17 Comments

1. Swami  •  May 31, 2009 @5:01 pm
   

   We get to see the culmination of Operation Rescue’s Tiller watch. I’m sure they are happy! I just wonder..Who would Jesus gun down? Because we know that Tiller was gunned down as a service to God in the mind of some fine Christian terrorist.

2. Rev. George  •  May 31, 2009 @5:17 pm
   

   I think that’s part of the point, is to discourage doctors from practicing in the field. It’s nothing but a fear campaign…

3. biggerbox  •  May 31, 2009 @6:03 pm
   

   When they catch the shooter, I look forward to an explanation of just how they rationalized shooting Tiller at church of all places. Who would Jesus shoot during Sunday worship?

   I just don’t get the way those people think. I’ve tried, but I just can’t wrap my brain around it.

4. MNPundit  •  May 31, 2009 @6:33 pm
   

   When they catch the shooter, I look forward to an explanation of just how they rationalized shooting Tiller at church of all places. Who would Jesus shoot during Sunday worship?

   I’m going to guess they’ll say it was an offering of some sort. This makes me want to get in the face of the local abortion protesters about it, but who knows maybe they’d get inspired and go killing. Terrible, terrible.

5. William Teach  •  May 31, 2009 @6:49 pm
   

   Let me ask, Maha, do you have the sense and grace to pretend to be sorry when Tiller aborts a baby, particularly a late term one?

   I do not think the shooter should have taken the matter in to his own hands. We are a nation of Law, not of Men.

6. c u n d gulag  •  May 31, 2009 @6:57 pm
   

   Wow, what guts the shooter showed! It must have taken true courage to shoot an unarmed man going into his church.
   I’m sure that that the idiot shooter and his supprters will make his gutless act seem heroic.
   I still don’t get where being “pro-life” means it’s ok to kill abortion providers. Aren’t you then sort of selective about your pro-life stance? “Yeah, I’m against murder. Unless it’s YOU of course. Why? ‘Cause you disagree with me.”
   I’m sure that for his courage he’ll be given the ‘Irony’ Cross.

7. maha  •  May 31, 2009 @7:04 pm
   

   Believe it or not, Teach, I am opposed to elective late-term abortions. I support the Roe v. Wade guidelines, which allow states to ban abortions after the late second trimester unless doctors determine the abortion is necessary to protect the life and health of the mother.

   Given the laws in Kansas, any late-term abortions Tiller performed must have been performed because of real medical need. Sometimes life presents us with terribly sad situations.

   I am a mother myself, and I think that terminating a healthy pregnancy at any stage is regrettable, but for a lot of reasons I have presented on this blog and elsewhere, criminalizing abortion is wrong. Criminalizing abortions doesn’t stop abortion; it just drives abortion underground. This in turn can cause terrible suffering and tragedy for women and those who love them.

8. PurpleGirl  •  May 31, 2009 @7:53 pm
   

   I believe that Dr. Tiller wore a bullet-proof vest when he wnt to work; I guess he figured that hic church would be a safe zone.

   As to late term abortions performed by Dr. Tiller, may I recommend comment #211 by deekaa6 at Balloon Juice’s thread (titled Pro-Life) about the shooting. In brief, deekaa6 and his wife were expecting and it was very much wanted. But late in the pregnancy it was discovered to be a conjoined twin where one of twins would have to die for the other to live (it seems they shared too many organs) and the even then the one surviving would have needed much surgery and would have still had very limited life expectancy. They made the decision to end the pregnancy. And Dr. Tiller was the only doctor who could (would?) help them. Go over and read the comment.

9. Mrs. W  •  May 31, 2009 @8:19 pm
   

   I’ve had two abortions and I regret having both, yet I wouldn’t do anything differently if I were in the same situation again. Deciding to abort a child is never an easy decision but women each and every day are forced to make that decision for a variety of reasons. For that matter, no woman I have ever heard of made the decision to abort her child in the third trimester for any reason other than imminent threat of death or severe health issues to the mother or child. PurpeGirl has it absolutely right when she shared that story: frankly, women are not making these decisions lightly. The law is correct in giving women the right to make this choice for themselves, as we have to. Making abortion illegal or killing abortion doctors so that access to an abortion much harder will never reduce the number of abortions nor the need for them. It won’t stop fetuses from being aborted, it will only kill more future mothers who look forward to raising a wanted child when they are able to care for a child more fully.

10. Doug Hughes  •  May 31, 2009 @8:46 pm
    

    William Teach – You can decide that life begins at conception if that makes you happy. If you mary a woman with the same beliefs you can both be happy. If you join a church that embraces the superstition that life begins at conception, more power to you all! But I don’t belong to your church, your tribe, or your family. I am not bound by your wilfull ignorance.

    My wife, my daughters are not your property – or mine. My eldest daughter is pregnant and will carry the child to term, I think. I will support her in that decision but it is HER decision, not yours, not mine, not your churches, and not for the government to make at this early stage. Current law, based on science, limits when abortion is limited by law, based on the best scientific evidence on when fetus becomes ‘viable’.

    Speaking only for myself, I suggest you take all the religious superstitions that you want to impose on society, write them down on a piece of paper. Now fold that paper up until it’s all sharp corners – and stick it up your ass!

11. buckyblue  •  May 31, 2009 @8:49 pm
    

    I disagree with Yglesias on this, I believe violence is very effective politically. Especially in this country where it is not as often used, as in say, Israel. Think of the terrorist violence in the south to keep African Americans from being involved in politics. I think you could even make a case that since the Oklahoma City bombing, there has been a decided shift in distrust of government. The ramping up of partisan rhetoric from the right I am sure has not helped. Good thing Kansas has the death penalty, oh yeah, I’m anti-death penalty. Those gosh darn values of mine keep getting in the way.

12. A Canadian Reader  •  May 31, 2009 @8:57 pm
    

    Maha,

    I was extremely impressed with your response to the despicable William Teach.

    The news about Dr. Tiller is beyond tragic.

13. maha  •  May 31, 2009 @9:15 pm
    

    buckyblue — historically, in the U.S. violence as a political tactic nearly always backfires, in one way or another, sooner or later. Other than the American Revolution itself I cannot think of an exception.

14. uncledad  •  May 31, 2009 @9:40 pm
    

    “Who would Jesus gun down?”

    Hard to say, I did see the shooters grey ford Taurus on CNN and it did have the “Jesus Fish” affixed to the rear trunk lid. So I’m sure this fuckhead sees himself as a good Christian.

    I predict the mainstream right wing talking point will be something like: (While we do not condone murder, Dr. Tiller put himself in a dangerous situation by performing such despicable acts).

15. justme  •  Jun 1, 2009 @12:37 am
    

    I have a question for william teach….would he support a nut job gunning down a person who carried out a death sentence order? How is it that much different?

    I still say to the christian right “oh ye of little faith”…are they really so faithless in their own all powerful God and creator to deal with the abortion doctor they find so ungodly? Don’t they trust him? Why do they think that their perfect God needs any help?They seem to have the need to step in and play God. Anyhow this killing will send a clear message to us all that thou shall not kill…what a fine example this sets for us all!

    Uncledad mention the Jesus fish….I have to share a tip with the rest of the country(maybe this is true in your parts also?) when you see the Jesus fish on a car from Ks or Ia they are gonna drive like shit….I promise you. Why are they all such bad drivers? I don’t know. But if you see the fish in my parts get as far the hell away from that car as you can! You have been warned. They don’t care! They are in a big ass hurry to get to heaven(rapture is just taking to damn long) and their bad driving may just be their ticket! It sure is weird…I guess since the bible does not cover driving instructions they didn’t learn.?

16. Bonnie  •  Jun 1, 2009 @1:00 am
    

    For all those rightwing terrorists:

    Matthew 25:40
    Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

17. honest abe  •  Jun 1, 2009 @4:55 am
    

    Lets call it for what it truly is.. an ugly face of Christian Terrorism.