Violent protests, in the form of arson, firebombing, and vandalism started in the early
1970's in the U.S. Then, as now, most of the violence appears to be the acts of
religiously-motivated criminals
acting alone. However, recent cases involving the assassination and attempted murder of
abortion providers in both the U.S. and Canada have shown that perpetrators
appear to be
sheltered by a network of sympathizers.
In recent years, the term "anti-abortion" has been used to
identify individuals and groups which employ violence and murder to attain their political
ends. They are differentiated from the vastly larger "pro-life"
movement which rejects violence against persons and property. Both the pro-life and anti-abortion movements are motivated by one concept: that
human personhood begins at the instant of conception. From this
principle, it naturally follows that a newly fertilized ovum, an embryo and a
fetus are all human persons who should be granted the same rights, privileges
and protections as a child or adult. Some view an abortion clinic as the ethical equivalent of a
Nazi death camp.
The pro-choice movement generally teaches that the fetus becomes
a human
person later in gestation, when it loses its neck structures which resemble gill slits,
when it loses its tail, when it begins to look human,
is viable, is born, or at some other transition point between conception and
birth. From this viewpoint, a woman's access to a safe and affordable
early abortion is viewed as a human right.
Level of violence and harassment at abortion clinics
One source reported in late 1996, that there has been "over $13 million in
damage caused by violent anti-abortion groups since 1982 in over 150 arson attacks,
bombings, and shootings." 1
Many pro-choice individuals and groups blame these criminal acts on the most violent
extremists in the pro-life movement. Some believe that the violent rhetoric heard from
pro-lifers motivates the more radical pro-life fringe to resort to violence.
Many pro-life individuals and groups blame the violence on groups which are quite
separate from the pro-life movement -- people who have little regard for human life.
The National Abortion Federation reports "Incidents of Violence and
Disruption Against Abortion Providers" in the U.S. and Canada. 3
Their data for the past 16 years is shown below. The number of incidents of
picketing is also shown:
Murders, Attempted Murders
Bombing, Arson, Attempted Bombing or Arson
Invasion, Assault & Battery, Vandalism,
Trespassing, Death Threats,
Burglary, Stalking...
Hate Mail, Harassing Phone Calls, Bomb Threats...
Arrests Made at Blockades
Number of Blockades
Number of Incidents of Picketing
1989
0
11
66
51
12358
201
72
1990
0
14
60
32
1363
34
45
1991
2
10
83
157
3885
41
292
1992
0
32
221
1481
2580
83
2898
1993
2
20
430
650
1236
66
2279
1994
12
15
143
395
217
25
1407
1995
1
16
142
296
54
5
1356
1996
1
9
102
618
65
7
3932
1997
2
16
205
2908
29
25
7518
1998
3
10
127
946
16
2
8402
1999
0
10
326
1685
5
3
8727
2000
1
5
209
1031
0
4
8478
2001
0
5
7901
435
0
2
9969
2002
0
1
265
302
0
4
10241
2003
0
3
140
331
0
10
11244
20042
0
2
40
130
0
4
3445
Notes:
Includes 554 Anthrax hoaxes.
Partial data for 2004, as of 2004-SEP-16.
The "Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act of 1994", the FACE law, was signed into law in 1994. First-time offenders can
receive fines of $100,000 and jail sentences of up to one year. In 1994-JUL, the
U.S.
Department of Justice announced that federal marshals will provide protection to any
abortion clinic requesting it. These actions seem to have had a sudden dampening effect on the
number of blockades and the number of arrests at blockades. The anti-abortion movement seems
to have changed tactics, and engaged in hate letters, harassing phone calls,
bomb threats, etc. There has been a fairly steady rise in the number of
incidents of picketing.
The RICO law, which was originally aimed at combating organized crime, has been used
against organizers of abortion clinic blockades in the mid 1990's. More recently, RICO has been used against the Pro-Life RescueLeague
and Operation Rescue.
It is too early to reach a definite conclusion. However, data for the
year 2004 may indicate a lessening of blockades, arson, harassment and other
attacks on abortion clinics.
Multiple instances of anti-abortion violence in Florida:
Pensacola, FL: This city was a focal point for anti-abortion crimefrom mid 1984 to mid 1994: 9
1984-JUN: An abortion clinic was bombed
1984-DEC: The same clinic was bombed again
1986-MAR: A second clinic was broken into and vandalized; two female employees were
assaulted. John Burt, a former member of the KKK, and his daughter were tried and
convicted. John Burt became the local leader of Rescue America.
