Dr. George Tiller Dead: 'Christians, the Far Right, are to Blame'

It hasn't taken long to find out who is to blame for the murder of Dr. George Tiller. In the eyes of the self-defined best and brightest, at any rate.

I've looked over a few op-ed pieces this morning. No surprises there.

Apparently, the 'real' killer isn't Scott Roeder. He's just the tool who pulled the trigger. It's those right-wing extremists (guardian.co.uk), the "hate filled rhetoric of Randall Terry and the Operation Rescue protestors" and particularly "the hate, the bile and the ragged edge of the American radical Christian movement." (counterpunch)

Murder Isn't Nice

Before going on, my view, based on the teachings of the Catholic Church, is this: Murder isn't nice, and you shouldn't do it.

America, Murder, Law, and the Propriety of Killing Babies

What Dr. George Tiller did wasn't, going strictly by the laws of the United States of America, as determined by the Supreme Court, murder.

America is a nation whose highest legal authority created a right for mothers to kill their children, provided they had the job done before a certain age: and whose laws and institutions have protected that right for about four decades.

I'm one of those people who think that killing babies is wrong. But, in America, it isn't murder. It's a "constitutional" right that women have. And, of course, "high-quality health care" providers like Dr. Tiller are simply, from a legal point of view, providing a service to women who don't feel like being mothers at the moment.

As I said, I think that killing babies is wrong. But, in America, women have the right to have their babies killed.

Feelings, the Will, and Murder

The lack of fit between my values, and those of America's dominant culture, legal system and government, is uncomfortable at best.

I wouldn't, I pray, lose sight of my beliefs to the point that I would defy Catholic teaching on murder and vigilantism. (June 1, 2009)

The death of babies at the hands of Dr. George Tiller and other abortionists is wrong. I think I can understand how knowing about someone who made a career out of killing babies might make another person angry. I'm not too happy about what Dr. Tiller chose to do with his life, training, and skills, myself.

But, killing Dr. George Tiller was objectively wrong: and it shouldn't have been done. Feeling stressed is one thing. Deciding to go out and kill somebody is something else.

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Dr. Tiller's death may have come at an opportune time for his clinic.

Even abortionists have to follow some rules. Dr. Tiller and his clinic may have broken some. Apparently, "...the central pending complaint was Tiller violated state abortion law by not obtaining an independent review by a second doctor of proposed late-term abortion. A jury in Wichita acquitted him of similar criminal charges in March...." (The Topeka Capital-Journal)

With Dr. Tiller gone, there's a very good chance that his Women's Health Care Services can carry on his work: unimpeded by the fuss raised by past faux pas.¹

Related posts:

• "Dr. George Tiller, 'Domestic Terrorists and Violent Racketeers,' and Reality"
  (June 1, 2009)
• "Pro-Life People - 'Domestic Terrorists and Violent Racketeers': Who Knew?"
  (June 1, 2009)
• "Dr. George Tiller Murdered: Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right"
  (May 31, 2009)
• "Fear of Right-Wing Extremism: Commie-Hunting in Reverse"
  (April 19, 2009)
• "Capital Punishment: for Troy Davis, it's Personal"
  (April 18, 2009)
• "Pro-Life? You May be a Dangerous Domestic Terrorist! MIAC Says So"
  (March 23, 2009)
• "Conservative? Liberal? Democrat? Republican? No, I'm Catholic"
  (November 3, 2008)
• "Life: It's a Single Issue, and an Important One"
  (November 2, 2008)
• "Capital Punishment: Killing Those Who Deserve to Die"
  (October 2, 2008)

News and views:

• "My Experience with Dr. Tiller"
  counterpunch (June 2, 2009)
• "The far-right's violent return"
  guardian.co.uk (June 2, 2009)
• "KFL: Stick with Tiller probe"
  The Topeka Capital-Journal (June 1, 2009)
• "Tiller a murderer? Really? According to what law?"
  Daily Kos (June 1, 2009)
• "Doctor’s Killer Is Not Alone in the Blame, Some Say "
  The New York Times (June 1, 2009)
• "U.S. Bishops Express 'Profound Regret' about Shooting Death of Abortion Doctor"
  United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (June 1, 2009)
• "CATHOLIC BISHOPS ADDRESS THE MURDER OF
  DR. GEORGE TILLER"
  Kansas Catholic Conference (June 1, 2009)
• "Tiller murder evokes heightened conflict between opposing groups"
  Pamela Luther, Chicago Roman Catholic Examiner (June 1, 2009)
• "Statement on the Killing of George Tiller"
  Priests for Life (undated, apparently June 1, 2009)
• "Dr. Alveda King – Sorrow that Dr. Tiller Didn't Live to Repent"
  Fr. Frank Pavone's Blog (June 1, 2009)

More, about Dr. George Tiller's murder:

• "Dr. George Tiller's Murder Link Page"