Monday, June 01, 2009

Abortion Doctor Murdered By Far-Right Extremist; Pro-Lifers Rejoice

Updated Below
George Tiller, an abortion doctor, was shot dead in his church Sunday morning by Operation Rescue follower Scott Roeder. Somehow, shooting someone in cold blood doesn't seem all that pro-lifey to me. Right-wing extremists disagree:

Red State:

Killing Tiller was the ethical thing to do

tankertodd Sunday, May 31st at 2:25PM EDT
[...]
I can’t escape the conclusion that killing Tiller was the right thing to do. I am uncomfortable with this conclusion because it’s dangerous. But nevertheless, it was the ethical thing to do. Tiller would have continued to take numerous lives. Nothing was going to stop him. So someone did stop him. And now fewer lives will be taken.
[...]
Operation Rescue founder and far-right extremist Randall Terry:
"George Tiller was a mass-murderer. We grieve for him that he did not have time to properly prepare his soul to face God.
Current Operation Rescue President Troy Newman tries to distance his organization from the killer:
Scott Roeder has never been a member, contributor, or volunteer with Operation Rescue. Mr. Roeder may have posted to our open blog web site, as have thousands of members of the public, including those with pro-abortion views, but he is not affiliated with this organization.
We deplore the criminal actions with which Mr. Roeder is accused.
However, when Scott Roeder was arrested an envelope on his dashboard with the phone number written on it belonging to Operation Rescue senior policy adviser and convicted abortion clinic bomber Cheryl Sullenger. She claimed she had not spoken with the killer "recently." Sullenger is one of two names listed on the Operation Rescue's press release denying contact with Roeder.

Years of hate speech directed at Tiller for performing a legal medical procedure drove zealots to relentlessly attack the Doctor. His clinic was bombed and Doctor Tiller was shot in both arms. Now he has been murdered in his church.

Probably the biggest spewer of vile invective toward Doctor Tiller is the Supremely Moral phone sex enthusiast Bill O'Reilly who labeled the Doctor "Tiller the baby killer:"

According to Gabriel Winant, Billo first discussed Tiller on February 25, 2005 and followed it up with 28 more shows that mentioned the Doctor. Falafel boy portrayed the Doctor as a killer on the loose and using profits from his "death mills" to purchase political protection by giving campaign donations.

What could possibly go wrong?

What can never be explained to far right-wing extremist pro-lifers bent on bombing and killing are the deeply personal and dreadful choices people were faced with who sought out Doctor Tiller, from Feministe:

I was almost 26 weeks. I showed up for my ultrasound by myself. I was scanned for almost 2 hours. This is when my life forever changed. The scan showed that her little brain was severely calcified, parts were not symmetrical and there was fluid. The doctor took me into a room to talk to me. I told her “please just tell me the truth I need to know.” The Doctor said that she had no idea what this meant but that she felt something was terribly wrong. Within two weeks her brain had gone from “normal” to massive problems. I was sent up to Genetics. The counselor told me that the genetic doctor wanted to talk to me. I requested that they wait until my husband got there. The conversation with this doctor was the same, she felt that something was terribly wrong, but they had no idea what it was. “This looks like the tip of the iceberg” we were told.

The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life was to decide to terminate this pregnancy. This all happened on a Wednesday.

Friday we had to go and talk with some perinatologists. They told us that they had never seen this before and that they could not tell us what the outcome would be. We did not even get a percentage of what her life would be like. They told us that she possibly could die in utero, die shortly after birth, or be a vegetable. They told us that we could wait another two weeks and have another scan and possibly an MRI. How could I go on another day? It killed me to feel her move around inside. This was so awful.

We had another appointment with the doctor that performed the terminations. We were told that with my conditions and the lateness of the pregnancy he did not feel he could give me the care that I required. That’s when we were referred to the Women’s Clinic in Wichita, Kansas.

I was 27 weeks by this point. I was terrified. The moment I met the doctor, all of that ended. He was a wonderful and loving man. I came in on Monday and gave birth to our baby girl on Friday. We were able to hold her after, and say our goodbyes. That doctor will always be in my heart.

This happened two weeks ago and sometimes I feel like this isn’t real. I miss feeling her inside me. I miss singing or talking to her, touching my belly and have her respond. The hardest part now is that I will never get to see her smile or laugh or to watch her grow up A day does not pass that I don’t think of her. I miss her so much.

Recently anchor baby Michele Maulkkkin led the flying monkey brigade assault on Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to pull a report identifying future threats possibly coming from right wing extremists and anti-abortionists. Now our lady of concentration camps is calling for civility and warning the left and the corporate media not to politicize this political assasination cheered by right wing extremist theocons who operate outside the law.

Update:
Creepy phone sex enthusiast and serial sexual harasser responds:
When I heard about Tiller’s murder, I knew pro-abortion zealots and Fox News haters would attempt to blame us for the crime, and that’s exactly what has happened. [...]
I see. Bill O'Reilly is the real victim here.

