By now everyone probably already knows that Dr. George Tiller, a doctor who provided controversial late-term abortions, was shot dead while in church. A suspect is in custody. According to CNN, Tiller was previously wounded by a radical pro-lifer back in 1993. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that whoever killed him is not an atheist.
I've been skimming through the blogosphere reaction. Predictably, many are already jumping to conclusions. Some on the left are trying to smear the right in general with the blame. Andrew Sullivan is actually trying to link Bill O'Reilly to the killing. I must have missed where O'Reilly called for Tiller to be murdered. I guess if some whackjob ever kills a former Bush administration official we can blame Sullivan. On the right, at least in some comment sections, there is some disgusting celebration of the doctor's death -- along with sentiment that even if the murder was wrong, he had it coming.
It's also worth noting that the same people constantly whining about "fearmongering" with regard to threats of terrorism, have suddenly changed their tune. Now they are worried about "the terrorist threat posed by religious right extremists." Spreading exaggerated fear is fine as long as it serves their political purposes.
UPDATE
Little Green Footballs has posted some evidence that the suspected killer was indeed an anti-abortion extremist. I know, big surprise.
I am sorry that this man was murdered. It is very convenient to attribute this crime, without any evidence, to an anti-abortion activist of some sort.
ReplyDeleteBut then, a few days ago, it was revealed, after more than 30 years of believing the wrong thing, that it was a Stasi agent who murdered a literature student in West Berlin, sparking a movement of left-wing protest and violence.
Let's just wait to see who the perp turns out to be, and what his story is, before we assume we know the motive for this crime. Let's not have a "rush to judgement". We know how bad those things are.
If it isn't an anti-abortion activist, but someone with some other motive, a lot of people are going to look pretty ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteBut given that he was shot before, and the overall circustances, I don't think it's unreasonable to suspect a radical pro-lifer.
Of course, prior attacks on him by radical pro-lifers make this look like one completed the job others started.
ReplyDeleteThat may prove to be very convenient in the future.
Remember that President Clinton's early remarks about the OKC bombing were to pin it on radical right-wingers and Rush Limbaugh listeners, even though he had no information AT ALL about the bombings. These were his voiced suppositions, and though there is now strong evidence to connect that attack to the later perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks, the myth begun immediately after the bombings still holds sway in the American mind.
Well, he is an anti-abortion extremist, bomb-maker and anarchist. Sounds like a real piece of work.
ReplyDeleteRegardless, he is (should I say allegedly?) guilty of murder and should pay the price for his crime.