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News and commentary from the Pro-Life Action League
News and commentary from the Pro-Life Action League
Today a jury in Wichita, Kansas took only 37 minutes to find Scott Roeder guilty of first degree murder for shooting abortionist George Tiller back on May 31. Along with every other major pro-life organization, the Pro-Life Action League swiftly condemned Tiller’s murder. There is no place for violence in our peaceful movement to restore respect for the lives of unborn babies.
Shortly after the verdict was announced, I received a call from CBS radio asking for comments, and I’d like to share those reflections here.
I told the CBS reporter that I was gratified to see justice done in this case—Scott Roeder deserves to be punished for his heinous act of violence. I noted that the CBS reporter seemed to take it for granted that we pro-lifers are opposed to violence. Throughout this whole episode, the mainstream media have resisted the temptation to link legitimate pro-life activists with the likes of Roeder. That’s a significant positive development.
I went on to explain that we’re working towards the day when the lives of unborn babies are valued by our justice system just the same as the life of abortionist George Tiller was. Despite the heinous way he earned a living, George Tiller’s life deserved to be respected, and our laws recognize that. The lives of innocent unborn babies deserve the same respect within our system of laws.
We can expect our opponents in the pro-abortion choice camp to cynically use today’s verdict in an attempt to demonize the pro-life movement—anything to draw attention away from the violence of abortion. But our fellow Americans are beginning to realize that our movement is peaceful, and our dedication to unborn babies and their mothers and fathers is sincere.
More and more they’re agreeing with us on abortion. And that trend will continue long after the man on the street has forgotten the names of George Tiller and Scott Roeder.
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While I agree with your editorial I hope that a priest visits this man and shows him the way to repentance. Killing Tiller was not the answer but it is very easy to understand his frustration with our lack of care for babies. We have certainly gone wrong when we buy into the lie that killing a baby is alright. Lord help us all. But Lord show this man mercy who was wrong in what he did despite the fact that what motivated him, the love for babies, was right.
CDL
Posted January 29, 2010 at 5:36 pm
I believe what we seem to fail at, quite often, as people working for the pro-life cause is the fact that counseling is needed on a wide spread basis. Therapy for the Scott Roeder’s. People who become obsessed on the idea that normal human beings could murder the tiniest and most innocent of beings. Obsessed to the point of unreason. There must be indicators showing instability. Just as the unfortunate women who have miss-carried or aborted (and the men in their lives), struggle with that decision for rest of their lives, these individuals need professional help. Remembering we are motivated by HIS love. And at times it is difficult to maintain composure. Maybe if we could identify some of those truly harsh critics and try to explain the fact that God still loves these people too. In spite of the fact of their horendous actions.
Posted January 29, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Actions like those of Roeder’s tend to set the pro-life movement back, and result in many more abortions. And the ironic part of this particular event is that Kathleen Sebelius tried to keep Tiller from receiving the justice he deserved. Had she stayed out of it, Tiller might be alive today.
I’d like to address this from a legal point of view for a minute. There is something in law called justification. From what I know of this case, Roeder tried to assert justification, but apparently his lawyer didn’t cooperate. It would make a good appealable issue, and could even serve to reverse Roe v. Wade. But unless the record is established, it can’t be appealed. Roeder tried to do that. Justification statutes allow a person to use force, even deadly force, to protect innocent persons from violence. The place where the law goes wrong is that it doesn’t recognize the personhood of the unborn. If it did, two things would be true. First, the unborn would be protected so that nobody would feel compelled to do what Roeder did. Second, if it did come to that, Roeder would be able to plead justification successfully. But the law of justification tends to have several features that would possibly prevent it from applying. I’m not saying these features are right, but just that this is the way it is. One is that in order to be justified, a person must stop someone with force at the time an innocent person is in immediate danger. An abortionist in church isn’t posing an immediate risk to an unborn child. Repeated acts of violence on numerous occasions, with promise of more of the same, aren’t usually recognized. Women who get beaten repeatedly by their husbands and then kill them at another time rarely can plead justification successfully. The other thing is that a person must use the minimum force necessary to stop the violent person from acting. In this case, it would seem to me that it would be sufficient force to kidnap Tiller and cut off his thumbs, so that he would become incapable of doing abortions.
I’m not saying that Roeder was justified. I don’t think he was, simply because he used excessive force, if for no other reason. And I do not approve of vigilante action under any circumstances. All too often, people like Roeder will try to justify their actions from the Bible. This makes me feel a sense of outrage. Vengeance is God’s, and God will deal with people like Tiller. Given the current situation, murdering an abortionist really doesn’t even stop any abortions in the short run, because there are always other abortionists who are willing to take over where they left off. I also will have absolutely nothing to do with anyone who commits an act such as this, or anyone who aids and comforts them. That’s where I stand. I just wanted people to know some of the things most people are unaware of.
This atrocious war on mothers and their babies will be ended when the hearts of the people are on the side of both of them. When people realize how badly abortion hurts WOMEN, they will support laws that protect women from abortionists. Acts of violence against abortionists are counter-productive. I think a case can be made that each act of violence sets us back by a year or more, resulting in a million or more senseless slaughters. Some abortionists are repenting and coming to Christ. They are helping to reverse this abominable situation. I understand that one abortionist was on the verge of renouncing abortion, and coming to Christ when he was killed. We need to recognize that Jesus died for them, too, and that in God’s eyes, we are ALL sinners and deserving of eternal punishment. Even though they refuse to show mercy, we must.
