History of Operation Rescue

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The history of Operation Rescue involves the split of an American anti-abortion group into the two separate organizations Operation Rescue and Operation Save America.

1980s

Operation Rescue was founded by Randall Terry in 1986.^[1] The slogan of Operation Rescue was "If You Believe Abortion is Murder, Act like it's Murder."^[2] Randall Terry stepped down as director of Operation Rescue in early 1990, appointing Keith Tucci as his successor to lead the national organization, then called Operation Rescue National (ORN).^{[citation needed]}

Operation Rescue's initial tactics involved obstructionist

The National Organization for Women and abortion clinics filed lawsuits against OR beginning in 1988. The suits alleged violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), adding Randall Terry and Operation Rescue into the NOW v. Scheidler cases which were rejected twice over a 20-year period by the Supreme Court of the United States in favor of Scheidler.^{[citation needed]}

1990s

By 1990 Operation Rescue was down to a core of “professional rescuers” living off of free food and lodging provided by other anti-abortion activists. After

1991 Summer of Mercy

ORN's activities gained attention again in 1991 during the Summer of Mercy in

While the protest lasted the summer, the impact on Wichita and Kansas politics continues.[6]

Despite the large numbers of arrests, Operation Rescue founder Randall Terry was quoted as saying "The Wichita Police handled the Operation Rescue event better than almost any police department in history." As a result, Wichita Police Chief Rick Stone received the United States Department of Justice Marshal's Service "Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award" for his "outstanding professionalism and law enforcement leadership".^[7]

1992 Spring of Life

ORN made an attempt at a similar success in 1992 when Buffalo mayor Jimmy Griffin invited ORN for the so-called "Spring of Life." The event became ORN's biggest public relations coup, when thousands of out-of-area protestors on both sides of the argument descended on Buffalo and Amherst. The crisis and financial hardship that the city endured because of the incidents was believed to have brought down the Griffin administration later that year.^{[citation needed]}

1993 Leadership change

Keith Tucci departed as director of Operation Rescue National in late 1993 turning the organization over to Rev.

In 1999, Operation Rescue West changed hands when Jeff White stepped down from his position as its director and transferred his leadership of it to Troy Newman. Newman moved ORW from California to Kansas, and dropped the word West from the group's name, simply renaming the organization Operation Rescue. After a dispute over the use of the name Operation Rescue broke out between Flip Benham and Troy Newman, and after Benham was named in a lawsuit, Flip Benham changed the name of his North Carolina group Operation Rescue National to Operation Save America. The former Operation Rescue West retained the name of Operation Rescue. The Kansas group is also referred to as Operation Rescue Kansas (ORK).^{[citation needed]}

In 2006, after the