Dr. George Tiller

I am going to start this out by making it very clear that this is an editorial, an opinion piece and one that is heavily influenced by the very strong emotions I am experiencing on this day. As I’m sure you all know, Dr. George Tiller was assassinated this morning while performing his usher duties at his church. He was a great man who advocated strongly for women’s reproductive rights and ran one of only three clinics in the United States where a woman could have a late-term abortion.

Of course, the obvious hypocrisy from the christian fundies is on extravagant display as online commentators, blog owners, and others proclaim the “victory” that is the violent death of this man. In Wichita those outspoken “pro-lifers” are driving by the scene of his murder honking their horns and cheering his death.

Randall Terry, the founder of Operation Rescue, with whom the murderer was apparently affiliated stated

“George Tiller was a mass-murderer. We grieve for him that he did not have time to properly prepare his soul to face God. I am more concerned that the Obama Administration will use Tiller’s killing to intimidate pro-lifers into surrendering our most effective rhetoric and actions.”

After that sickening display of victim blaming, I’m left asking myself, exactly what “rhetoric and actions” is Randall afraid Obama will take away? Murder?

It’s time to call this what it is and publicly proclaim that Christian Fundamentalist Terrorism is a problem that has to be addressed. It is not truthful to say that the shooter was alone responsible for his actions when the airwaves, pulpits, and internet are flooded with zealots encouraging the fundies to take up arms and rebel against the government, immorality, and not being white or straight enough. Repugnant assholes like Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, Pat Robertson, and Ann Coulter are steadily leading the very gullible very passionate religious right citizens into dangerous territory.

Fear is something I’m keenly feeling as I write this and read the developing stories and the comments on those stories. I’m afraid that a fanatical movement is not very far off, a witch hunt of epic proportions as technology makes distributing the christian fundamentals’ propaganda quick and easy. Who will be the next target?