In other words, I can’t see a single argument in favor of what Roeder did.
Posted January 30, 2010 at 12:08 am
Roeder’s attorney gave justification a shot, it was their only shot. Fact is, it was at best a futile propaganda ploy at ‘getting his opinion across.’ It was no different than a bunch of Islamic maniacs who believe themselves on a ‘holy mission’ because of some imman to try to kill a bunch of Western ‘infidels,’ in order to ’strike a blow against America killing innocent lives in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, take your choice. Endorsing or attempting to rationalize bestial actions ‘for a greater good’ lie at the heart of every dystopic and fascist state. There is a reason we kept ‘freedom of religion’ central to the forming of this great nation. Rabid kooks like Roeder should be abjured and treated for what they are psycho, rabid, psychopaths. Don’t be seduced by the romance of simplicity and conviction. Life is full of complex and nuanced choices and the closer to realizing that and the humbler you can make yourself in the face of the vastness of the the universe the more truly respectful of life you can inspire others to be. But use inspiration, not bullets. Persuasion, not coercion. And grow from frustration, don’t kill because of it. Frankly I can’t understand why the jury took 37 minutes instead of 1 minute, which is about ten times more time than it took this nut job to take the life of another human being with a rifle, in a church.
Posted January 30, 2010 at 11:26 am
I just pray to God for Scott Roeder and George Tiller’s souls. May the former know Christ and prayerfully the latter knew him before he died. Although I can’t condone what Scott did, situations like this leave me to think about the days of slavery. How many slaves broke the law by running to freedom or even being pushed to kill their slave owners? We don’t learn from history. We only repeat it.
Posted January 30, 2010 at 2:26 pm
[...] the Pro-Life Action League blog, Eric Scheidler sees a silver lining in the Scott Roeder case: Throughout this whole episode, [...]
Posted February 2, 2010 at 2:38 pm
“In other words, I can’t see a single argument in favor of what Roeder did.”
Posted by PatJanuary 30, 2010 at 12:08 am
Pat, what about the lives of the late term babies Roeder saved. The ones Tiller would have killed if he were allowed to continue. Wouldn’t that be a compelling argument for what Roeder did?
Posted February 2, 2010 at 11:50 pm
As long as there are wacko fringe late term minor molesting without parental consent pro-aborts there will be people who they rub the wrong way.
Posted February 2, 2010 at 11:54 pm
TruthSeeker—
What babies did Scott Roeder save from abortion? Tiller’s pals Warren Hern and Leroy Carhart were ready and waiting to swoop in and do the abortions he had scheduled — and collect the heft fee.
Given the persistent pro-life presence at Tiller’s Wichita abortuary, these babies’ mothers may have had less an opportunity to be reached before going through with the abortion, thanks to Roeder.
And instead of Tiller going down through legal means—and he was really on the run before he was killed—he’s become a hero. Hern and Carhart are being hailed, too.
How does that help save babies?
—Eric Scheidler
Posted February 3, 2010 at 10:51 am
Eric,
Carhart and Hern would be killing elsewhere if they weren’t going after Tiller’s “clients”. Logically, without Tiller on this earth there are two less hands killing babies, which means that it helped save babies lives? If nothing else then the lives of the babies scheduled to be killed on the week after his murder were likely saved. And I can’t see how the pro-aborts can gain public support by making a late term abortionist a “martyr” for their cause, their is no way to put a good face on late-term abortion.
Do you have any real numbers about the number of abortions performed at the mill in Wichita? How many were there in the months leading up to what Roeder did, and how many in the months since?
Truthseeker
Posted February 4, 2010 at 10:44 am
TruthSeeker,
Your comment about ‘Roeder killing Tiller saves babies lives’ is not a fact. No one can ever find a good enough reason to justify murder. Murder can’t be justified. Murder is taking the life of another person, no matter who that person is or what they do. Murder is never right and it will never be right. Roeder killing Tiller does not help save babies lives.
Posted February 5, 2010 at 6:58 pm
I know Jesus would do something if he saw a PP on the corner in Jerusalem and women going in and killing His children. He was pissed at their hypocritical religious practices turning over tables and hitting people with his cords around the Temple.
What would He have done? Something more than the nothing I see people stand idly by and let happen.
Posted February 5, 2010 at 7:31 pm
Prolife4Life I stand by my statement that Roeder killing Tiller saved babies lives. If you have contrary numbers on the # of abortions performed at that clinic prior to and since Roeder and can provide them then provide them; but I find it h your claim that it has not made a difference at that clinic hard to believe.
Posted February 6, 2010 at 2:18 pm
My conclusion surrounding this episode is that justice has been done; we must continue to pray, not as we have, but strengthen our prayer so that episodes like this do not occur.
Posted February 7, 2010 at 10:20 am
This should be reminder that the only legal way to change immoral public policy is by electing Christians to Public Office.
Every Christian must vote and must encourage fellow Christians to become political candidates.
The only thing necessary for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing.
Posted April 2, 2010 at 7:32 am