25 comments:

Otter Limits said...

Personally, I do not rejoice in Dr Tiller's death. And you are right to say that shooting the man is not pro-lifey.

I wholeheartedly disagree with the words of tankertodd in stating that "it was the ethical thing to do." Killing anybody, a baby or a grown man, is never ethical under any circumstances.

People like Randall Terry give pro-lifers and Christians a bad name.

Oilfieldguy said...

I will take you at your word, Otter, that you do not rejoice in Tiller's death, as I do not have any reason to doubt you.

In cards, there is a thing called a "tell." Writing has the same thing. Here, I'll show you with your own words in your short benign comment.

Killing anybody, a baby or a grown man, is never ethical under any circumstances.Of course ethics have nothing to do with it. Killing is illegal unless in acts of self-defense. But you replaced legal with ethical supposedly because Doctor Tillman was performing legal medical procedures.

Using the words "killing" and "baby" in the same sentence, the mantra for anti-choice folks and directed at Doctor Tiller specifically was the same as chanting "jump" to someone standing on a ledge.

It is not yelling fire in a crowded movie theater, it is yelling fire in a firing range.

What could possibly go wrong?

Otter Limits said...

"But you replaced legal with ethical supposedly because Doctor Tiller was performing legal medical procedures."

No, I was not replacing anything. I was responding to the part of your post where tankertodd stated that killing him "was the ethical thing to do." Those are HIS word that YOU posted on YOUR blog. I did have any intention of replacing anything.

You do not think that abortion is killing a baby. I respect that opinion. But I disagree. I would expect the same respect...well..let me rephrase. I would not expect it. I would hope for it.

Trying to use a person's words and filter them through your own eyes and decided it means something else is something I would expect from the ultra right-wing wacko bloggers. But not from you.

Oilfieldguy said...

I would characterize my position differently as I believe framing matters.

I believe women have control of their bodies. I feel anyone else trying to impose control on a woman's body against her will is wrong.

We walk a fine line in America, the freedom to do stuff and the freedom to keep from having stuff done to you. It's a lot tougher than it sounds.

Now that the Democrats have control of the House, the Senate and the Presidency expect the pro-life crowd to get exasperated and more of this shit will happen.

Otter Limits said...

"Now that the Democrats have control of the House, the Senate and the Presidency expect the pro-life crowd to get exasperated and more of this shit will happen."
Unfortunately, you are probably right. Although I hope not.

RD said...

I understand your outrage at the murder of the fine doctor... I would support the death penalty for his killer.

Your hypocrisy lies in your (at the same time) ignoring the murder at the military recruiting station by the anti-war crowd or "your side" as you like to put it, who apparently are so "exasperated" with Obama's own imperialistic warmongering that they resorted to murder themselves.

Either you are outraged at murder or you're not... or are unborn children (and military recruiters?) the only people you support killing?

Oilfieldguy said...

Hello, Red

My blogging has been very light lately, (torn rotator cuff, left shoulder) but I remain concerned with our military. Like Ft Campbell of KY standing down due to the suicide rate among the 101st Airborn (band of brothers).

True many on "my side" are very concerned about the buildup in Afghanistan by our military because historically it is where Superpowers go to die, just ask the Soviets and the British.

Otter Limits said...

Excellent point Kitty.

Afghanistan scares me.

LD Jackson said...

Let me just say that not all pro-lifers are far right extremists. The murder of George Tiller is not a good thing by any stretch of the imagination. By the same token, the murder of innocent babies is also not a good thing.

Unknown said...

As a pro-life Christian, I feel outraged over this act of violence. I feel even more outraged when I see pro-life statements condemning what happened and then going into detail about Tiller's sinful actions, as if that somehow makes this less reprehensible.

Murdering George Tiller was wrong. The end.

Also, best wishes with the injured shoulder. I had surgery for a torn bicep tendon on May 22nd. If you do have surgery I pray it goes well. Follow through with any exercises/physical therapy the doctor gives you. It's hard but necessary if you ever want to regain use of your arm afterward.

Oilfieldguy said...

Larry Jackson, abortion is legal, therefore not murder. Do not conflate one with the other.

Oilfieldguy said...

Brian,
there is a way for the pro-life position to deal with this. Thank you for demonstrating it.

Eli Blake said...

What concerns me is that just over the past two decades we have the following murderers (NOT counting those in which race, sexual orientation or religion of the victim may have played a role) motivated by far-right ideology:

1. Michael Griffin
2. Paul Hill
3. John Salvi
4. Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols
5. Eric Robert Rudolph
6. James Kopp
7. Jim David Adkisson
8. Thomas Destories
9. Scott Roeder

This is starting to get too long of a list to say it is just some 'lone wolf' every time it happens, and the last three were all within the past year.

Oilfieldguy said...

