Obligatory Tiller Post

As you are likely aware, Dr. George Tiller was shot and killed while attending church in Wichita, Kansas this morning. Dr. Tiller, known to many pro-lifers as Tiller the Baby Killer, was one of only a handful of late-term abortion providers in the United States, and his practice has been relentlessly targeted by Kansas law enforcement officials for years. For a price ($5,000 is the most commonly quoted figure), Dr. Tiller would perform late-term abortions with, many claimed, very little concrete reason, potentially violating the laws in this country which are designed to prevent the murder of viable infants. I am not an abortion activist, and have not studied his case or the laws in depth, so make no claim to know all of the facts. It is my understanding that, despite repeated efforts, Dr. Tiller was never convicted of any wrongdoing. Most media reports of his death that I have seen so far have omitted the unique nature of his abortion clinic, stating only that he was an abortion doctor - I believe this reporting is misleading and unprofessional. It leaves the reader with the impression that Tiller was no different than thousands of other abortion providers across the country, and he was. He was extremely controversial and took actions that even the vast majority of abortion providers might well condemn. This is relevant information, and should be included in the reporting.

In the interest of full disclosure, let me go on record as saying that I found Dr. Tiller's practices morally reprehensible and his Kansas address embarrassing. While the debate over when a fetus acquires human rights is not, and will likely never be, settled, it is my personal belief that a child which could survive if born prematurely is a person, with full rights, and, as the weakest among us, is the most entitled to protection. If the claims against Tiller were true, that he performed abortions, in the final trimester, not only when the mother's life was at risk, but also when the pregnant woman claimed mental distress and other non-life-threatening problems, then I do believe that he was a murderer and should have been brought to justice. That said, murder, even of a possible murderer, is never the right thing to do - the claim that taking Dr. Tiller's life will save countless innocent lives does not justify a horrible act. I believe that every pro-life group has issued statements condemning the killing, as they should.

Early news indicates that a 51 year old man from Merriam, Kansas, just a couple of miles from my home, has been arrested and is believed to be the gunman. The name that has leaked into the media is Scott Roeder. Despite his physical proximity and the fact that he has the same surname as my paternal grandmother, I do not know Mr. Roeder, and have no interest in defending him or his actions. However, just as Dr. Tiller was innocent until proven guilty of any crimes against the unborn, Mr. Roeder is likewise entitled to a full and fair trial. Early indications are that Mr. Roeder was an isolated individual, not a member of any group or cause, and acted alone. While it is probable that Mr. Roeder's motives are connected to Dr. Tiller's chosen profession, that is not yet a known fact. Which makes the immediate reaction of the left deeply troubling.

Writing at The Daily Kos (no link...sorry, I don't need a bunch of leftists loons attacking my blog. If you want to find it, try Google, it's not difficult), a self-described "Stay at home mom to two, wife to one, smart ass to everyone" who goes by the name of lollydee has already decided that Scott Roeder is a domestic terrorist, and that any group(s) with which he may be associated must be labelled terrorists, have their assets frozen, be interrogated and brought to justice. She believes that "anti-choice" people everywhere are responsible for the death of Dr. Tiller, and hopes that "the media tears the case apart," apparently to persecute anyone who believes that abortion is murder. It's just a guess, but I'll wager she has never screamed for the media to get to the bottom of Obama's questionable connections, lack of a birth certificate, hidden educational transcripts, etc. Selective outrage is classic among the left.

If lollydee can jump to such outlandish conclusions, forgive me if I ponder whether the recent labelling of the right as "right-wing radicals" and "potential terrorists" by the Department of Homeland Security might have contributed in some tiny way to her rant. The words of government officials have consequences. It is deeply disturbing that pro-lifers were lumped in to the same category as Timothy McVeigh, thus giving official government sanction to this woman's wacky beliefs. Looking at it from another perspective...using lollydee's twisted logic, one could say that Janet Napolitano, and, by extension, Barack Obama, bear some responsibility for this senseless murder. By labelling Scott Roeder a potential terrorist, they created a self-fulfilling prophecy from which he could not escape.

Crazy thought? Of course. But it's a mad world, after all.