I'm submitting this suggesting that since the abortion issue has become 
confused with that of embryonic stem cell research we need to understand our 
opponents.  Some of us have been called baby killers - MJFox for one.
Ray

The Murder of Dr. George Tiller, A Foreshadowing

By Cristina Page, Birthcontrolwatch.org
May 31, 2009 - 8:59pm
Published under: Leading Voices | Maternal Health | Access to Abortion | 
Women's Rights | murder of Dr. George Tiller | Dr. George Tiller | 
anti-clinic violence | anti-choice violence
Cristina Page's blog | Printer-friendly version | ShareThis

For those who would like to think today's murder in church of Dr. George 
Tiller, an abortion provider, is an isolated incident: here's the horrifying 
news: You are wrong. The pattern is clear and frightening.

In March 1993, three months into the administration of our first pro-choice 
president, Bill Clinton, abortion provider Dr. David Gunn was murdered in 
Pensacola, Florida. That was the beginning of what would become a five-fold 
increase in violence against abortion providers throughout the Clinton 
years.

Today's assassination of Dr. George Tiller comes five months into the term 
of our second pro-choice president. For anyone who would like to believe 
that this is a statistical anomaly, a coincidence that doesn't portend 
anything, again, you are wrong.
During the entire Bush administration, from 2000-2008 there were no murders.

During the Clinton era, between 1994-2000 there were six abortion providers 
and clinic staff murdered, and 17 attempted murders of abortion providers 
(one of these attempts was on Dr. Tiller who was shot in both arms.) There 
were 12 bombings or arsons during the Clinton years.
During the Bush administration, not only were there no murders, there were 
no attempted murders. There was one clinic bombing during the Bush years.

One can only conclude that like terrorist sleeper cells, these extremists 
have now been set in motion. Indeed the evidence is already there. The 
chatter, the threats, the hate-filled rhetoric are abundant.

In the last year of the Bush administration there were 396 harassing calls 
to abortion clinics. In just the first four months of the Obama 
administration that number has jumped to 1401.

And so the execution of Tiller, 67, is not only tragic but ominous. He was 
born into an era when being an abortion provider meant saving women's lives. 
And the cold-blooded murder in church and in front of his wife of this 
stalwart defender of women rights and beloved physician, comes as a message 
for others, as well as tragic deja vu.

Battered women are at greatest danger of being killed by their abusers when 
they are most strong--that is, when they muster the courage to leave. The 
same phenomenon may be true in the abusive political abortion debate. The 
pro-choice movement, specifically our abortion providers, are in the 
greatest danger of violence when we take power. When the anti-abortion 
movement loses power, their most extreme elements appear to move to the fore 
and take control. The murder of Dr. Tiller suggests that violence against 
abortion providers may be far more linked to the power, or lack thereof, 
anti-abortion groups have politically than to laws designed to increase 
penalties against such acts.

History has another disturbing lesson for us. The escalation of 
anti-abortion rhetoric plays a direct role in instigating violence. When 
anti-abortion groups ratchet up the rhetoric, they know exactly what they're 
doing and the results it will have. Even if they maintain deniability, as 
Operation Rescue recently did saying, in effect, we wanted Tiller gone, but 
didn't want him murdered, they have inflamed the rhetoric. And suddenly 
people Like Dr. Tiller's murderer become inspired. On this issue, history is 
instructive.

