The Issue
A 51-year-old man was in a Kansas jail Monday, charged with first-degree murder in the killing of a physician whose women's clinic frequently took center stage in the debate over abortion, authorities said.
Dr. George Tiller was shot and killed while serving as an usher at his Wichita, Kansas, church Sunday morning, according to police. Tiller was one of the few U.S. physicians who still performed late-term abortions and had survived a 1993 shooting outside his clinic.
Scott Roeder from the Kansas City, Kansas, area is being held without bond in the Sedgwick County Adult Detention Facility, according to the sheriff's office Web site. He is also charged with two counts of aggravated assault.
"This is a tragedy for the Tiller family. We feel so badly about that," Clarence Roeder, Scott's uncle, said in a statement provided to CNN affiliate KMBC. "That Scott would murder the doctor in the Lutheran Church. We are also Lutherans, and it adds a double touch of sadness and irony."
Roeder is expected to appear in court early this week, law enforcement officials said.
The attack drew condemnation from Tiller supporters, from some of those who tried to shut down his practice and from President Obama, who had urged Americans to seek "common ground" on the divisive issue just two weeks ago.
"However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence," Obama said in a statement issued by the White House.
The shooting prompted U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to direct federal marshals to "offer protection to other appropriate people and facilities around the nation," according to a statement from the Department of Justice. –CNN
My Issue
Personally, I do not believe in abortion. I believe it is morally wrong. On the other hand, purely speaking from a medical standpoint, I would rather have abortion preformed legally and in a safe environment than how they used to be performed prior to Wade vs. Roe. At least this way it can be watched and regulated, such as the procedure can only be performed within the first trimester. Past that, the fetus should be carried to full-term and the new born put up for adoption.
The tragedy in this endless debate also includes the murdering of Dr. Tiller. No matter which side of the debate one stands, murdering the doctor was equally wrong and does not help the pro-life movement, specially if the murderer had direct ties to the movement itself. The assassin should be charged with first degree murder and should be given the death penalty. Dr. Tiller did not deserve to have his life taken simply because we disagree with his practice. As long as he performed abortions legally and within the confines of the law, then he had every right to provide his services to those who chose to have the procedure done.
There is no easy answer to the abortion issue. As a country this issue will always be a hot topic and debated in the public arena until Wade vs. Roe is overturned or till the end of time. But one thing is clear, the debate must be clean and unsoiled on both sides, otherwise victory on either side will be bitter sweet. Personally, no matter how the issue is resolved, I don’t believe that there ever will be any happy endings.
A 51-year-old man was in a Kansas jail Monday, charged with first-degree murder in the killing of a physician whose women's clinic frequently took center stage in the debate over abortion, authorities said.
Dr. George Tiller was shot and killed while serving as an usher at his Wichita, Kansas, church Sunday morning, according to police. Tiller was one of the few U.S. physicians who still performed late-term abortions and had survived a 1993 shooting outside his clinic.
Scott Roeder from the Kansas City, Kansas, area is being held without bond in the Sedgwick County Adult Detention Facility, according to the sheriff's office Web site. He is also charged with two counts of aggravated assault.
"This is a tragedy for the Tiller family. We feel so badly about that," Clarence Roeder, Scott's uncle, said in a statement provided to CNN affiliate KMBC. "That Scott would murder the doctor in the Lutheran Church. We are also Lutherans, and it adds a double touch of sadness and irony."
Roeder is expected to appear in court early this week, law enforcement officials said.
The attack drew condemnation from Tiller supporters, from some of those who tried to shut down his practice and from President Obama, who had urged Americans to seek "common ground" on the divisive issue just two weeks ago.
"However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence," Obama said in a statement issued by the White House.
The shooting prompted U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to direct federal marshals to "offer protection to other appropriate people and facilities around the nation," according to a statement from the Department of Justice. –CNN
My Issue
Personally, I do not believe in abortion. I believe it is morally wrong. On the other hand, purely speaking from a medical standpoint, I would rather have abortion preformed legally and in a safe environment than how they used to be performed prior to Wade vs. Roe. At least this way it can be watched and regulated, such as the procedure can only be performed within the first trimester. Past that, the fetus should be carried to full-term and the new born put up for adoption.
The tragedy in this endless debate also includes the murdering of Dr. Tiller. No matter which side of the debate one stands, murdering the doctor was equally wrong and does not help the pro-life movement, specially if the murderer had direct ties to the movement itself. The assassin should be charged with first degree murder and should be given the death penalty. Dr. Tiller did not deserve to have his life taken simply because we disagree with his practice. As long as he performed abortions legally and within the confines of the law, then he had every right to provide his services to those who chose to have the procedure done.
There is no easy answer to the abortion issue. As a country this issue will always be a hot topic and debated in the public arena until Wade vs. Roe is overturned or till the end of time. But one thing is clear, the debate must be clean and unsoiled on both sides, otherwise victory on either side will be bitter sweet. Personally, no matter how the issue is resolved, I don’t believe that there ever will be any happy endings.
There are thousands of examples of violence comitted by pro choice/pro abortion people including pro choice activists. IF you go to abortionviolence.com you will see a listing of all the acts of violence committed by pro abortion people.
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