Dr. George Tiller, murdered at his church on Sunday
The cold-blooded shooting death of Dr. George Tiller of Witchita as he attended Sunday services at his church is no ordinary murder. It's a political assassination that likely will have a substantial and long-lasting impact on the ongoing national debate about abortion -- to the detriment of the pro-life forces. It is they who will be saddled for years to come with the need to distinguish themselves from Dr. Tiller's killer.
Police have a suspect in custody already. No doubt, he'll proclaim himself a hero for stopping an abortion doctor who has long been a special target of anti-abortion radicals because he's one of a small number of practitioners willing to perfom late-term abortions. Tiller was shot once before, in 1993, but survived. Whatever this suspect says will likely make matters worse for the pro-life movement. That's monumentally unfair, of course. Pro-lifers are overwhelmingly peaceful, law-abiding citizens. There are only a handful of right-wing extremists in this country who are inclined to engage in violence. But it's a fact, nonetheless, that Americans are horrified by political violence of any sort, so that the actions of the handful can cast a shadow of doubt across a whole movement. The left in America has only recently recovered from the bad rap given to it by the few dozen bomb-throwing radicals in the Weather Underground and the Black Liberation Army.
Political murder is anathema to our constitutional democracy. We settle our differences through elections, representative government, and the rule of law. It is our ability to manage even the most emotional issues and conflicts in a peaceful and orderly way that distinguishes us (and a regrettably small number of other nations) from countries where disputes are settled with guns. It is what makes us different from and better than contemporary Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Burma, Bosnia, Congo, Zimbabwe, and so many others. When a single man takes a gun and shoots someone dead to make a political point -- whatever the issue -- the gun is aimed at all of us.
What do you think? Post a comment.
The cold-blooded shooting death of Dr. George Tiller of Witchita as he attended Sunday services at his church is no ordinary murder. It's a political assassination that likely will have a substantial and long-lasting impact on the ongoing national debate about abortion -- to the detriment of the pro-life forces. It is they who will be saddled for years to come with the need to distinguish themselves from Dr. Tiller's killer.
Police have a suspect in custody already. No doubt, he'll proclaim himself a hero for stopping an abortion doctor who has long been a special target of anti-abortion radicals because he's one of a small number of practitioners willing to perfom late-term abortions. Tiller was shot once before, in 1993, but survived. Whatever this suspect says will likely make matters worse for the pro-life movement. That's monumentally unfair, of course. Pro-lifers are overwhelmingly peaceful, law-abiding citizens. There are only a handful of right-wing extremists in this country who are inclined to engage in violence. But it's a fact, nonetheless, that Americans are horrified by political violence of any sort, so that the actions of the handful can cast a shadow of doubt across a whole movement. The left in America has only recently recovered from the bad rap given to it by the few dozen bomb-throwing radicals in the Weather Underground and the Black Liberation Army.
Political murder is anathema to our constitutional democracy. We settle our differences through elections, representative government, and the rule of law. It is our ability to manage even the most emotional issues and conflicts in a peaceful and orderly way that distinguishes us (and a regrettably small number of other nations) from countries where disputes are settled with guns. It is what makes us different from and better than contemporary Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Burma, Bosnia, Congo, Zimbabwe, and so many others. When a single man takes a gun and shoots someone dead to make a political point -- whatever the issue -- the gun is aimed at all of us.
What do you think? Post a comment.
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Late term abortion is horrendous and abominable. I depise guns and violence. I feel terribly conflicted, but I think the doctor got what he deserved.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the practice of late term abortion, but shooting this man down was wrong. I think the vast, vast majority of people would agree that his murder was an awful thing, regardless of how they felt about abortion.
ReplyDeleteObama said, "However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence." --If Obama only cared that much about the countless babies who died at the hands of that abortionist
ReplyDeleteA family member said, "Today we mourn the loss of our husband, father and grandfather. Today's event is an unspeakable tragedy for all of us and for George's friends and patients. This is particularly heart wrenching because George was shot down in his house of worship, a place of peace." Wow, how about the wombs that all of those babies were in? The womb is supposed to be a safe place of peace for a baby. But that monster would intrude and kill each one of them, with no remorse.
And I do not feel sorry for a family who loved a murderer. And I sure do NOT feel sorry for a church that had no problem allowing a murderer to attend.
Debra J.M. Smith
of
www.InformingChristians.com
I'm not happy about gun violence, but a person who mutilates babies for money...I'm not sorry someone stopped him. I'm also disturbed that any church would welcome this beast into their congregation. What Tiller did was vicious, inhumane and savage.
ReplyDeleteDebra you should be sorry! Informing Christians that hate is okay? Be a christian and see you should have been praying for his salvation.
ReplyDelete