1993-MAR: Michael Griffin, allegedly a member of Rescue America, killed Dr. David Gunn outside an
abortion clinic. Griffin's lawyers claimed that Burt had brainwashed Griffin into
committing the killing. (There is a consensus among mental health professionals that this
sort of "Manchurian Candidate" programming is impossible). Griffin was
convicted and given a life sentence.
1994-JUL: Paul Hill, a former Presbyterian minister and leader in Defensive Action killed
a physician and bodyguard outside another abortion clinic; he wounded the wife of the
bodyguard. He was sentenced to both life imprisonment on federal charges, and execution on
state charges.
1994-AUG: Five KKK groups demonstrated adjacent to an abortion clinic in Melbourne FL.
They were opposed to abortions given to whites; they encourage abortions to persons of
other races. They named Hill their hero of the month.
The "killing season" in Canada and northern New York state:
Late October and early November esd referred to as the "killing
season" by some abortion-rights advocates. Abortion providers in northern
New York state and Canada were attacked on five of the six years from
1994 to 1998:
1994-NOV-8: Dr. Garson Romalis of Vancouver BC was shot in the leg.
1995-NOV-10: Dr. Hugh Short of Ancaster ON (Near Hamilton) was shot in the
elbow.
1996: No shootings occurred.
1997-OCT-28: A physician in Rochester NY received minor shrapnel wounds.
1997-NOV-11: Dr Jack Fainman of Winnipeg MN was shot in the shoulder.
1998-OCT-23: Dr Barnett Slepian from Amherst NY (near Buffalo) was murdered.
All five were shot through a glass window or door at their homes. Rewards
totaling $547,000 (about $365,000 in US funds) were offered by Canadian
authorities for information leading to the conviction of the person(s)
responsible. There is speculation that the timing of the shootings was tied to Remembrance
Day, celebrated in Canada on NOV-11, and to Veteran's Day celebrated in the U.S.
on the same day. This is the occasion when the country
remembers its war dead. The shooter in each case used a rifle, and shot from the
rear of the doctors' homes at dusk or in the evening. James Charles Kopp (a.k.a.
Atomic Dog) was indicted in 1999-JUN for the murder of Dr. Slepian. He was on the
FBI's "10 most wanted Fugitives" list for years until he was
arrested in France and returned to the U.S. for trial. It is obvious
that Kopp was helped to remain out of sight by an underground group.
In 2003-MAY, James Kopp was given the maximum sentence of 25 years to life in
prison for the Slepian murder. He claims that the death of Dr. Slepian was an
accident; he only meant to injure or disable him. Some speculate that Kopp was also responsible for
the other "killing season" attempted murders.
Other violence and harassment in Canada:
Long known for their love of peace and tranquility, Canadians
have not been immune to the abortion controversies. In addition to the attempted
murders cited above, there were other examples of violence and harassment:
1990-FEB: A clinic in Vancouver, BC was broken into in 1990; medical equipment was
destroyed.
1992-MAY: An explosion generated by a sophisticated gas weapon leveled the Morgentaler
abortion clinic in Toronto, ON.
During the late 1990's, two Canadian pro-life groups lost their charitable
status with Revenue Canada, because of excessive political activity. The Roman Catholic church withdrew its
funding of some pro-life groups after they started to cause disturbances in the neighborhoods of
abortion providers. Attendance at abortion protests now fail to
attract large numbers of supporters. They are reduced to the occasional
candlelight vigil.
Bioterrorism scares:
Between 1998 and 2000, more than 80 letters which threatened Anthrax
contamination were sent to U.S. clinics in 16 states. Anthrax is a potentially fatal
bacteria if its spores are inhaled into the lungs. All of the letters turned
out to be hoaxes.
Following the terrorist attacks on New York
City and Washington on 2001-SEP-11,similar Anthrax letters
started appearing in political offices and news media in New York, Washington, and other cities. Some
letters actually
contained the deadly bacteria.In late October, abortion clinics
in 13 states throughout the U.S. received about 150 letters marked "Time
sensitive security information enclosed" with return addresses from law enforcement groups.