Eleanor Bader, author of Targets of Hatred: Anti-Abortion Terrorism, in an 
article in March for RH Reality Check about clinics bracing for an uptick in 
violence after the election of Obama wrote, "immediately after Obama's 
election, Douglas Johnson, Legislative Director of the National Right to 
Life Committee, called him a "hardcore pro-abortion president." The American 
Life League dubbed him "one of the most radical pro-abortion politicians 
ever," and Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life warned that Obama will 
"force Americans to pay for the killing of innocents." Americans United for 
Life, the Family Research Council and Operation Save America quickly joined 
the chorus."
Bader interviewed clinic staff -- many seeing a direct relationship between 
the pro-choice victory in November and increased aggression against them and 
their patients. Claire Keyes, of Allegheny Reproductive Health in 
Pittsburgh, explained,

"Right after the election we saw a small upsurge in anti-abortion activity. 
But since the inauguration, things have gotten measurably worse. There's 
been an increase in picketing by students from Franciscan University in 
Ohio. On Saturdays there are 60-plus protesters and there's been an increase 
in screaming and aggression. We don't have a parking lot so people park on 
the street. The antis have surrounded cars, trapping the women inside, and 
in several cases the antis jumped into vehicles and touched or grabbed at 
them. The police were called but so far they don't seem to be responding 
appropriately." Bader also quotes Elizabeth Barnes, Executive Director of 
the Philadelphia Women's Center, who explained, "When the pendulum swung in 
the direction of protecting women's rights, we expected something. The way 
the antis are reacting has changed, they're taking more liberties, pressing 
the boundaries of legal, civil protest."

Many in the pro-choice movement believed that the Freedom of Access to 
Clinic Entrances (FACE) law, passed in 1994 in response to Gunn's murder, 
was responsible for reigning in violence against abortion providers. Clearly 
that is not the case. Based on statistics on violence against abortion 
providers compiled by the National Abortion Federation, even after the 
passage of FACE in 1994, there was still considerable violence and threats 
against clinic personnel, including six murders. As appears clear, the 
pro-choice movement has looked through rose-colored glasses, assuming or 
hoping that legalities can restrain terrorists.

In fact, it didn't abate after FACE, as we've seen. It was not until a 
comforting anti-abortion president did they calm down and stop the murder, 
bombing and harassment spree.

As a result of Bush's policies, recent reportings from clinics suggest that 
we may be seeing a surge in abortions. That has failed to inspire 
introspection from anti-abortion groups. That Clinton presided over the most 
dramatic decline in abortion rates in the recorded history of our country 
left them unmoved. That Obama has assigned his senior most staff to the task 
of finding ways to reduce the need for abortion has not protected clinics 
nor providers nor Obama. Holder and his Justice Department should take note 
of the chatter and move aggressively against this form of domestic 
terrorism. The hate-filled rhetoric against Obama from the anti-abortion 
movement is at unprecedented levels, even for this reflexively inflammatory 
group. They refer to him as the "Most Pro-Abortion President Ever" ignoring 
the fact that he is the first to extend an olive branch in hopes that 
together we can make abortion more rare.

Anti-abortion groups will put out carefully worded press statements 
condemning the murder of Dr. Tiller, as became routine for them during the 
Clinton years. But unless the rhetoric they choose from now on becomes 
careful too--they may be the enablers of murder and terror.

Words do matter and all sense of moral culpability seems missing from the 
rhetoric of the Right-wing responses today.
It's striking, isn't it? Since the Sebelius nomination and particularly 
since the Sotomayor nomination almost every day has produced multiple 
expressions of overt and truely vicious racism, sexism and, of course, a 
chorus of right wing religious types trying to outdo one another in to prove 
that they really ARE the worst of what America has to offer.

One cannot reason with them and the ones who post here appear to be 
incapable of of self examination. I think it starts with a value system that 
condones lying, distortions  and manipulation (see the Lila Rose threadin 
case any proof is needed). This combined with 30 years of divisive 
conservative politics in which overt expressions of overt racism, sexism, 
homophobia, xenophobia and hatred of anyone who isn't white, male and 
conservative has destroyed this county and enabled the worst that America 
has to offer.

It's odd that the religious right don't seem to understand that they're 
precisely the sort of men and women we want to protect our children from.
Submitted by colleen on May 31, 2009 - 10:01pm.

Rayilyn Brown
Director AZNPF
Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation
[log in to unmask] 

----------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask]
In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn