It’s time to get off the fence and out of denial. There is a Christian terrorist campaign to deprive women of their legal rights. Are you willing to continue supporting them by using their coined word — pro-life — to describe yourself?

     No one is asking you to change your beliefs about abortion. But do you want the terrorism of women, those who support their rights and the clinics who provide vital medical services to women to be subjected to violence in your name? Because that is what is happening and has been happening for thirty years.

     Are you ready to condemn these actions without reservation? If not, you’re part of the problem.

     This first article was written about ten years ago:

Over the last 20 years, anti-abortion terrorists have been responsible for six murders and 15 attempted murders (see Lake of Fire), according to the National Abortion Federation. They have also been behind some 200 bombings and arsons, 72 attempted arsons, 750 death and bomb threats and hundreds of acts of vandalism, intimidation, stalking and burglary.

     The terrorist assassinations continue, as do the assaults on women and children as they try to enter the clinics for any service they need, like prenatal checkups, cancer screening, and birth control. Dr. James Tiller is just the latest in the serial murders of doctors who provide vital services to women. He is the latest but won’t be the last unless those who are anti-abortion cease to support them with funds, rhetoric, and false denials.

Tiller assassination suspect linked to Des Moines activist

The suspect in the fatal shooting of late-term abortion doctor George Tiller in Kansas was an occasional contributor to a Des Moines-based newsletter that believes that killing abortion providers is justifiable homicide. Des Moines resident and anti-abortion activist Dave Leach publishes the newsletter, called “Prayer & Action News,” which describes itself as “a trumpet call for the Armies of God to assemble.” In an interview with The Washington Post, Leach said not only has he published the writings of alleged gunman Scott Roeder in the past, but he visited him in Kansas several years ago on his way back from speaking with Rachelle “Shelley” Shannon in prison. Shannon was convicted in 1993 of shooting Tiller outside his clinic. She later confessed to setting fires at abortion clinics in Oregon, California, Idaho and Nevada.

     Shannon is a member of Operation Rescue. She was also responsible for acid attacks at women’s clinic. She is one of dozens of violent criminals convicted of clinic arsons, bombings and murders listed at the National Abortion Federation website.

    Another Operation Rescue member murdered Dr. Barnett Slepian, gunning him down in his home while his wife and children were present.

Additional evidence suggests that actions by Terry and Operation Rescue may have provoked violence at abortion clinics. As the New York Times reported on July 20, 2001, “One of his [Terry's] most avid followers in Binghamton was James E. [sic: C.] Kopp, now charged in the 1998 murder of a doctor who performed abortions in Buffalo [New York].” Kopp was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. A November 6, 1998, Times report further detailed Terry’s connection to Kopp:

     In July 1988, when Randall Terry drove through the night from his home in Binghamton, N.Y., to Atlanta to start the series of anti-abortion protests that would finally put his new hard-line group, Operation Rescue, onto America’s front pages, James Charles Kopp was in the van riding alongside him, said former leaders of Operation Rescue.

     And when Mr. Terry was arrested on the first day of Operation Rescue’s “Siege of Atlanta,” Mr. Kopp followed him into jail, said the leaders, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Along with more than 100 other Operation Rescue members, according to some people who were there, Mr. Kopp remained in jail for 40 days and adhered to Mr. Terry’s orders not to give a real name to the police or courts.

     After his release, Mr. Kopp returned to Operation Rescue’s Binghamton headquarters, and was there working alongside Mr. Terry as the group’s power and influence in the anti-abortion movement surged in late 1988 and 1989, according to the former leaders of Operation Rescue.

     Roeder is an affiliate of Operation Rescue, posting on their message boards and carrying the phone number of Operation Rescue Senior Policy Adviser Cheryl Sullenger in the car with him before and after the murder. Sullenger admitted Roeder regularly contacted her to track Tiller’s movements, although she denied she’d spoken to him “recently.” In 1988 she was arrested for and confessed to a conspiracy to bomb the Alvarado Medical Center abortion clinic. She was sentenced to two and a half years and was released after serving two of those years.

     Operation Rescue founder Randall Terry does a “not me” denial over Tiller’s murder, but then blames Tiller for his own murder and continues to rant that “pro-life” terrorism is justified and done under the authority of Christian beliefs>

Operation Rescue founder Randall Terry: The point that must be emphasized over, and over, and over again: pro-life leaders and the pro-life movement are not responsible for George Tiller’s death. George Tiller was a mass-murder and, horrifically, he reaped what he sowed…..He was a mass-murder. He sowed death. And then he reaped death in a horrifying way….[Tiller's murder is] teaching moment for what child-killing is really all about…Terry said “Our goal is a Christian nation….We have a biblical duty, we are called by God to conquer this country. We don’t want equal time. We don’t want pluralism. …Theocracy means God rules. I’ve got a hot flash. God rules.“

3 Comments »

1. 

   You talk about terrorism of women.
   I read one study that says 60% of women who have abortions are pressured into it.
   Why don’t you count how many pregnant women are killed because they refuse to have
   an abortion.
   Based on your sick form of logic; Because you and all supporters of abortion don’t stop these pregnant
   women from be murder proves you believe any woman who refuses
   to have an abortion should be murdered.
   Therefore this article you wrote makes you a hypocrite and a liar.

   Comment by David Montford — June 7, 2009 @ 5:57 am

2. 

   Whatever study you read, it is inaccurate. Are some women pressured to get abortions by men who don’t want to support a child? I’m sure that happens. That doesn’t mean women are making their decisions based upon that pressure. The only women who would be deprived of a choice in that instance are women who are victims of domestic violence.

   Your argument that prochoice people are pro-murdering women is nonsensical. The reason people are prochoice is to save women’s lives. No more back-alley abortions.

   However, I agree about domestic violence. The leading cause of death of a pregnant woman today is murder by her intimate partner. I hope you carry your concerns about the murder of pregnant women to your legistlative representatives. We need more laws protecting all women from domestic violence. The more people who join feminists in lobbying for these laws and funds for shelters to protect women and children who are in danger, the sooner we will see a drop in these ghastly statistics.

   Comment by Lore — June 18, 2009 @ 8:39 pm

3. 

   Reproductive rights should never be taken away from women, otherwise they are being held slave to their bodies. And Christians should stop and think of the death caused in their name from holy wars, the inquisition, the domestic violence given license to in the Bible. Christians have come to believe they can do anything if it’s in the name of their dogma or God.

   Comment by Karen — November 9, 2009 @ 1:54 pm

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