A movement of rightwing groups or individuals who can be broadly divided into those who are primarily hate-oriented, and those who are mainly antigovernment and reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority. This term also may refer to rightwing extremist movements that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.
Antigovernment conspiracy theories and “end times” prophecies could motivate extremist individuals and groups to stockpile food, ammunition, and weapons.
Dr. George Tiller was murdered entering his church in Wichita, Kansas on Sunday, May 31, 2009. His clinic performed late term abortions.
George Tiller was forced to install bullet proof glass at his clinic for protection. He was shot in both arms in 1993. Tiller’s clinic was bombed in 1995. Tiller often traveled with a bodyguard for protection.
In 2007, Dr. Tiller's facility was attacked by vandals who cut a hole in the ceiling, inserted a garden hose, and flooded part of the facility with several inches of water. They also attempted to seal the gates of the parking lot.
Since 1973, three physicians and four clinic workers in the U.S. have been killed by anti-abortion extremists. Five other physicians or clinic workers have been seriously injured in such attacks.
Police have arrested a suspect in the shooting of Dr Tiller, a Scott P. Roeder.
Those who know Roeder told The Kansas City Star that he believed killing abortion doctors was an act of justifiable homicide.
“I know that he believed in justifiable homicide,” said Regina Dinwiddie, a Kansas City abortion opponent who made headlines in 1995 when a federal judge ordered her to stop using a bullhorn within 500 feet of any abortion clinic. “I know he very strongly believed that abortion was murder and that you ought to defend the little ones, both born and unborn.”
Roeder was a subscriber to Prayer and Action News, a magazine that advocated the justifiable homicide position, said publisher Dave Leach, an abortion opponent from Des Moines, Iowa.
In recent years, someone using the name Scott Roeder had posted anti-Tiller comments on various Internet sites. One post, dated Sept. 3, 2007, and placed on a site sponsored by Operation Rescue called ChargeTiller.com, said that Tiller needed to be “stopped.”
On May 19, 2007, a person using the name Scott Roeder commented on an invitation by Operation Rescue to join an event being held May 17-20 in Wichita, “the ‘Nation’s Abortion Capital:
The post said: “(Bless) everyone for attending and praying in May to bring justice to Tiller and the closing of his death camp."
Sarah Palin says Bill Ayers was a domestic terrorist who bombed the Pentagon and other buildings.
In November 2008, Ayers told The New Yorker:
"While we did claim several extreme acts, they were acts of extreme radicalism against property,” and “We killed no one and hurt no one. Three of our people killed themselves.”
In an op-ed piece in the NYT, Bill Ayers stated:
"The Weather Underground went on to take responsibility for placing several small bombs in empty offices.... We did carry out symbolic acts of extreme vandalism directed at monuments to war and racism, and the attacks on property, never on people, were meant to respect human life and convey outrage and determination to end the Vietnam war."
Sarah Palin went on and on and on about president Obama's association with Bill Ayers during her vice presidential campaign, painting Ayers as Satan personified... for attacks on property, not people.
Yet she fails to see the anti-abortion groups that carry out similar attacks on property as domestic terrorists, even though people died or suffered terrible injuries in some of the incidents.
Sarah Palin's Twitter page doesn't show anything in reference to Dr Tiller's murder so far.
Sarah Palin's constant disrespect and aversion to the federal government, her association with end times churches and radical anti-abortion stance, coupled with inflammatory or deeply divisive rhetoric make her a much bigger threat to the country than Bill Ayers ever was.
UPDATE: Sarah Palin released a statement on SarahPac:
Governor Palin Statement on George Tiller
"I feel sorrow for the Tiller family. I respect the sanctity of life and the tragedy that took place today in Kansas clearly violates respect for life. This murder also damages the positive message of life, for the unborn, and for those living. Ask yourself, 'What will those who have not yet decided personally where they stand on this issue take away from today's event in Kansas?'
Regardless of my strong objection to Dr. Tiller's abortion practices, violence is never an answer in advancing the pro-life message."
It seems Sarah Palin is worried about the impact the murder will have on the pro-life movement. Other pro-lifers were more vocal and expressed their worries more openly.
Randall Terry, who runs "Operation Witness", an anti-abortion group, is concerned "that the Obama Administration will use Tiller's killing to intimidate pro-lifers."
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So according to Sarah, only attacks on the Capital and Pentagon are "terrorist acts"? What an idiot.
ReplyDeleteThe Army of God sees people who kill abortionists as martyrs and glorify them on their website (armyofgod.com). I've noticed that when rightwing blogs do mention Tiller's murder, it's usually illustrated with a picture of an unborn child and a long dirge on the horrors of late term abortion. The message is clear: We're required to say that murder is wrong, but we're glad this man is dead.
This country needs to do a 180 on its attitudes towards terrorists, because now that the right wing has lost power, the lunatic fringe they've whipped up are becoming more and more dangerous.
When Palin talks about a terrorist in Iraq and elsewhere outside of the U.S. she refers not only to those that attack Americans but those Iraqis that attack other Iraqis in order to forward their extreme agenda. These are terror tactics.
