Commentary: Tiller’s Murder – a Pro-Choice Mentality
The pro-life movement was rocked by the actions of an individual who ended the life of late-term abortionist George Tiller.
Dr. George Tiller pictured. Pro-life leaders from groups across the country were quick to denounce the murder and offer their condolences to the Tiller family.
PrintWASHINGTON (Catholic Online) - Just after a recent Gallup poll found that a majority of Americans were pro-life, the actions of an individual, who was associated with the pro-life community, have given abortion proponents a media heyday.
Very soon after the unconscionable murder of late-term abortionist, Dr, George Tiller, Attorney General Eric Holder ordered increased U.S. Marshals to provide increased security for an undisclosed list of other pro-abortion individuals.
“I have directed the United States Marshals Service to offer protection to other appropriate people and facilities around the nation. The Department of Justice will work to bring the perpetrator of this crime to justice. As a precautionary measure, we will also take appropriate steps to help prevent any related acts of violence from occurring.”
Pro-life leaders from groups across the country were quick to denounce the murder and offer their condolences to the Tiller family. Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life, Rev. Troy Newman of Operation Rescue, and Rev. Patrick Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition, and Randall Terry were among the first to respond. Other groups were quick to join in.
Pro-abortion voices, however, used the event to venerate the work of the Wichita abortionist, while portraying those who stand for life as an extremist and violent group.
Unfortunately, these detractors had a lot they could use in their assaults. For example, many news outlets were quick to report the antics of the extremist group out of Topeka Kansas, led by Fred Phelps, who showed up at a vigil in Tiller’s honor with signs praising his murder and mocking the mourners.
The Huffington Post, in fact, took sections out of Randall Terry’s press release to portray the pro-life movement as lacking remorse.
The Wichita Eagle reminded readers that Tiller was the eighth person and fourth doctor involved in an abortion-related attack. A Kansas blogger wrote, “Violence has been a natural part of the ‘pro-life’ movement. Just earlier this month, there were major acts of vandalism and renewed threats against Tiller’s Wichita clinic.”
The Kansas City Star, in profiling the suspect, focused a lot of attention on his involvement in local pro-life activities, his interaction with other pro-life supporters, and his postings on the Operation Rescue website.
Culture has changed a great deal since the last violent murder of abortionist Barnett Slepian more than a decade ago. In the world since 9-11 and particularly with a government that has moved more strongly pro-abortion than any time in history, the killing of George Tiller will have a stronger impact than the other previous events combined.
The pro-life movement is immediately experiencing a shift in the terrain regarding the work for life in America. In blogs and comment sections of newspapers across the country, the remarks were spiteful, using terms like “terrorists,” “hate talk,” as well as calling for “redefining the scope of domestic terrorism.”
On her blog, syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin writes:
“Unfortunately, it’s too much to ask the cable news networks and hyper-partisan snipers on the Internet to have the decency to restrain themselves.
“Prepare for a wall-to-wall onslaught of gleeful finger-pointing on the Left and heated responses on the Right.
“Prepare for whitewashed hagiographies of Tiller’s career as an abortionist.
“Prepare for DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano’s defenders to gloat about vindication.
“Prepare for collective demonization of pro-lifers and Christians — and more gratuitous attempts to tar talk radio, Fox News, and the Tea Party movement as responsible for the heinous crime.
“Prepare for the continuing redefinition of any and all sharp political disagreement as “hate” — a ruinous trend that inevitably comes back to haunt the hysterical accusers decrying “hate” the loudest.
The knee-jerk reaction of many would be to go silent and wait for the anger to pass. This is an opportunity, however to truly express the fact that those who stand for life, do so from conception to natural death.
This is a time for the pro-life movement to clearly communicate that this indiscriminate death is a true horror. We cannot say who lives and who dies depending on circumstance. We cannot call for a Terri Schiavo to live and at the same time call for an abortion doctor to die.
