A little taste of leftwing media propaganda on the Tiller murder
Posted on June 1, 2009
Amy Sullivan at Time’s Swampland last night posted this on the Tiller murder.
Right-Wing Reactions to Tiller Murder
Randall Terry, Operation Rescue:
George Tiller was a mass-murderer. We grieve for him that he did not have time to properly prepare his soul to face God. I am more concerned that the Obama Administration will use Tiller’s killing to intimidate pro-lifers into surrendering our most effective rhetoric and actions.
Father Frank Pavone, Priests for Life:
I am saddened to hear of the killing of George Tiller this morning. At this point, we do not know the motives of this act, or who is behind it, whether an angry post-abortive man or woman, or a misguided activist, or an enemy within the abortion industry, or a political enemy frustrated with the way Tiller has escaped prosecution. We should not jump to conclusions or rush to judgment.
And, finally, one anti-abortion group that actually says the only thing that can and must be said in the immediate aftermath of such an ugly act. [MY EMPHASIS]
Charmaine Yoest, Americans United for Life:
We condemn this lawless act of violence. The foundational right to life that our work is dedicated to extends to everyone. Whoever is responsible for this reprehensible violence must be brought to justice under the law.
Digging Randall Terry out of the moth balls and making his statement emblematic of the pro-life movement is absurd, lazy and meant to create a false impression. That’s like tracking down John Gruden for comment on the Raiders’ draft picks.
FACT: prominent pro-life groups have darned-near universally condemned, without qualification, the Tiller killing. So you see what Ms. Sullivan is trying to pull here? I am surprised she even bothered to include Charmaine’s statement, which is far more indicative of how the rest of us have reacted. That Sullivan hasn’t bothered to update her post and apologize for her mischaracterization of the pro-life reaction, in the interest of truth, I will provide a representative sampling of responses.
Focus on the Family: Dr. Dobson Condemns Tiller Slaying
We are shocked by the murder of George Tiller, and we categorically condemn the act of vigilantism and violence that took his life…Our condolences are extended to the Tiller family. The person or persons responsible for his death should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Family Resreach Council: FRC Condemns the Murder of George Tiller
We are stunned at today’s news. As Christians we pray and look toward the end of all violence and for the saving of souls, not the taking of human life. George Tiller was a man who we publicly sought to stop through legal and peaceful means. We strongly condemn the actions taken today by this vigilante killer and we pray for the Tiller family and for the nation that we might once again be a nation that values all human life, both born and unborn.
National Right to Life: NATIONAL RIGHT TO LIFE CONDEMNS THE KILLING OF DR. GEORGE TILLER
National Right to Life extends its sympathies to Dr. Tiller’s family over this loss of life.
Further, the National Right to Life Committee unequivocally condemns any such acts of violence regardless of motivation. The pro-life movement works to protect the right to life and increase respect for human life. The unlawful use of violence is directly contrary to that goal.
American Life League: STATEMENT ON GEORGE TILLER KILLING
“Leaders within the pro-life movement often discuss justice in connection with our mission to end the tragedy of abortion. Today, Dr. George Tiller’s life ended in an act defying those principles.
“With genuine sorrow, we reflect on today’s events in prayer. Justice for all human beings includes the lives of those with whom we fundamentally disagree as well as the victims of abortion. We firmly hope the perpetrators of this act are apprehended, that the facts be made known, and that justice according to the law is preserved and dispensed.
“Today’s actions were tragic, and serve as another reminder that all human life is sacred. Pro-lifers by our nature and commitment to human rights reject violence as a means of resistance. Our thoughts and prayers indeed extend to the Tiller family and the community at Reformation Lutheran Church.”
Dr. Albert Mohler: A Wicked Deed in Wichita — A Test for the Pro-Life Movement
But violence in the name of protesting abortion is immoral, unjustified, and horribly harmful to the pro-life cause. Now, the premeditated murder of Dr. George Tiller in the foyer of his church is the headline scandal — not the abortions he performed and the cause he represented.
We have no right to take the law into our own hands in an act of criminal violence. We are not given the right to take this power into our own hands, for God has granted this power to governing authorities. The horror of abortion cannot be rightly confronted, much less corrected, by means of violence and acts outside the law and lawful means of remedy. This is not merely a legal technicality — it is a vital test of the morality of the pro-life movement.
The Christian church has been forced by historical necessity to think through these issues again and again. The church has reached a basic moral consensus on issues of violence and governmental obedience, and this consensus requires that Christian citizens work within legal, judicial, and political means to persuade governing authorities concerning what is good, right, just, and honoring to God. Those who operate outside of this consensus and perform acts of violence are rightly understood to arrogate authority to themselves in a way that violates not only the laws of men but the law of God. Civil disobedience may be justified so long as the Christian is willing to suffer at the hands of the governing authorities, but is not justified if the citizen employs violence against the state or against other citizens.
