Killer killed
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| Sun, 05-31-2009 - 4:39pm |
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090531/D98HDH9G0.html
Abortion doc George Tiller gunned down at church
By ROXANA HEGEMAN
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Late-term abortion doctor George Tiller, a prominent advocate for abortion rights wounded by a protester more than a decade ago, was shot and killed Sunday at a church in Wichita where he was serving as an usher and his wife was in the choir, his attorney said.
Tiller was shot during morning services at Reformation Lutheran Church, attorney Dan Monnat said. Police said a manhunt was under way for the shooter, who fled in a car registered to a Kansas City suburb nearly 200 miles away.
National anti-abortion groups had long focused on Tiller, whose Women's Health Care Services clinic is one of just three in the nation where abortions are performed after the 21st week of pregnancy.
In 1991, the Summer of Mercy protests organized by Operation Rescue drew thousands of anti-abortion activists to this city for demonstrations marked by civil disobedience and mass arrests.
Some abortion opponents had resorted to attacks against Tiller long before Sunday's shooting. A protester shot Tiller in both arms in 1993, and his clinic was bombed in 1985.
Anti-abortion group Operation Rescue issued a statement denouncing the shooting.
"We are shocked at this morning's disturbing news that Mr. Tiller was gunned down," said Troy Newman, Operation Rescue's president. "Operation Rescue has worked for years through peaceful, legal means, and through the proper channels to see him brought to justice. We denounce vigilantism and the cowardly act that took place this morning."
Capt. Brent Allred said Wichita police were looking for a gunman who fled in a 1993 light blue Ford Taurus registered in the Kansas City suburb of Merriam, Kan. No other details about the shooting were immediately released.
The phone line at the home of Tiller and wife, Jeanne, had a busy signal Sunday.
Tiller began providing abortion services in 1973. He acknowledged abortion was as socially divisive as slavery or prohibition but said the issue was about giving women a choice when dealing with technology that can diagnose severe fetal abnormalities before a baby is born.
"Pre-natal testing without pre-natal choices is medical fraud," Tiller once said.
After the 1991 protests, Tiller kept mostly to his heavily guarded clinic, although in 1997 he opened it to three tours by state lawmakers and the media.
Tiller remained prominent in the news, in part because of an investigation started begun by former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline, an abortion opponent.
Prosecutors had alleged that Tiller had gotten second opinions from a doctor who was essentially an employee of his, not independent as state law requires. A jury in March acquitted Tiller of all 19 misdemeanor counts.
"I am stunned by this lawless and violent act, which must be condemned and should be met with the full force of law," Kline said in a written statement. "We join in lifting prayer that God's grace and presence rest with Dr. Tiller's family and friends."
Abortion opponents also questioned then-Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' ties to Tiller before the Senate confirmed her this year as U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary. Tiller donated thousands of dollars to Sebelius over the years.

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Apparently, Tiller was a member of the Reformation Lutheran church he attended.
Does God communicate with you personally and specifically (perhaps in burning bushes or with tablets of stone) to enable sweeping comments about who's following God's laws?
I have often found that those who purport to speak in the name of the Supreme Deity, believe that they, and they alone, know the mind of God. Pretty presumptuous and arrogant, IMHO.
Jabberwocka
Indeed, it would be a waste of time--so one wonders why you would summarily and unilaterally make a pronouncement to "just don't confuse it with a Lutheran church"; apparently solely on the basis that "they wouldn't have had a practicing abortionist as a church usher."
The Lutheran church is NOT only Missouri Synod. ELCA churches are Lutheran. The Reformation Lutheran Church must consider itself Lutheran as well, though they clearly didn't consult with you first to see whether the nomenclature and credo were in line with your belief system.
BTW, I was baptized and raised Missouri Synod. They were too interested in discriminating on the issue of who could take communion and who could belong to the church, and what "belonging" would entail, for me to remain as an adult.
Last time I looked in the New Testament, Jesus was quite willing to allow any followers of faith, regardless of whether they had attended confirmation or conversion classes. On the other hand, the church and its schools were sticklers for being versed in both scripture and dogma. If you want to talk Lutheranism, bring it on.
Jabberwocka
No, she doesn't.
More properly, a fully licensed physician who had committed no crime was murdered by a pro-life activist associated with Operation Rescue.
Makes a difference when you put it in proper context, doesn't it?
And that's the truth of it!
'preborn'...sigh...
Dr. Tiller provided LEGAL medical procedures for women.
What Tiller did was "perfectly legal" and "by the standards of many here.....nothing wrong" with his occupation or actions (to paraphrase). Yet you used thread title phrasing which indicated otherwise. Double standard, seemingly.
As far as Biden or Clinton endorsing the "pre-emptive" invasion of Iraq, I'm not partisan enough to consider their words as warrant or justification. Ditto any support they may have from Obama. The war was instigated, without sufficient cause, by BushCo. Hundred thousands have died or been wounded. Fully sentient, fully formed.
Grossly immoral and grievously injurious to our reputation, both from the standpoint of morality and from the standpoint of efficacy. Not only was the invasion unwarranted, we couldn't manage to quell resistance and institute "democracy". Lose, lose from loser (and killer) George.
Jabberwocka
No, he killed him (or is under suspicion of doing so.) Murder is a legal term, and the alleged killer has not yet been convicted of this crime.
Mr Tiller killed pre-born children. He was never convicted of any illegality in his killing.
Mr Tiller killed pre-born children. His actions were legal under our laws. I made no reference to illegal killing, can't really as Mr Tiller was never to my knowledge convicted of a crime. He was still a killer.
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