They were mailed from five states. Inside was
a powder and a death-threat letter allegedly signed by the "Army of God."
That group allegedly advocates violence against abortion providers. Heather
Herndon, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania
said: "I absolutely believe it's the anti-choice extremists who are
taking advantage of our national crisis." As of OCT-17, four letters
had been given preliminary field tests and had been found to be hoaxes.
13
Resolution to clinic violence:
Since there appears to be no possibility of compromise on abortion access, the conflict between
pro-life and pro-choice groups in the U.S. will probably continue into the foreseeable future. This
will inspire anti-abortion radicals to continue attacks on people and facilities.
It is to be noted that the essentially all pro-life groups are opposed to violence.
Most groups that advocate violence tend to be small, often one person organizations.
Perpetrators of violent crimes often work independently. The U.S. Justice Department has
investigated attacks on clinics and has determined that no conspiracy is involved.
The American Life League has written a "Pro-life Proclamation Against Violence"
which was endorsed by 31 other pro-life groups by 1999-MAR-13. 10Neither RescueLeague nor Operation Rescue had signed
on.
This essay continues below.
Sponsored link:
Web sites allegedly promoting violence
Pro-Life Virginia - Army of God at
http://www.armyofgod.com/ This web
site quotes many biblical passages including:
Luke 22:36: "...he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment,
and buy one."
Jeremiah 48:10: "Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD
deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood."
Psalm 58:10: "The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the
vengeance:
he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked."
Someone, perhaps webmaster Rev. Donald Spitz, stated on the web site:
"I believe helpless babies deserve to be protected and defended from
those who plan to kill them - just like the people in the World Trade
Center deserved to be defended. If someone was able to stop the terrorists
before they were able to crash the plane into the World Trade Center, that
someone would be deemed a hero. In the same manner those who stop
babykilling [sic] abortionists from murdering innocent children are heroes."
The Christian Gallery at http://www.christiangallery.com/
promoted "God's plan for government [that] will one day be restored to its
rightful place of authority in the land you presently occupy." It had sections
of its Web page devoted to people and organizations that are leading this restoration. One
section, the Nuremberg files, was found guilty of threatening abortion providers and was
heavily fined. Their internet service provider removed the entire website in 1999-FEB. We
suspect that the individual web sites will reappear elsewhere on the Internet. Included in
the Christian Gallery were:
Pro-life Virginia at:
http://www.christiangallery.com/prolifeva/
(No longer online)
Their page had a large picture of Paul Hill, a former Presbyterian minister, who was
convicted of the murder of John Britton, an abortion provider in Pensacola FL. The caption
reads "American Hero"; they state that the reason why he is on death
row is that he saved "innocent babies from being murdered by babykilling [sic]
abortionist John Britton." No mention is made that Hill killed Dr. Britton, that
he killed a bodyguard Jim Barret, and wounded his wife.
"We the undersigned, declare the justice of taking all godly action necessary,
including the use of force, to defend innocent human life (born and unborn). We proclaim
that whatever force is legitimate to defend the life of a born child is legitimate to
defend the life of an unborn child."
They further state that the murder of Dr. Britton was "morally justified if it
was necessary for the purpose of defending innocent human life." The statement
was signed by a number of Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox pastors and priests,
heads of Christian and Pro-life groups, etc.
"There was a brief flurry of abortuary destruction in the early part of the
year (bringing joy to the hearts of those who pray for spiritual revival)...But it is
bothersome to be reminded of the call God has placed upon the lives of others. Paul Hill
has been sentenced to death. Apparently he was called [by God] to the sacrificial, public
witness he made...Paul Hill was called to abort the abortionist, and his wife and children
were called to suffer the loss of husband and father for righteousness sake...A righteous
man, our brother in the Faith, has been sentenced to die for doing justice and
showing mercy. He is to be executed for obedience to our Lord."
The site also has a letter from Paul Hill which describes his thought processes before,
during, and after the murder of an abortion provider and his bodyguard. When informed that
he would be charged with two counts of murder, he writes:
"I knew then I had accomplished my task. I continued to lift my heart to the
Lord, thankful for success. I had not failed in my errand and He had not failed me. The
Lord had done great things through me."
Later, he wrote:
"Much of the joy I felt after shooting the abortionist, and still feel today,
is the joy of having freely obeyed Christ after long being enslaved to fearful obedience
to men."
