Top Senate Democrat Praises Late-Term Abortion Practitioner George Tiller

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   May 27, 2010   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Top Senate Democrat Praises Late-Term Abortion Practitioner George Tiller

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
May 27
, 2010

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Harry Reid, the top Democrat in the Senate, praised late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller today — marking the occasion of his shooting death last year. Reid, who long ago abandoned his claim to be pro-life, hailed one of the few to do abortions so late in pregnancy.

Monday is the one-year anniversary of militia activist Scott Roeder, who has no affiliation with the pro-life movement, shooting Tiller at his church in Wichita, Kansas.

This morning, Reid called Tiller’s death a "tragedy" that is "independent of the issue of abortion."

“Not all of us would choose Dr. Tiller’s profession. Not all of us would seek his services or agree with his philosophy. But it is the responsibility of every American to respect another’s right to practice his profession legally," he said.

“Those who believe in the sanctity of life cannot be selective," Reid added, making it appear pro-life advocates supported kiling Tiller.

"It’s not about the legality of abortion or funding of abortion. These are emotional debates, and ones on which people of good faith can disagree," he said.

"What so shook that Kansas town was rather an act of terrorism. What reverberated out to our borders and coasts from the center of our country was the violation of our founding principle: that we are a nation of laws, not of men," he said.

NARAL president Nancy Keenan immediately thanked Reid for honoring Tiller, who was close to losing his medical license for repeatedly violating Kansas limits on late-term abortions by allegedly lying about the age of the unborn child to be able to qualify the abortion as legal under state law.

"One year ago this Monday, my friend Dr. George Tiller was murdered," Keenan said. "That’s why today, Majority Leader Harry Reid stood up against clinic violence."

Keenan lobbed allegations at pro-life organizations — accusing them of harboring violent views and engaging in harassment because they want to stop Tiller’s friend, Nebraska-based abortion practitioner LeRoy Carhart, from doing late-term abortions as well.

"Anti-choice fringe groups haven’t backed down after the murder of Dr. Tiller. Instead, they’ve set their sights on terrorizing providers like Dr. LeRoy Carhart in Nebraska and protesting outside women’s health centers across the country," Keenan claimed.

"We cannot and must not allow this hateful rhetoric to escalate into further violence," Keenan said, essentially accusing pro-life groups of a responsibility for Tiller’s death. "It’s systematic. It’s terrifying. And it’s unacceptable. That’s why we are so proud that Majority Leader Reid has taken this somber anniversary as a moment to speak out."

After Roeder was convicted of killing Tiller, National Right to Life executive director David O’Steen strongly condemned Roeder’s actions.

"The actions last May of which Scott Roeder was just convicted are antithetical to the work of the pro-life movement to protect the lives of unborn children and their mothers," he said. "NRLC strongly opposes any use of violence as a means of stopping the violence that has killed more than 52 million unborn children since 1973."

O’Steen explained that NRLC and the pro-life movement "has always been involved in peaceful, legal activities to protect human lives threatened by abortion, infanticide and euthanasia."

"We have always, and continue to, oppose any form of violence to fight the violence of abortion," he said.

O’Steen said opposing abortion-related violence is something NRLC takes personally.

"NRLC has had a policy of forbidding violence and illegal activity by its staff, directors, officers, affiliated state organizations and chapters," he said, adding the group’s "sole purpose is to protect human life."

O’Steen said the pro-life movement would "continue to work in educational, legislative and political activities to ensure the right to life for unborn children, people with disabilities and older people."

For him, "peaceful solutions to social problems" involve "helping women and their children and do not involve violence against anyone."

Related web sites:
National Right to Life Committee – https://www.NRLC.org

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