Roeder Given Harshest Sentence Possible

The American anti-choice terrorist, Scott Roeder, had already been found guilty of murdering Dr. George Tiller as he attended a religious service at his local church. The law said he was to be sentenced to life in prison. The only real question was whether he would be eligible for parole after 25 years or after 50 years. At Roeder's age, 52, the 50 years before qualifying for parole would virtually assure that he would never be released from prison.

The prosecutor and Tiller's family spoke up for the longer sentence. Attorney Lee Thompson spoke for Tiller's family saying, "He's committed an act of terrorism, a heinous, atrocious, cruel murder planned, plotted and devised for years and years and designed and executed solely for the purpose of executing someone with whom he disagreed." Prosecutor Nina Foulston said, "I believe he should be given the longest sentence possible."

For his part, Roeder still doesn't think he has done anything wrong. He thinks that murder is an appropriate response to someone who disagrees with his religious beliefs. He told the court, "You have the power to acquit and if you were to obey the higher power, God himself, you would acquit me. . .The blame for George Tiller's death lies more with the state of Kansas than with me."

Then Roeder launched into a 40 minute anti-choice diatribe. Finally the judge cut him off, saying, "I'm sorry, I'm not providing you a forum for an all-night dissertation on the political debate on the issue of abortion." The judge then gave him the maximum penalty of 50 years before becoming eligible for parole consideration.

The sentence was appropriate, and I agree with the victim's family who said, "The crime was cruel and heinous not only because it took our husband, father and grandfather, but because it was a hate crime committed against. . .all women and their constitutional rights." That is true. While George Tiller was the immediate victim, the crime was directed at all women to deny them the right to control over their own bodies.

I can't feel sorry for Roeder. Anyone who can walk up to an unarmed stranger, put a gun to his head, and pull the trigger doesn't deserve the sympathy of decent people. He has the right to his own religious views, just like everyone in America, but he doesn't have the right to murder anyone to promote those views.

Trying to force others to adopt your own views through violence and fear is terrorism, and that's what Roeder is -- a terrorist. He has made his own bed and now he must lay in it -- for at least 50 years. That's justice.

Terrorist Found Guilty Of Murder

American women are a little more free, safer and more in control of what happens with their own bodies. That's because murderer and abortion terrorist Scott Roeder (pictured) was found guilty by a Kansas jury of killing Dr. Tiller as he attended church (a place most Americans would consider to be a safe haven).

It took that jury less than 40 minutes to find the sick bastard guilty -- after all, they did have to take a cigarette break and pick a jury foreman (and that probably took up most of that time). There was no doubt of Roeder's guilt. He even admitted from the stand that he put a gun to Tiller's head and shot him to death, and did it on purpose. And to this date, he has shown no remorse.

Tiller had wanted to put abortion on trial, and claimed he had the right to kill because his religion opposes abortion (although I have no idea where he finds that in his Bible -- his Old Testament god doesn't seem to mind the killing of children of all ages, especially if they aren't Jewish). But Roeder wanted to claim he had the right to kill a human to save fetuses.

The trial judge refused to allow Roeder to do that. It would have been a violation of Kansas law to allow that ridiculous defense. Then Roeder's attorneys tried to sell the jury the lame excuse that Roeder should be acquitted because he had killed over sincerely held beliefs. That's even more ludicrous.

I have a sincerely held belief that Republicans are killing Americans every day by blocking health care reform, but that doesn't give me the right to kill them (or physically harm them in any way). There is simply no way to excuse putting a gun to the head of an unarmed man, who is no threat to you, and pulling the trigger.

They even tried to get the judge to give the jury the option of finding Roeder guilty of voluntary manslaughter. That would have been a huge miscarriage of justice. Fortunately, the judge was not about to fall for that one -- it was either first degree murder or nothing.

The jury found Roeder guilty of first degree murder, and he will be sentenced in March (the law requires a pre-sentence investigation and report). I fully expect he will get a life sentence, and never get out of prison. At least, that's what should happen.

Roeder Admits Murdering Doctor

The trial of terrorist Scott Roeder for the murder of Dr. George Tiller will not be held until about January of 2010, but Roeder may already have put the last nail in his own legal coffin. In an interview with the Associated Press yesterday, Roeder admitted killing the Wichita doctor.

Roeder is taking advice from his anti-abortion terrorist buddies, and will try to plead that the killing was justified. Roeder said, "I want to make sure that the focus is, of course, obviously on the preborn children and the necessity to defend them. Defending innocent life -- that is what prompted me. It is pretty simple."

But it may be even simpler that Roeder thinks. The Kansas Supreme Court, back in 1993, has already shot down that defense. The court said this was not a defense to breaking the law. The decision was in a trespassing case, but if it's not a defense for trespassing then it can't be used to defend a murder.

