Walter Hoye

"He (Pastor Walter Hoye) was arrested May 13 at the Oakland clinic, carrying a sign that read, 'Jesus loves you and your baby. Let us help you!' As women approached the door, he asked them, "May I talk to you about alternatives to the clinic?" -- San Francisco Chronicle, February 19, 2009 "Pastor Sentenced for Oakland Abortion Protest".

Pastor Walter Hoye has put his freedom on the line to defend the rights of the unborn. What a courageous example of pro-life leadership... and what a reminder that standing up against grave injustice is no guarantee that you won't also suffer a grave injustice.

Let's pray for our brother in Christ who had the courage to be a true pro-life leader, and let us support any effort to see him vindicated and released from jail. If there is any such effort, please contact me at the link on the right and I'll help get the word out.

Here is a letter that he issued recently.

My Dear Friends:
Today I am still free.
Tomorrow I may not be.
It’s around 8:30 A.M. (PST) on Tuesday, February 24th, 2009 and the four (4) of us are standing on the corner of Webster Street and 3rd Street in Oakland, California near Jack London Square praying.
I am praying with two African-American women (a ninety (90) year old and an eighty-four (84) year old) and a dear Catholic sister who is a very good friend of mine. We are asking God to use us to reach the men and women going into the abortion clinic, right across the street, with the love of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.
We agree that the women will stand across the street with literature sharing alternatives to abortion while I stand on the same side of the street near the door of the abortion clinic with the same literature and a sign that says “God loves you and your baby. Let us help you.”
As we take our positions, I am fully aware that this may be my last opportunity to do all I can to save my people.
This morning may be the last morning I will have a chance to stop the shedding of innocent blood in the African-American community.
This hour may be the last hour available to me to reach out to the men and women with child considering pre-natal murder.
I am in this position because on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, Tuesday, January 15th, 2008, the Oakland City Council passed a law that strips away my 1st Amendment rights. What I was arrested, tried and convicted for is not arrestable, triable and/or convictible at one hundred and one (101) feet away from the entrance of an abortion clinic.
Starting at one hundred (100) feet my 1st Amendment right that assures my freedom of speech is taken away. “Harassment” is defined as “counseling” and “counseling” is defined as having a conversation, displaying a sign and/or handing out literature.
This is an unjust law that does not apply to doctors, nurses, employees and volunteers who have the consent of the abortion clinic.
Since my viewpoint on the subject of infanticide (i.e., I believe life begins at conception) is different than those who endorsed this unjust law, I do not have the consent of the abortion clinic to hold a sign, engage in conversation and hand out literature to those seeking to terminate the life of their child.
In other words, I am not a part of the “protected class” of United States citizenry as defined by the Oakland City Council.
According to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, Tuesday, April 16th, 1963, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” …
“An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself. This is difference made legal. By the same token, a just law is a code that a majority compels a minority to follow and that it is willing to follow itself. This is sameness made legal.”
This law passed by the Oakland City Council is most assuredly both a violation of my 1st Amendment rights and an unjust law.
At around 9:30 A.M. the one (1) Oakland Police Department (OPD) Car and one (1) Oakland Police Department Officer arrived at the abortion clinic. He took a few minutes to talk with those inside the abortion clinic before coming back outside to talk with me.
Fortunately, my Life Legal Defense Foundation (LLDF) Lawyer was across the street watching me stand on a public sidewalk, hold both a sign and literature and attempt to gain consent to talk closer than eight (8) feet to those walking into the abortion clinic.
As I identified myself to the first Police Officer a second OPD Officer drove up and joined our conversation. After sharing with the Officers that I was standing on a public sidewalk, reaching out to the men and women considering infanticide, both officers went into the clinic to talk more with the “protected class” of United States citizenry (i.e., doctors, nurses, employees and volunteers who have the consent of the abortion clinic).
Eventually, both OPD Officers joined my lawyer and I on the sidewalk and after reviewing a printed copy of form CR-165 “Notice of Termination of Protective Order in Criminal Proceedings (CLETS).” I was warned that a brand new “Stay Away From This Abortion Clinic Order” was being drafted for me even as I was listening to the Officer speak.
The OPD Officers also made me aware that the Officers themselves can give me a “Stay Away From This Abortion Clinic Order” that I will have to obey or go to jail.
I graciously thanked the Officers for their candor, shook hands with each of them and watched one of the Officers drive away. The other Officer remained until I left which was within a few minutes as I soon noticed that it was about 10:00 A.M.
Today I am still free.
Tomorrow I may not be.
I believe this is an unjust law.
I believe one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.
Today I am still free.
Tomorrow I may not be.
I will continue to exercise my 1st Amendment rights as I reach out to the men and women seeking to brutally terminate the life of the child growing in the womb of his or her mother.
Today I am still free.
Tomorrow I may not be.
May God bless you all.