Brickbat: Watch What You Say, or Think

A Scottish law took effect in September setting up 200-meter "safe access" zones around abortion clinics. The law was sold as a way to protect women seeking abortion from being harassed. But now the government has sent letters to residents of those zones telling them they face up to six months in prison if they do "anything" including "religious preaching" and "silent vigils" that "would cause harassment, alarm, or distress" to staff and patients. They letter said they could face penalties even if what they do is done on private property or even inside their home.