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George Tiller and the American abortion debate
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Sunday’s murder of Dr George Tiller in Kansas reduces to a handful the number of doctors in the United States still prepared to offer late term abortions. Dr. Warren Hern, one of perhaps two others publicly advertising the service, explains why:
Hern’s clinic carries the motto: “Specializing in Late Abortions for Fetal Disorders.” Tiller’s service was similar. Andrew Sullivan carries this testimony about his work:
Tiller had been previously shot through both arms. His clinic had been bombed, he’d been the target of numerous blockades and he’d received scores of specific death threats. In some respects, the most surprising aspect of his murder — he was shot inside the foyer of his church — was that it had taken so long. For years, Tiller had been systematically demonised not only by the anti-abortion movement but by mainstream conservative talk show hosts. Salon reports that Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly had featured Tiller in an astonishing 29 episodes, invariably referring to him as “Tiller the Baby Killer”. O’Reilly compared Tiller to al-Qaida, to the paedophile group NAMBLA, to a Nazi and to both Stalin and Mao. Of course, that was before Tiller’s death. Here’s Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue, responding to news of Tiller’s shooting:
Now there’s all kinds of crazy rhetoric in the abortion debate — and a lot of it comes from Randall Terry. Almost none of those who label abortion “murder” really believe their own words – how often does the pro-life movement discuss bringing homicide charges against the million or so women who have the procedure each year? But if even a tiny proportion take the bombast seriously, tragedy results. If Tiller was a mass murder, well, in the US mass murderers get executed. If he represented the moral equivalent of a paedophile or a Nazi, why shouldn’t he be stopped by any means necessary? Osama bin Laden’s wanted dead or live. If a top-rating TV host says that Tiller’s like al-Qaida, doesn’t that mean the same automatic death penalty applies to him? The suspect arrested over Tiller’s death is said to belong to the Montana Freemen, a far-right militia infamous for its willingness to put words into action. There’s evidence that, since Obama came to power, such groups are growing. In that context, the blustering rhetoric of demagogues like O’Reilly can all too easily have fatal consequences. Meanwhile, American women who learn that they’re carrying a foetus with a life-threatening condition now have almost no choices left. |
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8 Comments
I occasionally watch Bill O’Reilly to gain some appreciation of what Goebbels must have been like to a contemporary audience. Religious fundamentalism is a refuge for the feeble minded whether they be supporters of Al Qaeda or residents of the Bible belt. Religious fundamentalism requires no effort as anything you want to believe in can be justified.
I suspect that if Jesus was alive today his sympathy would be with the woman with the unwanted pregnancy and not with the religious fundamentalist who believes that murder to satisfy one’s own twisted belief structure is justified.
Can the fundamentalists (and fervent Catholic anti-abortionists too) be called on views like the one quoted above:
“Those men and women who slaughter the unborn are murderers according to the Law of God”.
Where do they get that from? Not in the Hebrew Bible, not in the New Testament, and the Catholic Encyclopaedia was still saying early last century that the foets didn’t have a soul (i.e. wasn’t a person) until 40 days from conception….. So, even on their own terms where is their authority?
Haters don’t have or need “authority”? That’s what they are! They’d have no intention of helping a family facing this type of heart wrenching decision. I listen to the comments that parents of children with different disabilities make; the horrific names and hateful comments re their child.
People who make either choice deserve our support and understanding. As a society, we don’t take care of the very young or the old very well, let alone people who require 24 hour a day care, and yet these do-gooders insist on a course of action, regardless of the consequences. Ask them to sit with you for years while you watch your child in agony, and they’d run a mile! All talk and so called ‘christians’? Oh please! They’re just hateful people, who comit heinous crimes of violence!
I guess some find this an awful event the killing of this Abortion Doctor. but I guess many were hurt, by the way he went about his medicine, but it could be a blessing to some. and a pitfall for others, who may need special advise on this subject, so they can go about life
in a happy frame of mine.
There is another reason, I think, for the attitudes of the western Christian fundamentalists in regard to abortion. It is simply this: that they do not believe in their God, despite all the protestations to the contrary. If they did, they could rest assured that the abortionists they decry will receive their just rewards - eternal damnation presumably - regardless of their own views or acts. Christian fundamentalists betray their lack of faith by taking into their own hands the divine justice they say is the responsibility of their divine.
Why is killing abortionists wrong ?
http://www.reason.com/blog/show/133830.html
Beverley Kilsby - I’ve met many women who’ve chosen to have an abortion. I can assure you, that none had the attitude to, ” go about life in a happy frame of mine.” It was most traumatic for them. I agree with JOEROACH when he said that people like this murderer “betray their lack of faith by taking into their own hands the divine justice they say is the responsibility of their divine.”
I’m frequently amazed by those in the US who emphatically support ‘the right to life’ but support capital punishment and war/s? I find this quite confusing!
Raoul, in my view intentionally taking another human life except with the sanction and due process of national law is wrong. In my view it matters not whether the issue or crime is abortion, rape, war, or, in the eighteenth century, picking a pocket or stealing livestock. As soon as we open the door to punishment - and especially capital punishment - outside of the rule of law, I’m not sure what separates us from criminals and terrorists.