This is a defining moment for all those who stand for life. We must make our words plain and our intentions unmistakable. Our tone and our rhetoric must be crafted carefully as we are being watched and measured more carefully than ever before.
Our convictions and commentary regarding life, however, must never waiver. We do not set aside the killing of the unborn for a season and wait for calmer seas. Children in the womb are still dieing. In fact, we may see an increase in abortions in response to this murder.
Finally, we must pray as never before. As the Scripture says, we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers in heavenly realms. This is a spiritual war that must be fought with spiritual weapons.
The killer of Tiller didn’t do the pro-life cause any favors nor provide the world with a solution. This evil act will not end abortion in Wichita or in the world. In fact, it may catalyze an even greater onslaught by raising the adrenaline in pro-abortion doctors everywhere. He will be seen as a martyr.
As journalist Ed Morrissey states, “Those who value life know that murder is the antithesis of the pro-life movement.” To kill an abortionist is a pro-choice mentality.
------
Randy Sly is the Associate Editor of Catholic Online. He is a former Archbishop of the Charismatic Episcopal church who laid aside that ministry to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church.
Very soon after the unconscionable murder of late-term abortionist, Dr, George Tiller, Attorney General Eric Holder ordered increased U.S. Marshals to provide increased security for an undisclosed list of other pro-abortion individuals.
“I have directed the United States Marshals Service to offer protection to other appropriate people and facilities around the nation. The Department of Justice will work to bring the perpetrator of this crime to justice. As a precautionary measure, we will also take appropriate steps to help prevent any related acts of violence from occurring.”
Pro-life leaders from groups across the country were quick to denounce the murder and offer their condolences to the Tiller family. Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life, Rev. Troy Newman of Operation Rescue, and Rev. Patrick Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition, and Randall Terry were among the first to respond. Other groups were quick to join in.
Pro-abortion voices, however, used the event to venerate the work of the Wichita abortionist, while portraying those who stand for life as an extremist and violent group.
Unfortunately, these detractors had a lot they could use in their assaults. For example, many news outlets were quick to report the antics of the extremist group out of Topeka Kansas, led by Fred Phelps, who showed up at a vigil in Tiller’s honor with signs praising his murder and mocking the mourners.
The Huffington Post, in fact, took sections out of Randall Terry’s press release to portray the pro-life movement as lacking remorse.
The Wichita Eagle reminded readers that Tiller was the eighth person and fourth doctor involved in an abortion-related attack. A Kansas blogger wrote, “Violence has been a natural part of the ‘pro-life’ movement. Just earlier this month, there were major acts of vandalism and renewed threats against Tiller’s Wichita clinic.”
The Kansas City Star, in profiling the suspect, focused a lot of attention on his involvement in local pro-life activities, his interaction with other pro-life supporters, and his postings on the Operation Rescue website.
Culture has changed a great deal since the last violent murder of abortionist Barnett Slepian more than a decade ago. In the world since 9-11 and particularly with a government that has moved more strongly pro-abortion than any time in history, the killing of George Tiller will have a stronger impact than the other previous events combined.
The pro-life movement is immediately experiencing a shift in the terrain regarding the work for life in America. In blogs and comment sections of newspapers across the country, the remarks were spiteful, using terms like “terrorists,” “hate talk,” as well as calling for “redefining the scope of domestic terrorism.”
On her blog, syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin writes:
“Unfortunately, it’s too much to ask the cable news networks and hyper-partisan snipers on the Internet to have the decency to restrain themselves.
“Prepare for a wall-to-wall onslaught of gleeful finger-pointing on the Left and heated responses on the Right.
“Prepare for whitewashed hagiographies of Tiller’s career as an abortionist.
“Prepare for DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano’s defenders to gloat about vindication.
“Prepare for collective demonization of pro-lifers and Christians — and more gratuitous attempts to tar talk radio, Fox News, and the Tea Party movement as responsible for the heinous crime.
