http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2014/01/15/scotus_35_foot_buffer_zone_high_court_struggles_to_estimate_the_length_of.html
The Supreme Court on Wednesday heard oral arguments over the constitutionality of the 35-foot buffer zone that Massachusetts has created around abortion clinics in the Bay State. The state law prohibits anyone from standing within 35 feet of the entrance of any reproductive health care facility that performs abortions (unless, of course they're entering the facility or passing through to the other side).
But, as PoliticoSCOTUS correspondent Josh Gerstein pointed out this afternoon, "35-foot buffer zone" was a whole lot easier to say than to conceptualize for some of the justices on the high court and lawyers in the court room. A sampling, via Gerstein:
There was Justice Elena Kagan's attempt: "You know, 35 feet is a ways. It's from this bench to the end of the court," she said. "It's pretty much this courtroom. ... That's a lot of space." The problem: According to the court's website, the chamber measures 82 feet wide by 91 feet long.
Deputy Solicitor General Ian Gershengorn came closer with his guestimation, but was still a decent ways off: "It is from me to the marshal [who sits next to the justices], not to the back of the courtroom. It is an NBA three-point zone," he said. In reality, however, the NBA three-point line is actually 23 feet, 9 inches from the basket (except in the corners, where it's 22 feet). So closer, but still no cigar.
Fortunately, the third time was the charm for the courtroom. Justice Sonia Sotomayor came to the rescue with a rough—but fairly accurate—estimate: "It's two car lengths," she said. Obviously, there's plenty of variables at play with that estimate, but it's definitely in the ballpark. A Toyota Camry, for example, is nearly 16 feet from end to end
IMO these clinics do more than abort and abortion has it's reasonable reasons mother's help, ill equipped to raise the kid, republican denial of all assistance for poor on WIC program, post natal care care period.
these clinics do more than abortion they are there for women's health how can some crazed ready to kill right wing zealot know what that women is there for, all they know is that Fox news said it did abortion code word for blow the roof off the ..........
yes i think there should be laws that prevent those potential killers that are there to kill those they think are going to kill, republican logic don't hurt yourself trying to rationalize that.
they don't do that in front of larger hospitals who supply the same care other than abortion that the clinics do. they rave about killing babies but when that baby is born outside nothing but sounds of crickets, it is a hypocritical stance by those looking for a band wagon like Tea Party people or evangelicals or republican base. recognize what sound moral is not always that.
