50 Comments - AlabamaShake - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:27 am: Disgusting. And I say that as a someone who is pro-choice activist. Just totally unacceptable. But, just FYI, it happened to Jill Stanek, not Fran Eaton. - AlabamaShake - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:28 am: (and you corrected it) - Georg Sande - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:28 am: Happened to Jill Stanek … Fran reported it. - @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:31 am: Somewhere someone is thinking, “Don’t Jill Stanek’s opponents refer to her movement as ‘anti-choice’ rather than ‘pro-life’?” – MrJM - Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:31 am: So much tolerance and free speech. - uptown progressive - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:32 am: I have been the target of Ms Stanek. It never occurred to me to strike back at her in this way. Nor in my 20+ years of advocacy for Women’s Health care have I ever heard anyone suggest such action. Simply wrong. - @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:32 am: “Simply wrong.” Correct. – MrJM - Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:33 am: It is just wrong. Very sad statement on our country. - Metalhead - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:34 am: I guess, I’m just a cynical SOB, but the super-committed pro-choicers I know (the kind of kooks who would throw a brick through a window,) do not use the term “pro-life” when referring to their opponents. So I’m a little suspicious. - Corporate Thug - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:36 am: Ugly. People need to calm down. - ILPundit - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:37 am: Definitely unacceptable — but I’d like to know more. You just don’t normally see this kind of stuff from the pro-choice community. My Spider-sense in tingling…. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:37 am: Rich really captured how I feel after seeing and reading what happens to Fran Eaton. I’m glad that cowardly acts are brought to my attention abd I’m proud of Fran Eaton to go public with this. The old adage of “I don’t agree with what you say,..” should be more than lip service when asked to put it into practice. There are many times I may not agree with what I read, hear in public, see on television. There are times I find one protest more “just” than other, or even find myself hardening a position depending on the protest and those protesting… But I respect that anyone has the right to say how they feel, speak to their issues abd they have as much right as I do to publicly air and make their cases. No one should be stifled by intimidation in any form. No one should have to worry for family who aren’t involved, or for themselves because their words can only compete in some person’s mind to a brick, thrown cowardly through a window. Its not right. Fran Eaton should never have to worry for speaking, as we all shouldn’t be afraid to stand up to disgusting tactics that she came home to find. - Century Club - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:38 am: Stick to throwing rhetorical bricks, people! - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:38 am: I apologize, I fell into it too. Jill Stanek. - Soccermom - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:40 am: MrJM - my thoughts as well. - sosilly - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:40 am: @oswego Yes, please keep up. - crazybleedingheart - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:43 am: MrJM, Soccermom: Indeed. I wonder how it struck the cops when she ignored their counsel to keep it quiet. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:45 am: - sosilly - In the spirit of the Post, I respect your right to say yoyr ridiculous drive-by and by you saying it says more about you, given the Post and what it’s all about. - LizPhairTax - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:46 am: crazybledingheart @10:43 I didn’t see that in the linked piece. Did she file a police report? Terrible if it is legit. - Honeybear - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:48 am: This is what scares me about fascist behavior on both sides. We need to “get right” as Illinoisans and Americans. - burbanite - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:48 am: I am with Metalhead and ILPundit, something doesn’t seem right here. But clearly throwing a brick through someone’s window for whatever reason is wrong. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:49 am: Let’s hope that whoever threw the brick through the window is caught and held to account. - Earnest - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:55 am: A horrible, ugly thing. I hope they are caught and held to account as well. - WordsMatter - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:56 am: Pro-choice activists rarely refer to their opponents as “pro-life.” Instead they use the more accurate term “anti-choice.” What happened is absolutely abhorrent and there are no excuses, but it is rare that committed activists misuse their own terminology. I don’t want to put on the tinfoil hat yet, but this doesn’t seem right. - Wensicia - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 10:59 am: Nobody can insist they’re on the right side of an issue/debate when they use tactics like these. Nobody. - Educ - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 11:05 am: Unfortunately this is the reality for women who speak up in politics. I got a full year of non-stop phone call rape threats courtesy of my involvement in a local political issue. The police told me they weren’t going to do anything because rape threats are “hardly ever serious.” Despite the whole thing becoming public knowledge, the men who carried out the non-stop attacks to (successfully) drive me out of local public life remain in respected positions of community trust and, in some cases, elected office, and are invited to sit on local boards and make important decisions. They have suffered no punishment. Oh, yeah, and when I filed a police report about the harassment, they FOIAed MY POLICE REPORT and got my new phone number from it so they could continue to harass me with non-stop rape threats after I changed my number. Same police department that sent out SWAT over a fake twitter account … for a male public official. - cgo75 - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 11:17 am: This certainly isn’t right but any time you are an activist or for that matter, express controversial opinions, you are placing yourself at heightened risk. - Amalia - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 11:19 am: violence is unacceptable. but, speaking as an activist supporting reproductive choices, I always use the term anti choice/s - Cgo75 - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 11:25 am: Not sure I’d call it violence, i think I’d describe it as property damage. - the Other Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 11:25 am: First, foremost, and unequivocally: this is unacceptable behavior. I hope the person gets caught and prosecuted. Second, and Ivam much more hesitant about posting this because I don’t want undermine my first statement, the outrage over the brick through her window should not be greater than the outrage over mailing powder and claiming it’s anthrax to abortion providers, vandalizing family planning and abortion clinics, bombing clinics, and killing doctors. Look, I am not accusing Stanek of doing anything like that — she hasn’t. Nor do I want to at all blame the victim — Stanekbdid not bring this act of vandalism on