“Prepare for the continuing redefinition of any and all sharp political disagreement as “hate” — a ruinous trend that inevitably comes back to haunt the hysterical accusers decrying “hate” the loudest.
The knee-jerk reaction of many would be to go silent and wait for the anger to pass. This is an opportunity, however to truly express the fact that those who stand for life, do so from conception to natural death.
This is a time for the pro-life movement to clearly communicate that this indiscriminate death is a true horror. We cannot say who lives and who dies depending on circumstance. We cannot call for a Terri Schiavo to live and at the same time call for an abortion doctor to die.
This is a defining moment for all those who stand for life. We must make our words plain and our intentions unmistakable. Our tone and our rhetoric must be crafted carefully as we are being watched and measured more carefully than ever before.
Our convictions and commentary regarding life, however, must never waiver. We do not set aside the killing of the unborn for a season and wait for calmer seas. Children in the womb are still dieing. In fact, we may see an increase in abortions in response to this murder.
Finally, we must pray as never before. As the Scripture says, we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers in heavenly realms. This is a spiritual war that must be fought with spiritual weapons.
The killer of Tiller didn’t do the pro-life cause any favors nor provide the world with a solution. This evil act will not end abortion in Wichita or in the world. In fact, it may catalyze an even greater onslaught by raising the adrenaline in pro-abortion doctors everywhere. He will be seen as a martyr.
As journalist Ed Morrissey states, “Those who value life know that murder is the antithesis of the pro-life movement.” To kill an abortionist is a pro-choice mentality.
------
Randy Sly is the Associate Editor of Catholic Online. He is a former Archbishop of the Charismatic Episcopal church who laid aside that ministry to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church.
- - -
Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.
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Please stop using the term pro abortion.
Katherine Ragsdale, the lesbian priestess who was recently made president of the Episcopal Divinity school stated that Dr. Tiller was a "martyr and a saint." How twisted the Episcopal church has become.
Tiller's murder was an act of terrorism. It is hard to imagine he was once caught with a bomb in his car and he got back on the streets. We need to hunt down all the terrorists like him and those that help hide these evil men.
As long as the act of abortion is happening, murder's are going to take place in our society. Nothing is being done to prevent these doctors from committing murder and that doctor was acquitted of all charges of murdering long-term fetesus. I understand the man's actions of complete hopelessness for a resolve of this issue in present society. However it was still a wrongful act and also a sin. He broke a commandment in what he did by killing another human being. God will have to deal with him on that issue. Forgiveness of his actions is up to God Almighty. America needs to see to it that justice is found in this situation. Why can't we all pass a law to give these fetesus the right to life and stop trying to pursue abortion. No matter what we do to prevent it, it will continue to happen as long as we Christians allow it. Can't we do something to give these unborn children a right to live. No one should have the right to murder anyone especially mother's with the intentions of killing their unborn children in such barbaric ways as abortion is. Everyone look at the abortion websites and you will all see these precious viciouly murdered and slain children. They all have souls too and one day God's judgement is going to raindown on all those involved in these crimes of murder. If someone kills another human being in America we punish them according to the law. Why not these doctors and mother's and everyone involved. God please have mercy and show us the way to help these dying children. American Christian's everywhere, please come together and lets do something positive to stop abortion crimes from happening in our society. All people have a right to life. Let's take a stand together for that right and change our society. Even in Row vs Wade, she converted to Christianity and is now pro-life. Why don't we let these mother's talk who've experienced abortion first hand and see how it's affected their lives since they made that choice. Please, ladies, come forward and share your experiences with all of america. There is absolutely no reason acceptable to allow this to continue to happen. A mother does not have the right to murder and live free from doing so. That is completely wrong. We are sending the message to our teenage children that if they have sex and get pregnant they can avoid responsibility of that choice by killing their child. People all over the world want children they can't have, including me and I have 3 teenage daughters of my own. I had my tubes tied. I would love to have one