Hello, Eli, and thanks for stopping by. You may want to round out your list to an even dirty dozen by adding Bush, Cheney and Ronald Dumsfeld.

LD Jackson said...

Sorry, but just because abortion is legal doesn't mean it isn't murder.

RD said...

So kitty... you admitting your hypocrisy or just avoiding answering the question?

Why no outrage over the murder of a military recruiter by one of "your side"?

Oilfieldguy said...

Sorry, but just because abortion is legal doesn't mean it isn't murder.

It is also premeditated. And paid for. Do you advocate the death penalty for all involved, or at the minimum lengthy prison terms?

No exceptions for rape, incest, or health of the woman?

Why no outrage over the murder of a military recruiter by one of "your side"?

I noticed the glee anchor baby Maulkkkin had over a shooting "your side" can politicize. Only in the mind of a rightard can an "anti-war jihadist"(?) Muslim of questionable pigmentation be grouped with pacifist lefties and Amish.

I also consider it bad form using the body of a dead soldier to beat your opponents with.

Classy.

RD said...

Dead babies is obviously not a problem for you however... but wait, as I recall you did use dead soldiers bodies to try and beat your opponent with during that neverending civil war in Iraq... remember?

LD Jackson said...

As usual, one of the first things that is brought up by abortion rights groups is to ask about exceptions for rape, incest, or the health of the mother. The number of abortions that are performed for those reasons in this country are very few. You can read an older post of mine that deals that has some statistics on this, if you wish.

Barack Obama on abortion and the Freedom of Choice Act

Otter Limits said...

I myself can't buy into the "what about in cases of rape or incest" argument.

A baby is a baby, regardless of the circumstance. Circumstance is not the baby's fault.

RD said...

Yup... and a baby is only that baby pre-born and post-birth.

RD said...

This is the part where kittenstomper brings up the dreaded coathanger defense.

Oilfieldguy said...

Dead babies is obviously not a problem for you however...

If you insist on writing, please understand the basics of verb agreement, besides, who is it that waves the bloody fetus?

The number of abortions that are performed for those reasons in this country are very few.

Setting aside the question of whether all rapes are reported, we can agree that rapes do occur. The question was would you allow the exception for abortion in the case of rape, or even incest, or would you insist a thirteen-year-old girl give birth to her brother? Also, in cases where the health of the mother is in jeopardy or the fetus is so badly deformed it would be born into a very short and brutally painful life of endless surgery and grief.

Doctors records are generally sealed and confidential so measuring by statistics are dubious, but we can all agree these things are not only statistically possible, but they do in fact occur every day.

Bear in mind that we have always had abortion on demand. When it is legal--it is safe and performed by a Doctor. When it is illegal, more women suffer and die due to botched abortions. The law has no affect on the actual number of abortions, just on the number of dead and injured women. This is not pro-life.

1. Would you allow an abortion by a twelve-year-old girl raped by her father, where birth control or "the morning after pill" was certainly not an option and due to inbreeding the fetus had severe life ending defects?

2. Would you allow an abortion in the case of rape where the victim was beaten unconscious and taken to a Catholic hospital, who despite federal funding, refuses to administer the "morning after pill"? Or should the victim be forced to get off her rape gurney and take a "short ride" to another hospital, like Joe Lieberman says?

3. Would you allow an abortion in the case of conjoined twins, only discovered late in pregnancy, where after birth only one would survive a very short time after multiple organ transplants and massive pain?

Or is there no exception--no compromise--no common ground? The woman is completely irrelevant and exists only as a uterus whose title is in the hands of a bunch of misogynistic fucks.

RD said...

Ohhh excuse me... you are correct of course.
Please, allow me to rephrase.

Now, lets see if you can respond and actually answer the question without asking a new question or talking about me or grammar or Bush.
Ready?

Dead unborn children (and military recruiters) ARE obviously NOT a problem for you. Right?
In fact, you take pride in promoting the slaughter of the unborn by the millions per year and condemn anyone who dares oppose a woman's "God given right" to murder her children.


So why do you give a rats-ass about some doctor in Kansas?... He's just a fetus that didn't get aborted till post-birth... a very late-term abortion though it was.

Killing the innocent is wrong whether it's murdering an abortion doctor, a military recruiter, a hooker or an unborn child.

If it's murder you are outraged at, then why no outrage at the murder of the military recruiters by an anti-war muslim leftist?

Partisan much?
(Rhetorical question)

LD Jackson said...

Just as the case in most discussions on this issue, you are trying to turn it around and make it look as if most abortions are performed because of rape, incest, ect. When you look at the stats, most abortions are actually performed as a form of birth control. It is matter of convenience to the woman, not a life or death situation.

There may be some who are willing to compromise on the issue in cases of rape, incest, etc, but it seems like people like you will not be satisfied until abortion is available on demand for any woman, no matter the age and no matter the circumstances. President Obama doesn't even think minor girls should have to notify their parents in they want an abortion. All of this in the name of freedom of choice.