not stand that close to a volunteer. The officer then turned to my father and said,"Sir please ask your daughter to step away from the volunteer please. She just keeps getting closer and closer."

My father then asked if there was a law that said that I could not stand on the public sidewalk. The officer replied that it was disorderly conduct and said "I will absolutely enforce it whether you want me to use your child to do it or not."

The volunteer I was standing next to, said to me "FYI I have no idea where that came from." She was not intimidated by me. I have never threatened to harm any of these ladies and in fact love them very much. I have never used any language near them that could be interpreted as vulgar in any case. I have even held umbrellas over them to block them from the sun and the rain. I have offered them cookies. I in no way would do anything disorderly toward any of them.

If I remember correctly this is the same officer who was there back in April when I was physically blocked by two Planned Parenthood volunteers while standing on a public sidewalk. One of them was standing so close to me that they were touching me and the officer said nothing about standing an arms length away from me. Another volunteer then came over and the two of them blocked me.

I believe that I was targeted because of my religion, something which has happened with Portland Police before in the case of Brian Ingalls and Andrew March. Those names may sound familiar as they recently won a settlement in court against the city of Portland for their selective enforcement of laws like this one.

I am asking you to send me a law that says that I may not stand within an arms length of a volunteer. If there is not a law that says that I ask that officer McCusker send a formal written apology for making up laws and unjustly threatening a 14 year old girl with punishment when I had done nothing wrong. If I do not receive either of these things we will be contacting a lawyer about this case to ensure that others are not intimidated and threatened with force of law when they are within their legal rights. Please know that we do and will continue to be carrying audio and video recording equipment and will contact lawyers if there are any future issues.

Below is a audio recording from yesterday along with pictures from April when the volunteers were blocking me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kUgA35aVlk