Pro-Choice, Pro-Dornan Forces Clash at Office

About 60 pro-choice demonstrators gathered Tuesday night in front of the office of Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) to protest his stand against abortion. A counter-demonstration of about 25 anti-abortion marchers led to noisy shouting exchanges, but no violence. Dornan’s office was closed at the time.

The pro-choice demonstration, which featured a taped message from Ron Kovic, a Vietnam War veteran who is considering a possible challenge for Dornan’s seat, was organized by the Bayview chapter of the National Organization for Women. That chapter has about 300 members in Santa Ana, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills and Huntington Beach, said Sandra Solomon of Irvine.

“This demonstration is to let him (Dornan) know that we oppose his position on many things,” said Solomon, the NOW chapter’s action chairwoman. “He is not only a person who opposes choice, but he also has shown very little sympathy for those who are homeless and for those who have AIDS.”

The anti-abortion demonstrators came from no central organization, said Ralph Buglione of Garden Grove. Buglione and others in the anti-abortion group led cheers for Dornan.

Buglione said: “Bob Dornan’s a good Christian and a good American. I can’t say the same for Kovic. He came out with a very sarcastic, cynical attitude. He’s not typical of the American soldier who fought in Vietnam.”

Kovic, whose life is portrayed in the current movie, “Born on the Fourth of July,” has not yet decided whether he will challenge Dornan this year for the 38th Congressional District seat.

Bhairavi Guss, coordinator of the NOW chapter, said Kovic could not attend the rally because he was in West Germany at a film festival. She played a tape recording to the crowd that Kovic had made before leaving. In that tape, Kovic praised the pro-choice activists and said, “I strongly support the right of every woman to choose to have control of her life and destiny here in America. There is no turning back from this now.”

The pro-choice demonstrators then broke into cheers and applause.

In the background, the anti-abortion marchers booed Kovic’s taped statement. One anti-abortion marcher carried a sign that said: “Orange County’s Best Legislator: Bob Dornan.”