ReplyDeleteAn anti-abortion extremist who plots to kill a person or people connected with abortion or destroy a building housing abortion services is doing so to further an agenda. It is an act of terror, pure and simple. It goes beyond simply "murder".
Gov. Palin needs to come forward with a very clear statement about this. There can be no gray area and she needs to do it quickly because the abortion controversy is front and center with her. If she hasn't made a statement by later this afternoon she will have made a very bad call.
This is going to be a much talked about topic bringing in not only the standard abortion debate issues but also the new role of the extreme right and how the talk show hosts fuel the flames of some many volatile issues. As she is the darling of many of these talking head personalities and she is connected with churches that are quite vocal and aggressive in their views about abortion, she has got to step up to the plate and soon.
Did you see the description of the "Aglow" group of women that she met with on Sunday? She twittered about it. I guess they are very into ministering to Muslims and Jews. I guess they consider themselves way above those two groups of people and are trying to help them "find Christ." I can't stand the holier than thou attitude.......
ReplyDeleteIts fine to have your Christian beliefs, I TOTALLY respect that, but please do not tell me I am going to hell because I am Jewish, thank you very much!
Oh and about this, it is just is more proof of how much of an extremist Sarah Palin is. Thankfully the majority of Americans do not want extremists in higher office, so it is a matter of getting the word out.
Palin's issued a very short statement through her mouthpiece on the SarahPAC site about Tiller's murder:
ReplyDelete"I feel sorrow for the Tiller family. I respect the sanctity of life and the tragedy that took place today in Kansas clearly violates respect for life. This murder also damages the positive message of life, for the unborn, and for those living. Ask yourself, 'What will those who have not yet decided personally where they stand on this issue take away from today's event in Kansas?'
Regardless of my strong objection to Dr. Tiller's abortion practices, violence is never an answer in advancing the pro-life message."
Governor Sarah PalinIn other words, she's delivered a message only slightly toned-down from that of Randall Terry, the wingnut who runs the "Operation Witness" agitprop against abortion doctors -- a shrewd political move.
Randall Terry's only concern seems to be "that the Obama Administration will use Tiller's killing to intimidate pro-lifers."
I should hope so. Pro-lifers have a basic wrongheadedness that's so contrary to either the 10 Commandments or to the Golden Rule.
KaJo,
ReplyDeleteThanks. I updated the post with this new info.
Regina
KaJo said: Pro-lifers have a basic wrongheadedness that's so contrary to either the 10 Commandments or to the Golden Rule.
ReplyDeleteHmm. Might not want to paint ALL pro-lifers with the same brush--pro-choicers don't like to all be painted with the same brush, either, I would imagine. Part of that "do unto others" thing, I think. :)
Great article. you are always an interesting and informative read.
ReplyDeleteIf Palin wrote the press release all on her own, then I am a golden retriever. Compare to her op-ed last week in ADN. Impossible that she wrote that.
ReplyDeleteWho actually wrote that stsement attributed to GINO? Somehow, I do not believe it was she herself, but one of her mouthpieces.
ReplyDeleteI believe she is finally accepting SOME input and is keeping her loose trap more shut than before. She is finally coming to the conclusion that, IF she was to run in 2012, she will have to become a bit more mainstream, because having only the one hundred thousand or so sheeples that are hanging on her every word will not get her ANYwhere NEAR the nomination for the GOP even!
Sarah in SC said @ 01 June 2009 23:48 "Hmm. Might not want to paint ALL pro-lifers with the same brush--pro-choicers don't like to all be painted with the same brush, either, I would imagine. Part of that "do unto others" thing, I think. :)"You're right, of course, SarahSC. I should have said "domestic terrorist pro-lifers", or "murderous pro-lifers" or more benignly, "judgmental pro-lifers".That should be a LITTLE less inclusive... :)
ReplyDeleteInteresting what the various news media choose to put on. My local news had various clips, including a national right to life organization head stating that abortion is murder and Dr. Tiller was a mass murder, "not that I condone the murder of Dr. Tiller." They could have told the story with something a little less biased and a little less inflammatory.
ReplyDeleteWhen the Glen Becks go on their rants, and the Sarah Palins don't use their positions to call them on it, the violence will continue to escalate.
Regina a couple things. This weekend Palin is going to be honored by organizations for developmental disabilities like DS, I wonder how those groups would feel if they new about babygate or the rumour Trig is not getting best services now!!
ReplyDeleteSecond article in ADN says she is opting out of developing standards for educational testing.the purpose if this program would be to compare the knowledge level of Alaskan children to children in other states. Why wouldn't you want this info!! It's a good way to evaluate kids in comparison to other states! Doesn't she want this info?? Lots if good articles daily at goodle news
One more thanks. It's off topic but it's funny. Check out www.levijohnston.com. It says in big bold letters that it's a parody site but people write him as it's real!
ReplyDeleteLisabeth, indeed, why wouldn't the average Alaskan parent want this information?
ReplyDeleteWhat if the parents had to move out of Alaska because of the job situation, finding a job in a more populous and technologic state. Their kids would be at a severe disadvantage, I should think.
What does it take to "do the right thing" in Alaska, anyway?
(ha, ha, my WV is "bught" -- bought?)