or several of these unwanted children. Families across the globe would take all these unwanted children in. Why can't a decision be made to make these women accept responsibilty for getting pregnant and having to carry these children into the world. Maybe then our children and women in society would use protection if they are not ready for such a responsibility as a child. No matter what these women do once they are pregant, their life is changed forever weather they give it up, abort it, or keep it...it changes them forever. Believe me, I know I am a mother and I got pregant at 17 years old while I was in the 10th grade of high school and still living at home and unmarried as well. I've brought three children into this world with God's help and guidance and my children have turned out perfectly. Even if something is developmentally wrong with these fetus's that's still no reason to murder them. Someone will help them be taken care of and society should help. Afterall, it takes a neighborhood to raise a child and I would love to see America get back to that. I mean look at our children in society today and the crimes they are committing while their mother's are not in the home and are at work. Women leaving the home is the cause of the problems in our society today. Women need to be home raising their children instead of these children raising themselves thru today's television and gangs. We need to think about what our society is teaching our children today in everything we allow to reach them, that's negative and has a negative effect on them and their character. Please America, wake up and just look around and see what is going on everywhere that we have allowed. Society and our children are like they are because of how we have NOT raised our children to have character, values, and decent morals. All these people who don't want religion in schools, should open their own private schools and pay for their children to not believe in anything greater than themselves if they want them to be athesist. We need to put God back into our school system across america and let these other parents who don't want prayer in school to build their own schools and put their children there and pay for it themselves. I want to take America back and make it what is once was and always could be with all christian's pulling together across this grand land. There is hope of a more positive society. Pray helps but prayer without action is useless. Sincerly, Kelly Key
Everyone is skirting the issue. Abortion is despicable. Abortion will be around just like theft, rape, etc. if and when it is made illegal. So, here is the answer... you get or pay for an abortion, you are sterilized. I think that abortion should be treated like a crime with consequence. Quit having sex if you aren't ready to raise a baby. That also means no contraceptives, because you are ipso facto stating that you aren't ready. Last of all, I think that the world is better off with Tiller gone. There, I said it, I'm viewed as an extremist as a pro-lifer anyway.
Yes, it is very sad if Dr.Tiller performed over 60,000 late term abortions. But, as I read all the news articles and comments, I wonder why people refuse to identify the main element in this story: the women who come to an abortion clinic for this procedure. Dr. Tiller did not kidnap them. These women wanted to have an abortion. How are they any less culpable than the doctor? He was following the law of the state of Kansas which allows these late term abortions. Be outraged at Dr. Tiller, mourn the babies, but please remember who set this all in motion: women who do not wish to be pregnant--even very late in the pregnancy.
A poster wrote: 'What a joke Terry is. Calling them murderers and slaughterers in one breath, and then saying pro-lifers should "peacefully" demonstrate. LOL.'
I see no conflict between these two statements at all. Abortion ~IS~ murder and slaughter. It should not be sanctioned by law any more than infanticide. In America we change our laws by exercising our rights to peacefully assemble, to speak freely, and then to vote.
Voices that call for vigilante killings and violence are firmly opposed by the Pro-Life movement.
I tremble to imagine what kind of speech codes and realpolitik people with this sort of mentality would have imposed on the Abolition Movement in the 18th and 19th centuries. Try to fathom where we would be if descriptors like "atrocity," "abuse," and "inhumanity," were banned when discussing slavery.
PRO LIFE means just that...everyone is entitled to live a life cycle/number of days as determined by our Lord. We have not been given the right to change this by any method.
It is not "politics in the name of faith", it is faith through life, through the very air we breathe, through the lives we lead...to take faith out of our lives - yes, even our "political" lives - is to blaspheme the very foundation of faith, Jesus Christ Himself.
As ones who support the Culture of Life we should repudiate the killing of any human person. Yes, even a wicked murderer like George Tiller should have his right to life respected. We should pray for his soul because now he will have to answer for his crimes before God.