A case of domestic terrorism?
WICHITA – George Tiller, the Wichita doctor who became a national lightning rod in the debate over abortion, was shot to death this morning as he walked into church services.
Tiller was shot just after 10 a.m. at Reformation Lutheran Church at 7601 E. 13th, where he was a member of the congregation. Witnesses and a police source confirmed Tiller was the victim.
No information has been released about whether a suspect is in custody….
Tiller has long been a focal point of protest by abortion opponents because his clinic, Women’s Health Care Services at 5701 E. Kellogg, is one of the few in the country where late-term abortions are performed.
Protesters blockaded Tiller’s clinic during Operation Rescue’s “Summer of Mercy” protests during the summer of 1991, and Tiller was shot by Rachelle Shannon at his clinic in 1993.
Tiller was wounded in both arms, and Shannon remains in prison for the shooting.
Tiller’s clinic was severely vandalized earlier this month. According to the Associated Press, his lawyer said wires to security cameras and outdoor lights were cut and that the vandals also cut through the roof and plugged the buildings’ downspouts. Rain poured through the roof and caused thousands of dollars of damage in the clinic. Tiller reportedly asked the FBI to investigate the incident.
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228 comments Add your comment
@@
June 1st, 2009
9:39 am
DB:
Stand by it if you want — there’s nothing there. You’re “a man oustanding in your field”
where facts are conveniently ignored allowing you to render judgment….justified or “knot”.
jewcowboy
June 1st, 2009
9:41 am
Copyleft,
“Yes, I’m comparing you anti-choice zealots directly to Al Qaeda. It’s thoroughly deserved.”
I would concur.
DB, Gwinnettian
June 1st, 2009
10:00 am
Speaking of ignoring facts, @@, here’s what Bill O’Reilly did to gin up hatred of this doctor.
Bill O’Reilly will most certainly decry the death of Kansas doctor George Tiller, who was killed Sunday while attending church services with his wife. Tiller, O’Reilly will say, was a man who was guilty of barbaric acts, but a civilized society does not resort to lawless murder, even against its worst members. [...]
But there’s no other person who bears as much responsibility for the characterization of Tiller as a savage on the loose, killing babies willy-nilly thanks to the collusion of would-be sophisticated cultural elites, a bought-and-paid-for governor and scofflaw secular journalists. Tiller’s name first appeared on “The Factor” on Feb. 25, 2005. Since then, O’Reilly and his guest hosts have brought up the doctor on 28 more episodes, including as recently as April 27 of this year. Almost invariably, Tiller is described as “Tiller the Baby Killer.”
Tiller, O’Reilly likes to say, “destroys fetuses for just about any reason right up until the birth date for $5,000.” He’s guilty of “Nazi stuff,” said O’Reilly on June 8, 2005; a moral equivalent to NAMBLA and al-Qaida, he suggested on March 15, 2006. “This is the kind of stuff happened in Mao’s China, Hitler’s Germany, Stalin’s Soviet Union,” said O’Reilly on Nov. 9, 2006.
[...]
While he never advocated anything violent or illegal, the Fox bully repeatedly portrayed the doctor as a murderer on the loose, allowed to do whatever he wanted by corrupt and decadent authorities. “Also, it looks like Dr. Tiller, who some call Tiller the Baby Killer, is spending a large amount of money in order to get Mr. Morrison elected. That opens up all kinds of questions,” said O’Reilly on Nov. 6, 2006, in one of many suggestions that Tiller was improperly influencing the election.
DB, Gwinnettian
June 1st, 2009
10:38 am
A blast from the past. Sarah Palin was just so sure that Willam Ayers was a terrorist, but when asked about abortion clinic bombers, well…
“There’s no question that Bill Ayers via his own admittance was one who sought to destroy our U.S. Capitol and our Pentagon. That is a domestic terrorist. There’s no question there. Now, others who would want to engage in harming innocent Americans or facilities that uh, it would be unacceptable. I don’t know if you’re going to use the word terrorist there.“
@@
June 1st, 2009
10:45 am
…one more thing, DB, you and many of your leftist cohorts could also find yourself guilty or what you accuse.
Your support of Obama’s policies that mirror those of George Bush would place you in said category. When Bush did it, it was morally wrong. When Obama follows suit, it’s morally right?
You’re lookin’ weak in your argument, DB.
Copyleft
June 1st, 2009
10:53 am
Which policies are those, @@? Which Bush policies is DB supporting that Obama has continued? Or are you just ASSUMING that DB approves of every move Obama has made? Please give specifics.
