Pro-Abortion Groups Want Pro-Life Organizations Probed on Violence After Tiller
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
January 26, 2010
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Abortion advocates are asking the Obama administration to investigate pro-life groups because they claim pro-life organizations are fostering a climate of violence that led Scott Roeder to kill late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller last summer.
Even though Roeder, who is currently in trial for the killing, had no ties with any pro-life group and acted on its own, they want a probe of pro-life groups.
Kathy Spillar, executive vice president of the Feminist Majority Foundation, told the Kansas City Star, "The Department of Justice needs to vigorously pursue not only a further investigation of Scott Roeder but of his connections to the extremist network that may have been involved in the furthering of this murder."
"Many of this extremist network with whom Scott Roeder clearly has been involved are here in the courtroom. We can only hope that the network will be dismantled, and until it’s dismantled, we’re waiting for the next murder," she said.
Spillar was referring to a handful of people who agree with Roeder that violence is a solution to abortion but who are soundly condemned by pro-life organizations.
Today, Operation Rescue, based in Kansas and one of the main groups focusing on stopping the abortions at Tiller’s facility using legal means, condemned the use of violence related to abortion.
The statement condemned pro-life advocates who refuse to condemn such violence.
It referred to the "Christ-centered principles contained in the historic Operation Rescue Pledge of non-violence" and that such a pledge represented "the core principles of Operation Rescue."
The pledge calls on the pro-life community to be "unified, peaceful, and free of any actions or words that would appear violent or hateful," to "commit to be peaceful and non-violent in both word and deed," and to
Department spokesman Alejandro Miyar would not comment on any potential investigations.
"Our investigation remains open and ongoing," he told the Star newspaper. "I decline further comment, as we do not discuss open investigations."
The Feminist Majority Foundation is no stranger to blaming pro-life movement for Tiller’s death or calling pro-life advocates terrorists.
A "news" story published by the Feminist Majority Foundation on July 21, 2001 featured the headline "Attorney General Ashcroft Urged to Condemn Anti-Abortion Terrorism."
In the article, the pro-abortion group urges Ashcroft to "take action publicly against all anti-abortion terrorist threats."
The threats include anthrax letters allegedly mailed by vigilante activist Clayton Lee Waagner, who is not associated with the pro-life movement. But, they also include protests conducted by a pro-life group outside Tiller’s offices.
"Anti-abortion terrorists appear to feel emboldened by the change in [the Bush] Administration," FMF president Elenor Smeal is quoted as saying.
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