Sarah Palin and the Anti-Abortion Terrorists

Sarah Palin gave anti-abortion terrorists 'a wink and a nod.'
by MissLaura / October 25, 2008

Terrorism:

n. The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.

Sarah Palin, as Meteor Blades wrote, gave anti-abortion terrorists a wink and a nod when she refused to use the word "terrorist" to describe clinic bombers.

At Blue Hampshire, Mike Caulfield has a list of their victims:

Donald L. Catron
Claudia Gilmore
Shot 12/28/91 at
Central Health Center for Women in Springfield, Missouri
Victims: Wounded

Dr. David Gunn
Shot 3/10/93 at clinic in Pensacola, Florida
Victim: Murdered

Dr. George Tiller
Shot 8/19/93 at clinic in Wichita, Kansas
Victim: Wounded

Dr. Wayne Patterson
Shot in Mobile, Alabama
Victim: Murdered

Dr. John Britton
James Barrett
June Barrett
Shot 7/29/94 outside clinic in Pensacola, Florida
Victims: Murdered (John and James) and wounded (June)

Dr. Garson Romalis
Shot 11/8/94 at home in Vancouver, British Columbia
Victim: Wounded
Terrorist: At large.

Shannon Lowney
Leanne Nichols
Shot 12/30/94 at clinics in Brookline, Massachusetts
Victims: Murdered
Terrorist: John Salvi.

Anjana Agrawal
Antonio Hernandez
Brian Murray
Jane Sauer
Richard J. Seron
Shot 12/94 at clinics in Brookline, Massachusetts
Victims: Wounded

Dr. Hugh Short
Shot 11/10/95 at home in Ancaster, Ontario
Victim: Wounded

Dr. Calvin Jackson
Stabbed 12/96 outside the Orleans Women's Clinic in New Orleans, Louisiana
Victim: Wounded

Unidentified Victims
4-7 victims of 2 bombs 1/16/97 outside the Northside Family Planning Services clinic near Atlanta, Georgia
Victims: Wounded

Unidentified Doctor
Shot 10/28/97 at home in Perinton, New York
Victim: Wounded

Dr. Jack Fainman
Shot 11/11/97 at home in Winnipeg, Manitoba
Victim: Wounded

Officer Robert Sanderson
Bombed 1/29/98 outside New Woman, All Women Health Care Clinic in Birmingham, Alabama
Victim: Murdered

Emily Lyons
Bombed 1/29/98 outside New Woman, All Women Health Care Clinic in Birmingham, Alabama
Victim: Wounded

Dr. Barnett Slepian
Shot 10/23/98 at home in Amherst, New York
Victim: Murdered

What's chilling is that that list was compiled from an anti-abortion site. As Mike pointed out to me in an email, when people look at the escalating rhetoric around the McCain-Palin campaign and directed at Obama, and say "this could lead to violence," they ignore that it has already led to violence.

Clinic bombers and shooters don't just intend to kill or maim -- they intend, entirely literally, to terrorize. To make others too fearful to provide or seek abortions. It is an act of violence with the intent of intimidation or coercion, for ideological or political reasons -- the very definition of terrorism.

And it's working. Restrictive state laws are not the only reason 87 percent of American counties lack even one abortion provider. No, the threat of terrorism is largely responsible for that.

And this once, Sarah Palin's outrageous answer came not from ignorance but from knowing intent. It's one more reason it's so important to do more than merely defeat her on November 4. We have to repudiate everything she stands for.

Opponents of a woman's right to choose are doing everything they can to take away that right. While this post focuses on violent means, they are also seeking to overturn Roe v. Wade. Right now, South Dakota is the front line in that battle. You can help by giving to the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families through the Orange to Blue list.

Source / Daily Kos

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