Robert George: Gravely Wicked
Whoever murdered George Tiller has done a gravely wicked thing. The evil of this action is in no way diminished by the blood George Tiller had on his own hands. No private individual had the right to execute judgment against him. We are a nation of laws. Lawless violence breeds only more lawless violence.
Phill Kline in the Kansas City Star:
I am stunned by this lawless and violent act which must be condemned and should be met with the full force of law. We join in lifting prayer that God’s grace and presence rest with Dr. Tiller’s family and friends.
If you are aware of the Kline/Tiller legal face-offs over the years, you know why this is significant.
This is exactly what has come out of nearly every major pro-life group and individual in the last 24 hours. So why did Ms. Sullivan feel the need to invent an alternative reality?
» Filed Under Abortion, Bigotry, Culture of Death, Fraud/misrepresentation, Journalistic Malpractice, Liberal Media/Bias, News, Political Correctness, Propaganda, Revisionism
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7 Responses to “A little taste of leftwing media propaganda on the Tiller murder”
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this is not enough according ot lefties you need to STFU
Though, of course, the lunatic who killed the Army recruiter today was a renegade who acted all alone, as I have oddly heard reported today. Why the rush to link the entire pro life movement to this gunman who took the law into his own hands? Dare we compare the two murders? Would the left care to?
No.
But, we cannot allow this act to make us stay silent in fear of reprisal. The fact is, they hate us and will always hate us. For whatever reason, the left loves this bloody act they confuse with liberty. We should feel more pity for them…if they weren’t so dangerous for ACTUAL liberty while in power.
Whenever an abortionist kills a patient, the response of the abortion lobby is to dismiss the death as an aberration. These deaths happen about ten times a year. (That the CDC admits to.)
No matter how heinous the malpractice — having a “hand holder” assist with general anesthesia, shoving a hemorrhaging patient out the door in a wheelchair to bleed to death, massively overdosing a patient then leaving her unattended to lapse into a coma — we’re told that we’re not to let these “few bad apples” color our opinion of abortion practitioners in general. Think of the hundreds of abortionists who didn’t kill patients this year!
But when an abortionist gets shot, the perspective changes. Suddenly the act of JUST ONE PERSON is a reflection of the roughly 160 million other people who object to abortion. His actions are representative. All those antichoicers are JUST LIKE HIM. We’re not to look at the actions of the 160 million prolifers who have done nothing violent. We’re only to look at this one guy. He’s representative.
Ten dead patients a year aren’t a sign that abortionists are sloppy.
One dead abortionist every ten years, however, is a sign that prolifers are violent.
Which is just the sort of logic I’d expect from the movement that asserts that you honor motherhood by killing babies.
> Why the rush to link the entire pro life movement
> to this gunman who took the law into his own hands?
It’s not the entire pro-life movement, it’s the violent part of the pro-life movement which has been responsible for the following, since 1989:
24 murders and attempted murders
Nearly 200 bombings or attempted bombings
Thousands of cases of assault/burglary/stalking/etc Thousands more cases of hate mail/calls, etc, etc
If your path to changing the law means you have to kill people to do it, you’re the same as the 9/11 murderers.
Doug, now you are just being dishonest. The left has made it a point to paint ALL OF THEIR opponents with the psycho murderer brush. This is an attempt to silence us while they push their agenda. We know this and so do you. So please, go elsewhere to push your lies. I’m sure you’d be quite welcome at Megan McCain’s blog.
Who here wants to bet the lefties will refuse to accept responsiblity for their role in inciting the shooting at the recruiting station. Especially in light of all the military bashing over the past few years-even from DEM CONGRESSMEN.
The Muslim extremist that shot that recruiter is a home grown terrorist, action out of nothing but hate for the United States. The nut who killed the Dr. was motivated out of concern, however misguided, for the unborn.
Everyone knows that there exists an abortion debate, but there are many of people (slate!!) who think that there is no homegrown Muslim terror threat. After those 4 who were arrested in NY, and now this guy, I hope that it’s clear that one does, at long last, exist
I was living in Alabama when the abortion clinic in Birmingham was bombed. A retired police officer moonlighting as a security guard was killed and a nurse was severely injured. I can remember hearing the same kind of rhetoric about how the anti-choice beliefs foster violence. I remember listening to a report on NPR where the announcer said ‘Anti-abortion activists were quick to denounce this bombing but…’ They then went on to interview someone in the pro-choice movement who basically brushed aside all the denunciations of the violence and claimed that violence was an integral part of the ‘anti-choice’ movement.
I was back here in Missouri again when Eric Rudolph, the man responsible for the B’ham bombing, was arrested. I stopped dead in my tracks when the news announcer called him ‘pro-life.’ Calling him pro-life was a sneaky dirty trick, especially when the news media refuses to use the term except for when it suits them.