@@
June 1st, 2009
10:55 am
Didn’t see your 10:00 and 10:38, DB.
I’m neither Sarah Palin or Bill O’Reilly — what their comments have to do with me escapes.
There’s a poem entitled “The Dash”. It recognizes the importance of what we do between the date of our birth and death. I am using my dash to help disabled children in more ways than one.
How are you using yours, DB?
DB, Gwinnettian
June 1st, 2009
10:57 am
@@, deflect all you want.
You’re the one who demanded that Jay give Tiller the “credit” HE’s due within minutes of the news hitting the street.
And you get to live with the violence your radical right wing network has unleashed upon this nation’s law-abiding citizens.
@@
June 1st, 2009
11:12 am
I’m not deflecting here, DB. You, however are continuing to ignore the fact that Dr. Tiller circumvented the law in the interest of money and in so doing, jeopardized the health of mothers through willful negligence. Several died as a result of sepsis.
Did Mr. Roeder receive money for his evil deed? He did not!
It’s is my fondest hope that he receive justice though….if not in this lifetime, then the next.
jewcowboy
June 1st, 2009
11:30 am
@@,
“You, however are continuing to ignore the fact that Dr. Tiller circumvented the law in the interest of money and in so doing, jeopardized the health of mothers through willful negligence.”
I would have to say it seems you are trying to somewhat excuse Roeder’s deed by bringing up the victims flaws. The bottom line is the victim made a living within the confines of the law, and was murdered for someone else’s religious and political beliefs.
jewcowboy
June 1st, 2009
11:41 am
sepsis:
“The incidence of sepsis — a severe, whole-body immune response to infection — has increased by an annualized average of 8.7% a year in the U.S. over the past 22 years, according to research by investigators at Emory University School of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”
Not exactly isolated to abortion doctors I would say.
# in hospital sepsis related deaths in 2000 – 120,491
@@
June 1st, 2009
12:10 pm
jewcowboy:
made a living within the confines of the law,
So said the jury but like so many jurists, they were left uninformed.
The case offered no legal definition of what constitutes “financial affiliation” to the jurists. There was most definitely a financial affiliation (reward system) between Tiller and his second opinion provider.
O.J. was acquitted too but not many people believe he was innocent.
I’ve attempted three times to respond to Copyleft’s 10:53. This site is holding them hostage. Howz’bout you, Copyleft, list those Bush policies supported by Obama. Rendition, military tribunals, delayed withdrawal from Iraq, Af/Pak surge, aide to Iraq without benchmarks, FISA, TARP, failure to release photos. I could go on and on. Maybe DB can elaborate. I agree with Obama on everything except TARP and his Af/Pak policy.
I’m off to finish vacuuming the pool.
N.J,
June 1st, 2009
12:24 pm
Well at least one state that passed a “DOMA” act is now also passing a separate “Civil Unions” act that applies to everyone, gay or heterosexual that gives ANY couplev that chooses to live together rights which now only exist if one is “married”. There are many economic reasons to NOT choose marriage, even for those who are not gay, as many stumbling blocks are put up by the states in many areas and they often create cases where at the state level, the tax consequences of being married with two incomes and no children costs money on state income taxes while the civil union gives rights without loss of income.
N.J,
June 1st, 2009
12:25 pm
Nevada Partnership Bill Now Law
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LinkedinDiggFacebookMixxMySpaceYahoo! BuzzPermalinkBy STEVE FRIESS
Published: June 1, 2009
The Nevada Legislature voted into law a domestic partnership registry for same-sex and unmarried straight couples on Sunday evening, with the Assembly mustering the two-thirds vote required to override a veto by Gov. Jim Gibbons, a Republican.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/01/us/01nevada.html?ref=global-home
This is it.
TUESDAY VANDY GIRL
June 1st, 2009
12:25 pm
Yep..the more I read here, the less I can criticize the shooter. It has nothing to do with right wrong or the law at this point. The shooter has obviously wounded the liberal horde close to its heart , and I love to see the agony of the enemy. Sad part is its the one area of agreement I have with the libs..pro choice. Oh well, I can live with being situational and opportunistic
DB, Gwinnettian
June 1st, 2009
12:26 pm
Roeder did NOT “receive money for his evil deed”? Really?
You know this how, @@? I’m sure the FBI would be interested.
