June 1, 2009
In Kansas we've become so accustomed to hearing about George Tiller that it made for a surreal moment yesterday to read that he had been shot and killed. In a church, no less. Unfortunately, it's the biggest story out of Kansas since the evolution debacle.
Tiller's name had become familiar in recent years particularly because of Phill Kline's seemingly obsessive legal pursuits, but until yesterday I hadn't known that Tiller's expertise was rare as it is. Here's a good rundown from Slate about what made him unique in his field.
Sullivan has been posting pretty madly about it today. It's a good example of why I enjoy his blog enough to read it every day - he's presenting a lot of vastly different viewpoints on the shooting, from perhaps the only doctor which will now provide these abortions, to patients of Tiller's, and a girl that had at one point had been a longtime protester at his clinic. He seems to be largely staying out of it (though he does call the act of killing Tiller Christianist terrorism), preferring to hit all angles as he does with this roundup of reactions.
Ezra Klein also hits a core issue straight on regarding the true effects of Tiller's murder:
Tiller was murdered so that those in his line of work would be intimidated. In conversations with folks yesterday, I heard well-meaning variants on the idea that it would be unseemly to push legislation in the emotional aftermath of Tiller's execution. I disagree. Roeder was acting in direct competition with the United States Congress. And it's quite likely that he changed the status quo. Legislative language and judicial rulings had made abortive procedures legal and thus accessible. Yesterday's killing was meant to render abortive procedures unsafe for doctors to conduct and thus inaccessible.
Nobody is going to gloat over Tiller's death - even resident lunatic Michelle Malkin decries what happened as a terrorist act.
The murder was a shocking event, but at the same time my thoughts somewhat align with this writer when I wonder at how this happens as rarely as it does (I read somewhere that four doctors in 30 years have been killed?). To someone that feels really passionately pro-life, these doctors are killing agents, and in their minds a protest is the least they can do to save lives. Threats (most of them empty) might also seem like the least one can do. I'm certainly not defending any kind of threats against these doctors, but in light of the kind of conviction that a lot of abortion opponents feel, that more doesn't happen is almost surprising. Most of these people are not violent, but apparently it only takes a couple of really gruesome acts against doctors to limit this practice to only a few clinics in the country. I also don't pretend to have any idea of what the cajoling of advocacy groups or television hosts actually does to abortion opponents - it definitely doesn't encourage rationality, but I hardly think Bill O'Reilly is responsible for this.
I think it might be more akin to what Janet Napolitano was talking about when she controversially brought up right-wing extremism back in April.
Tiller had a lot of fortitude to continue practicing after being shot, and becoming subject to constant threats and incessant litigation. He had conviction, too. You can hear him in his own words here.
Comments
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alm77 (anonymous) says...
It may not go away, but I would bet it will become more rare. First of all, the President was right on track with his speech at Notre Dame. Also, more Americans are becoming more educated regarding prenatal life and the exact procedures of abortion (thanks to articles like the one you referenced), and those on the right are becoming more moderate regarding birth control.
This murder was awful, no doubt, but I do think the resurgence of information accompanied by this direct effect of hate speech may be the catalyst for both sides peacefully coming to a consensus (more than likely centered around birth control). It can no longer be simple slogans and ideologies. Yes, there will still be extremists on both sides, but my hope is that the issue becomes less polarizing, less political, and more centered around prevention of pregnancy and support for the unexpectedly expecting. There will come a point when we've turned a corner.
June 2, 2009 at 11:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gavon (Gavon Laessig) says...
If I can put on my purely political pundit hat for a moment…
I once spoke to a very prominent Democrat who was convinced that the constant obsession with abortion to the exclusion of all other issues "crippled" the Republican Party. He was talking about Kansas politics, specifically Phill Kline's political flame-out and a divided state party, but it can be applied nationally. This incident couldn’t come at a worse time for moderate Republicans, who are attempting to rebrand the party as post-Bush and post-culture war.
Everyone with a sliver of sanity, regardless of political affiliation, has rightfully condemned this action. But the Republican Party has so closely aligned itself with the anti-abortion movement that it’s difficult to escape the repercussions of negative optics.
The increased desperation in the anti-abortion movement can be viewed as another example of the spike in right-wing vitriol since Obama’s election. It’s a more extreme iteration of the sentiment you find in the Tea Party crowd and the “He’s gonna take my guns!” crazies. If Republicans don’t distance themselves from these fringe elements, and flame-fanning mouthpieces like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, they’re soon going to be culturally extinct.
On a personal level, if the heated rhetoric doesn’t tamp down, I have to wonder how long before we have another Oklahoma City incident on our hands.
June 2, 2009 at 3:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dolores2175 (April Fleming) says...
Gavon, that worries me too. It makes me worry for Obama himself.
I've been wavering back and forth on how much responsibility can be attributed to crowds that seemingly egg these people on, like Operation Rescue and Bill O'Reilly. We can't and shouldn't prevent them from saying what they want, but to some extent it has to be encouraging to some of the more desperate elements.
June 2, 2009 at 4:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
alm77 (anonymous) says...
"the constant obsession with abortion to the exclusion of all other issues "crippled" the Republican Party" - I agree. I know plenty of Pro-Life people who voted for Obama (myself included) because of two things, one being the "exclusion of all other issues" that you mentioned and two the fact that our last "pro-life" President not only didn't change anything on the abortion front, but had no problem sending 18 year olds to die in Iraq.
June 2, 2009 at 6:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
DOTDOT (anonymous) says...
Part of the danger is making too much of this guy.
"Roeder was acting in direct competition with the United States Congress."
Oh, come on.
June 4, 2009 at 1:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )