Who's the killer?

News reports say that many anti-abortion groups are backing away from the murder of Dr. Tiller, the abortion provider in Wichita who was gunned down in church. If you're in the anti camp, it makes a lot of sense to back away. The shots fired in the culture wars are becoming less frequent -- people become weary of battle, even those who are the most fervent fighters. And the actions of a crazy like Scott Roeder only reduce the credibility of the anti-abortion movement even further.

Still--there are those who are saying that Dr. Tiller brought it on himself by providing late-term abortions. They are getting attention because of the journalism-school mentality that asserts that there are always two sides to an issue. And there may be, but why give credibility to the kooks by suggesting that their hysteria is on a par with a reasoned complex opposition to abortion? This is like saying that Africans enslaved themselves or that people with aids deserved their fate. You get the analogy.

And has anyone noticed the irony that this devil incarnate was gunned down in church? Guess I'm behind in my study of church history. Last I checked, Lutherans were not devil worshippers. That in itself should give the yahoos pause--Christianity is not incompatable with being an abortion provider. As I recall, Jesus was particularly interested in inviting those whom society had rejected into his circle--money lenders, prostitutes, etc. Wonder what he'd say about abortion providers.

Enough irony. Where's the outrage? Muslims shooting, immigrants demanding rights--folks get mad and everyone thinks they are justified in doing something silly and violent. Respectable church going doctors getting gunned down in church? The anger is surprisingly muted, to say the least. It's as if people are not sure where they should stand on this and don't want to draw attention to themselves and their side of the argument by having the wrong opinion--so they have none.

And it's a cliche--but why are most of the anti-abortion leaders, spokespersons and shooters men? It can't have anything to do with the cracks in the facade of patriarchy, could it? Nah...