Iowa conservatives respond to murder of abortion provider

The slaying Sunday of Kansas abortion doctor George Tiller has roused a broad spectrum of response from the anti-abortion community.

Dubuque County Right to Life Executive Director Steven Brody condemned the murder and offered his prayers to Tiller’s family, but seemed more worried that the shooting will spawn a negative reaction to anti-abortion groups.

“Our prayer is that this isolated incident will not serve as a catalyst to infringe upon the religious liberties and First Amendment Rights [of those] who are lawfully and peacefully standing for the rights of the unborn,” he said.

Des Moines conservative radio host Steve Deace shares this concern.

“Tiller’s murder comes two weeks after a Gallup Poll that found more Americans are pro-life than pro-abortion for the first time made national news, so you can bet those that profit off of the killing of babies will do their best to portray themselves as the victims here, rather than the babies they’re currently slaughtering,” Deace said.

At The Iowa Republican, a conservative blog run by former Republican Party of Iowa Political Director Craig Robinson, one of the site’s anonymous bloggers seemed more upset that Tiller was allowed to be in a church than the fact that he was gunned down in cold blood.

First, I don’t advocate pro-lifers resort to murder themselves. Although, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t relieved that he won’t be torturing any more babies.

But, another part of this story jumped out at me.

George Tiller the baby killer goes to church?

It seems so. Reformation Lutheran Church to be exact.

What the heck kind of church even lets this guy in the doors?

Linn County GOP Chair Tim Palmer also called for prayers for Tiller’s family, saying it is unfortunate that peaceful people who oppose abortion will be “smeared by the independent acts of a killer who does not speak for me.”

Des Moines-based Iowans for L.I.F.E. released a statement asking “every pro-lifer to reject violence and those who commit violent acts” and said perpetrators of violence should recognize that they are not “pro-life crusaders” but rather “nothing more than common criminals.”

Liberal blogger John Deeth said Tiller’s murder is the logical conclusion to the rhetoric of the anti-abortion movement.

… our own jihad of religious maniacs, muttered their rote and insincere condemnations, upset only because it made them look bad when someone extended their absurd argument to its implied conclusion, walked into Dr George Tiller’s CHURCH, and blew him away with one shot.

That’s not how we are supposed to settle things here.

The anti-choice terrorist networks are going to try to pin a Lone Gunman theory on this, but you don’t get the kind of logistics and information to do something like this all by yourself. Anyone who lifted a finger to help needs to by prosecuted just as hard.

Tiller is the eighth person and fourth doctor slain in abortion-related attacks. 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.