The Nuremberg Files at http://www.bestchoice.com/atrocity/
(now inactive) has been called "the most controversial" website
on the Net. 5 Neal Horsley leads a "coalition of
concerned citizens throughout the USA...[who are] cooperating in collecting dossiers on
abortionists in anticipation that one day we may be able to hold them on trial for crimes
against humanity." They patterned their web site name after the Nuremberg trials
after World War II when Nazi war criminals were tried for crimes against humanity. They
attempted to prepare files on all individuals that they term
"abortionists." These are people who conduct abortions, own clinics, or provide
protection to clinics. They included judges who interpret laws "authorizing
child-killing or oppressing pro-life activists" and politicians who create such
laws. Their web site contained lists of abortion providers, judges, legislators, spouses
etc. Included with many are their home and office addresses. Physicians who have been
murdered have had their names crossed off; Dr. Barnett Slepian of Amherst NY, who was
assassinated in late 1998-OCT is one. When a physician is injured, their name is grayed
out. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution commented: "Horsley's Web site, 'The
Nuremberg Files: Visualize Abortionists on Trial,' features images of fetus body parts
bordered by dripping blood and includes a list of doctors who perform abortions. Some
doctors' names are accompanied by personal information, such as photos, home addresses,
names of children and wives." The president of Planned Parenthood,
Gloria Feldt, accused the web site of inciting violence. A spokesperson for the
National
Abortion Federation, Sharon Lau, commented: "It may not come right out and say,
'Go out and kill these people,' but with the blood dripping around the list, I think it's
certainly implied."
The website was added to a list of threats against abortion providers
that formed part of a case against 12 pro-life activists and 2
pro-life organizations. On 1999-FEB-2, a federal jury found the
accused guilty and assessed damages of $108 million. The media
incorrectly linked the web site's owner, Neal Horsley of Carrollton,
GA, to the accused. In fact, there never was a judgment or injunction
against the website; there never was a connection between the
defendants and the website. The case had involved pictures of abortion
providers in the form of "wanted posters," that the
defendants allegedly distributed in 1995.
The Creator's Rights Party hosts The Christian Gallery where
the Nuremberg Files resided. Referring to the assassination of abortion clinic workers,
clinic bombing, etc, they state: "That violence exists because the violence
against the unborn creates a vortex of violence that, unless it is arrested will threaten
every person in the USA...the American Medical Association is leading this nation toward
its own destruction. To ignore the plight of the unborn child being slaughtered meets all
the criteria of a condition of mental illness called denial." 7This group is offering to hold public seminars which it calls "Post
Abortion Assassination Seminars" (PAAS). Their intent is to educate the public
with their beliefs.
California leads nation in violence:
A report prepared by the California Senate showed that abortion clinics in
that state were torched and bombed more than in any other state: 30 incidences
out of 224 crimes nationwide. Most of the clinics responding reported threats,
vandalism, assaults, blockades and other crimes from 1995 to 2000. 30% reported
that their personnel was "stalked, harassed, threatened and otherwise
targeted at their homes or in other places away from clinics and medical offices."
Other states with large numbers of attacks are: Florida with 19, Texas with 14,
New York with nine.
"Anti-Abortion Violence Movement," Office of International
Criminal Justice of the University of Illinois at Chicago at:
http://www.acsp.uic.edu/
Feminist Majority Foundation and New Media Publishing, Inc collects and
publishes data on the levels of violence at abortion clinics. See:
http://www.feminist.org/
National Abortion Federation maintains extensive clinic violence statistics at:
http://www.prochoice.org/
"Abortion battles move to the Net," USA Today, 1997-DEC-12.
Diane Lore, "Abortion foe reports anthrax threat," Atlanta
Journal-Constitution, 1998-NOV-11.
"AMA Response to Nuremberg Files Leads to Post Abortionist Assassination
Seminars (PAAS)," The Creator's Rights Party, at:
http://www.ama-assn.org/
Jeff Builta, "Anti-abortion violence movement increases,"
Office
of International Criminal Justice, at:
http://www.acsp.uic.edu/
Naral Fatchseets: "Clinic violence, intimidation and terrorism," at:
http://www.naral.org/
The text of the Pro-life Proclamation Against Violence is at:
http://www.all.org/ The
list of agencies that support this proclamation is at:
http://www.all.org/