Roeder's terrorist supporters, three of whom are in prison for anti-abortion activities (Eric Rudolph, James Kopp and Shelley Shannon), have submitted a statement demanding that jurors in the Roeder trial be allowed to consider "when life begins".

That is even more ridiculous. It is not the jury's job to examine the beginnings of life, or to make any kind of decision regarding abortion. The jury's job is simple. They are to decide whether Roeder shot Dr. Tiller, or not. Roeder's confession yesterday should make that decision a rather easy one.

I look forward to Roeder's conviction for murder, and I hope he gets the life sentence he so richly deserves.

eBay Bans Terrorist Auction

I have never bought or sold anything on eBay. I didn't have anything against them. It's just not how I like to make my purchases. But I have to admit, my estimation of the site has gone way up since their refusal to host an auction for terrorist-murderer Scott Roeder's defense.

As you know, Roeder (pictured) is the anti-abortion nut that murdered Dr. George Tiller in his church. Roeder is one of those violent people that believes if you don't agree with him, he has the right to commit a violent terrorist act (up to and including murder). He is now sitting in jail awaiting trial.

When he committed the murder, the anti-abortion movement was quick to distance themselves from his actions. I think most of us knew that wasn't really how they felt, and now they are beginning to show their true colors.

The anti-abortion terrorists decided to raise money for Roeder's defense -- they want him to claim it was a justifiable homicide. They decided to help raise the money by holding an auction on eBay. Among the items to be auctioned were a cookbook written by a woman in jail for arson on a clinic, some drawings done and autographed by Roeder and an Army of God manuel on how to shut down clinics providing abortions.

Dr. Tiller's widow and family were naturally horrified at the prospect of this macabre auction. They wrote to eBay saying, "These materials contain hate messages, glorify violence against abortion doctors who provide constitutionally protected medical services, and instruct on means of violence, including bombing of abortion clinics. We urge you to deny access to the resources of eBay for this reprehensible and vile 'auction'."

eBay must have already been disturbed by the prospect of the auction, because they banned the auction on the same day of the Tiller family's request. They said, "Based on the details we know about the anticipated listings, we believe these would violate our policy regarding offensive materials. eBay will not permit the items in question to be posted to the eBay site, and they will be removed if they are posted."

Of course, the anti-abortion terrorists are upset with eBay's decision. Regina Dinwiddie, a supporter of Roeder, had the gall to say, "They're not only chilling the first amendment of the Constitution, they're raping the whole Constitution." That's a ludicrous statement.

No one is denying these sick people the right to say whatever they want in defense of their murdering cohort. But there is nothing in the Constitution that says eBay must help them spread their hateful message. eBay is a private entity, and can do as they please.

I applaud eBay's decision to come down on the side of common decency and ban this auction.

Right-Wing Terrorist Kills Doctor In Church

Churches are normally thought to be sanctuaries of peace, but a Wichita (Kansas) church was the scene Sunday of a right-wing terrorist attack, resulting in the murder of a doctor. Dr. George Tiller had been the victim of threats and attacks in the past -- his clinic (where he performed legal abortions) was bombed in 1985 and he was shot in both arms in 1993.

But on Sunday, the 67 year-old doctor was killed. He leaves behind a wife, four children and 10 grandchildren. After hearing of the murder, President Obama said, "However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence". The president said he was "shocked and outraged".

Police in Kansas City have arrested a suspect in the murder, but don't know yet if he planned the crime with others or whether it was a solitary crime. The suspect, Scott Roeder, was a member of the roght-wing group known as the Freemen, and there is evidence that he frequented anti-abortion web sites. He had been convicted in the past for having bomb components in his car.

The current president of Operation Rescue, Troy Newman, was quick to try and distance his organization from the crime. He said, "We are shocked at this morning's disturbing news that Mr. Tiller was gunned down. Operation Rescue has worked for years through peaceful, legal means, and through the proper channels to see him brought to justice. We denounce vigilantism and the cowardly act that took place this morning".

But Operation Rescue's founder, Randall Terry, was singing a different tune, and a far more disturbing one. He called the doctor a "mass murderer" and said, "He was an evil man - his hands were covered with blood". That sounds like he's praising the murderous actions of a follower.

That is just the kind of statement that can easily encourage someone prone to violence to commit a heinous crime like this murder. And most anti-abortion web sites are rife with those kind of statements.

This was a vicious and senseless crime. As Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL, says, "Dr. Tiller's murder will send a chill down the spines of the brave and courageous providers and other professionals who are part of reproductive-health centers that serve women across this country. We want them to know that they have our support as they move forward in providing these essential services in the aftermath of the shocking news from Wichita".

This crime simply cannot be justified, regardless of one's beliefs about abortion.