Tiller's Killer Advances the Cause of Violence

Someone shot and killed George Tiller this morning, and that's about the worst thing that could have happened.

Tiller was world famous as the abortionist who "invented" the procedure known as "partial birth." You probably know how it works. It's basically infanticide masquerading as a medical procedure, its legality hanging on the slender threads of permissibility granted by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Tiller would all but deliver a child into the world, leaving only the head inside the mother, then would use scissors to kill the child, vacuum suction to eradicate the brains, and forceps to crush the skull, the remainder then evacuated.

It was, and is, a particularly heinous way to kill unwanted children who, in many if not most cases, would probably survive outside the womb. It's a very, very "late" term abortion.

I didn't care much for George Tiller. I thought he belonged in a prison cell. Unfortunately the State of Kansas brought a particularly weak prosecution against him earlier this year -- no real surprise there, given Tiller's generous political contributions to people like former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. Tiller was absolved in that case, pretty much ruling out any further legal action against him.

Miscarriage of justice? Probably, but these things happen in a free society. It's the price we pay for making sure that no group or government ever runs roughshod over everyone else.

Most pro-life people understand this. They also understand that the real fight against abortion is not in the court systems or the legislatures. It's a spiritual battle against Satan and his minions. Our weapon of choice is prayer, and it's much more powerful than injunctions, subpoenas, indictments.

Or guns.

Someone took it upon themselves to circumvent all of us, pro-choicers and pro-lifers. Acting as judge, jury and executioner, they gunned Tiller down as he was doing his duty as an usher inside a church. (A church, for the love of God!)

By doing so, they became part of the very evil they probably sought to stop. Killing is not the antidote to killing.

By doing so, they denied George Tiller the possibility that in this life he might come to regret his actions and repent. Other abortionists have done so. With time and much prayer, perhaps Tiller himself could have been saved.

By doing so, they make it much more likely that government actions will be taken to strengthen and protect abortion. The entire pro-life movement will pay a price for this evil. This death will make Tiller a martyr for the cause of killing more babies in the name of reproductive freedom, and it will make our legitimate, peaceful cause much more difficult to achieve. This event will be used as an excuse to tar and feather the pro-life movement, especially if the gunman claims to be a Christian.

More than likely someone will step up to replace Tiller at his "practice," and so the killing of innocents will not abate for long, if at all. It merely cements attitudes and makes it that much more difficult to convert hard hearts.

The shooter has been caught, although no details have been released about this person. They will be tried. I hope that not a penny of pro-life money goes to defend him (or her), for that would not be proper. Let them use a public defender, or pay for their own attorney. Let justice be done. The only certainty is that they will be treated better than they themselves treated George Tiller. And better than Tiller treated the unborn who came to his clinics.

This is a tragedy, and there is no way to put a happy face on any facet of it.