N.J,
June 1st, 2009
12:48 pm
The fact that Obama is leaving much of what Bush started in place is no reflection on Obama at all. For much of it, he would required Congressional approval, and this would require a huge amount of political capital to be exhausted, while all he has to do now is leave the legislation in place, but not do what it allows the president to do,
He COULD ask Congress to pass a law OUTLAWING waterboarding for example. This would end up with a huge public debate, with Republicans using fear upon fear to tear down Obama and attempt to weaken his approval ratings. All he has to do now is leave the law in place, but tell the CIA that they cannot waterboard anyone. This leaves him with political capital, but still, no one gets tortured.
SaveOurRepublic
June 1st, 2009
12:58 pm
jt @ 14:47 (3/31) – Very well said! The police-state not only fully leverages “incidents” such as these to “justify” their Orwellian tactics….IME, sometimes has levels of involvement (ie – agent provacatuering, false-flag ops, etc.). For anyone who questions that, watch a documetary called “Terrorstorm” (free on Google Video & YouTube).
The usage of “domestic terrorism” is classic police-state propaganda. This act was one of murder, not “terrorism”. For those sheeple asking for utilization of the so-called “Patriot” Act against pro-lifers, be careful what you ask for…as you/your beliefs could be next (for addition to the Orwellian DHS “watch list”). Big Brothers has no “favorites”!
http://www.infowars.com
dw
June 1st, 2009
12:59 pm
The blanket statements that all pro-lifers are murders, or support murder, and that this case is domestic terrorism is bull. This was just a lone misguided individual. Happens everyday in different “arenas” of life. There are “nutbar” folks with what is called conservative thoughts as well as “nutbar” liberals. I totally disagree with the “doctors” stance on abortion, but do NOT support the actions of the person who took the “doctors” life. I would close with the notion that the “doctor” has now been informed of God’s stance on abortion – pro or con. That’s truly the only ones opinion that matters.
Tom
June 1st, 2009
2:10 pm
Isn’t this always the Republican way?? If they’re not involved, they are screamingly cheering on the sidelines. Most know not why. It’s just a part of the REQUIRED dogma.
Bud Wiser
June 1st, 2009
3:58 pm
*no*\
Copyleft
June 1st, 2009
4:39 pm
And that’s why you’re always wrong, Vandy Girl; you have no principles other than blind, ignorant hatred.
Dave
June 1st, 2009
6:20 pm
From BDAtlanta:
“Dave, Hitler was a Christian:”
Did you read what he wrote? How does it square with the Christian message? It doesn’t. Neither does killing 6,000,000+ people in his sick quest for world domination. You can call a Chevy Aveo a Cadillac all you want to, but it still doesn’t make it a Cadillac. Hitler was no more a Christian than I am a professional baseball player (and I’m not). Jesus said to love your neighbor (and enemies), not murder them (which is different from killing in war, self-defense, and capital punishment). Hitler, like many deranged monsters, perverts, shysters, con-men, etc., used Christ as a stump for his twisted cause (”God told me to…” Sound familiar?). That’s why you check things out and don’t just believe blindly (and that’s biblical too!). Anyone who did what Hitler did, especially using the name of God to do it, is anything but a Christian.
AmVet:
It’s not the compass that’s broken, it’s the people. The compass points in the correct direction, but the people try to go their own way, and fail to make it to the destination as a result.
N.J.
June 1st, 2009
6:50 pm
The commandment, the actual translation is not “thou shalt not kill” but though shalt not murder.
Oh those numbers about pregnancies out of wedlock with the father walking away from the situation still result numerically in TONS more whites who end up needing taxpayer support than Latino’s and Blacks put together.
COnservatives simply want it both ways. They dont want abortions to be legal, but they dont want to pay for the social services to support the results of those unwanted pregnancies. They dont want sex education in the schools so kids learn where babies come from and they dont want anyone providing contractives to the kids who are going to get pregnant without them and are not going to listen to “abstinance only” programs any more than “just say no” ended the drug trade.
N.J.
June 1st, 2009
6:54 pm
NO, the right wingers dont want it called “Domestic terrorism” because they dont want the DOZENS of pro life groups this guy was a member of to be called “terrorist” organizations.
This is rather hypocritical. Its like suggesting that Fundamentalist Islam is responsible for ALL Islamic terrorism, while Fundamentalist Christianity IS NOT responsible for the violence done by its members.
obama
June 3rd, 2009
7:28 pm
Jew Cowboy I’ll bet you attended a Reich-wing highschool.
obama
June 3rd, 2009
7:35 pm
Jew Cowboy then u should be in favor off keeping the prison in G open?
obama
June 3rd, 2009
7:40 pm
Jew cowboy Were you againest The Kurds being genocided? and what actions did you take againest that terrorism? Did you suggest RICOing every Islamic sect in the country after 9/11?