herself. But Jill Stanek is a supporter of Joe Scheidler who committed far greater acts if vandalism. I hope that this vandalism leads both sides to cool off a bit. Let me repeat the important point: whoever did this needs to be caught and prosecuted. The same standard must apply to those who commit violence against clinics and doctors. - Jocko - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 11:43 am: As others have stated, this one doesn’t pass the smell test. I hope this gets investigated thoroughly so that both sides are put on notice. - Hon. John Fritchey - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 11:49 am: FIrst and foremost, there is zero justification for what happened anywhere but especially at a person’s home. But my sympathy in this particular situation is tempered a bit given that several years ago, in response to my filing an amendment to the parental notification bill, Jill Stanek wrote posts likening me to a mock priest blessing abortions and accused me of trying to earn a Teen Genocide Award. Her posts resulting in countless hateful messages aimed at both me and my daughter. Again, zero excuse for what happened but it’s always a little different when the shoe is on the other foot. - Angry Chicagoan - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 12:12 pm: I have to add my voice to those who suspect this might not pass the smell test. I hope it is thoroughly investigated and that the perpetrator comes to light. - Mama - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 12:16 pm: “We need to “get right” as Illinoisans and Americans.” Honeybear, are so very right. Have people gone completely mad? What is making people so crazy? Is it politics or something else? - crazybleedingheart - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 12:22 pm: LizPhairTax, from her Facebook posts: == In the scheme of things this was nothing. But having my home vandalized was a first for me in the ‪#‎prolife‬ movement. We came home from vacation last night to a broken window and a plastic bag with a large piece of cinder block inside and a message. As if they thought this would make me stop? The police suggested not publicizing, but I said I wasn’t going to let ‪#‎prochoiceviolence‬ go unchecked. == == Ha, I’m honored that Ann Scheidler of the Pro-Life Action League has just welcomed me to the “exclusive ‘Brick through the Window Club’!” No sense crying over broken glass. smile emoticon ‪#‎prochoiceviolence‬ == She apparently just attended the national march in D.C. week before last. - Gooner - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 12:33 pm: I agree with Fritchey. Stanek has made a career of saying some really terrible things about people. Because of people like her, I never talk about abortion with people I don’t know. They are the one group on the political spectrum that scares the hell out of me. Further, I agree with those who mentioned “pro-life.” I don’t know anybody on the left who refers to anti-abortion extremists as “pro-life.” In fact, most deny that the anti-abortion crew is pro-life. It doesn’t pass the smell test. - Anon - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 12:37 pm: Not everything is about you, Honorable John… - crazybleedingheart - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 12:38 pm: Regardless of who threw the brick, the timing of the Iowa Caucuses is interesting. Presidential elections gin up true believers, some of whom go on to do really weird things. Remember Ashley Todd? - LizPhairTax - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 12:54 pm: Thanks crazybleedingheart. I hope a police report was filed, which affords the filer both protections and consequences. I also saw that it hit her devotional table. Nice touch. I’m with Wordslinger. I hope whoever did it is held to account. - Ghost - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 1:08 pm: it appears those who wish to control others by causeing fear exist everysherr, not just in certain countries, cultures or religions. How truly sad for us as a society. - A guy - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 1:14 pm: Pigs. That’s all folks. - The Cardinal - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 2:35 pm: This is so Wrong ….You have a Right ti Disagree with anyones position on pretty much anything…..BUT you NEVER have a a Right to Assualt them Intimidate or Protest them at thier home. EVER! There are other venues to express your opinion. People in the public eye still have a right to/of privacy…media types this means you too in my opinion. I hope they find an prosecute whomever did this. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 3:20 pm: Sad that it happened Hope they catch the person who did it - wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 3:22 pm: I trust Rep. Stanek called Mokena police, they came to her home to gather physical evidence and interview neighbors regarding this crime and will pursue the investigation vigorously. As others have pointed out, the use of the phrase “pro-life” would seem to be a key piece of evidence. That seems odd wording for anyone who would be so violently opposed to Rep. Stanek’s position. Anti-abortion or anti-choice seem to be most common phrases. The universe of anti-pro-choice vandals could be rather small. Perhaps Rep. Stanek has had contact or confrontations with those who oppose her who have used that phrase. Perhaps there have been similar acts in the area where that phrase was employed. Anyway, I hope Rep. Stanek insists that the police conduct a thorough investigation. Whoever did it, it truly was a disgusting act. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 3:25 pm: Excuse me, above I meant to say “The universe of anti-pro-life vandals could be rather small.” - Chicago Cynic - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 5:09 pm: Didn’t Mel Reynolds vandalize his own office? Certainly other politicians have. Look, if this is real, it’s horrific and should be condemned strongly. But pro-choice activists go bonkers when you use the words pro-life to describe someone who is anti-choicer. I find it hard to believe someone who is so riled up about anti-choicers that they’re willing to commit a crime and do it into someone’s home would use the phrase “pro-life. - Jill Stanek - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 5:34 pm: Thank you, Rich. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 6:15 pm: I am Pro-life. I do not believe that abortion should be a choice. I will not use the heated language that some people have used in these comments. I just wanted to defend pro-lifers. We are for life, all life. This is why I am not a Democrate. I can not be in a political office full of people who are hostile to my belief in respecting life. I am not a Republican either because life should be respected from conception to natural death and many republicans are against social programs for the needy. We can disagree on the issue without being hostile. I could use heated language too but I would rather have dialog. If it did happen, it needs to get investigated. If it was self inflicted, that should come out too. However, it could have been done by a pro-abortion person. Let’s see what the police come up with. - burbanite - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 6:53 pm: I can honestly say I have never ever in my life met a person who is pro-abortion. Jeez. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 8:13 pm: ” - burbanite - Tuesday, Feb 2, 16 @ 6:53 pm: I can honestly say I have never ever in my life met a person who is pro-abortion. Jeez.” I have Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.