By M.H. Cavanaugh
Christian Action League
February 19, 2016
JACKSONVILLE – Dr. Takey Crist, who has run an abortion clinic in Jacksonville for more than 40 years, announced this week it will close. The announcement was first made at the Crist Clinic for Women Facebook page, Tuesday, and mailed to patients on Wednesday. Crist gave no explanation for the clinic’s closing.
In his letter to patients, Crist said, “I am discontinuing the practice The Crist Clinic for Women and the practice of medicine. It is unfortunate that the clinic will close its doors on Monday, February 29th, 2016 at 4:45 pm.”
The closing of the clinic, however, was not sad news for pro-life supporters. The Crist Clinic has reported over 57,991 abortions since its creation in 1973.
Crist’s departure from medicine is not sad news either. Crist has long been an ardent supporter of so-called abortion rights. Many of his writings on the subject are filed in the Duke University Library.
Crist has been a guest on television talk shows like the Phil Donohue show.
In 2013, the North Carolina General Assembly passed S-353 Health and Safety Law Changes, which was landmark pro-life legislation. The bill, which is now law, required that a woman’s health be fully protected and prohibited abortion clinics from operating under substandard conditions. It allowed for conscience protection for healthcare workers, as well as preventing taxpayer monies from being used for elective abortions. It also prohibited abortions for the purpose of sex selection
Crist was an outspoken critic of the legislation, telling the Jacksonville Daily News at the time, that the law would restrict access to abortion by shutting down abortion clinics that couldn’t afford to meet the standards required of outpatient surgical centers.
“They’re going to destroy the Planned Parenthood clinics and the other clinics in the state that are not able to afford redoing the space and the volume that is required by surgical ambulatory clinics,” he said before the legislation was signed into law by Gov. Pat McCrory. He argued North Carolina had one of the safest rates on abortion statistics.
Dr. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League, said Crist’s complaints during that period were most disingenuous. “Abortion clinics statewide had been cited for health and safety violations more than 200 times just in the past 10 years and some had been written up multiple times for the same problems. Some had even been closed because of such poor conditions. Let me tell you the real reason Crist and others like him were so opposed, it wasn’t because he really cared about women or even their access to abortion, it was more that the new law could seriously cut into abortion profits,” said Dr. Creech.
Crist’s clinic has been the target of numerous pro-life protests over the years.
Wednesday, the Jacksonville Daily News reported:
“Coincidentally, the announcement of the closing came a week into a Forty Days for Life campaign, which brings out area residents each spring and fall to protest the clinic’s abortion services.
“The latest protest began Ash Wednesday and was to continue 40 days.
“Fred Lahey, one of the participants, said they were not aware of the closing when the protest started, but he expects they will continue to have people out at the clinic through its closing.
“’We’re very happy but surprised; it came all of a sudden,’ he said.
“Lahey said they have not opposed all of the services provided by the clinic but are against the abortions services and are glad to see it end.
“’We don’t know what happened but we’re very happy to see the end of abortion in Jacksonville,’ he said.”
Rep. Paul Stam (R-Wake), Speaker Pro-Tempore of the House, stated in an email to the Christian Action League that before he was elected to office he spent the decade of the 1980s in litigation with Takey Crist who objected to protestors. “None of my clients were even enjoined or convicted,” said Stam.
Dr. Creech added that pro-life supporters owed a great debt to courageous lawmakers like Paul Stam and other Republicans who have spearheaded and passed critical anti-abortion legislation in recent years.
“We know now from information provided by the North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics the passage of recent pro-life legislation has resulted in more than 8000 unborn lives being saved in the Tar Heel state. Now a major abortion clinic in Eastern North Carolina is closing, which will likely result in the saving of many more lives,” said Dr. Creech. “I hope as citizen Christians go to the polls in November they will remember these advances for life. We need to re-elect veteran lawmakers who have so marvelously advanced the cause of life in our state, as well as vote for newcomer candidates who are solidly pro-life.”