When a Lone Wolf Assassin is Not Nuts or Alone

[Are_grits_groceries]

Dr. George Tiller was serving as an usher at the Reformation Lutheran Church in Wichita, Kansas when Scott Roeder walked up to him and shot him in the head.

The media at the time quickly adopted the lone nut or "lone wolf" theory of the murder. Having studied a number of similar anti-abortion crimes over the years, I said that while the murder may or may not have been a criminal conspiracy, there were very likely at the very least what I call "concentric circles of support". Even when such crimes are carried out alone, they tend to be well-planned and often draw on networks of social, ideological and even logistical support, sometimes unwitting.

The murder of Dr. Tiller is best understood, after all, as an assassination -- arguably one of the most high-profile political murders in recent years. Such support can be hard to prove, especially by the standards of criminal law. But that does not mean it does not exist.

Now, a joint investigation by The Nation and Ms. magazine details what the circles of support around Roeder looked like. This ground-breaking work reveals much about the way that the revolutionary, antiabortion Army of God operates.

It is the oldest, possibly most dangerous abortion story out there.

August 13, 1994, The Washington Post: "Many anti-abortion leaders have… denounced Paul Hill …as a lone, sick extremist."

October 26, 1998, The Independent (London): "A doctor defiant shot dead for his beliefs by a lone abortion terrorist ."

But for loners, these guys have a lot of friends. A lot of the same ones, in fact.
http://www.talk2action.org/story/2010/5/29/11307/3883

The entire piece about the investigation of Roeder and his friends is at this site. It's long, detailed, and scary:
http://www.theinvestigativefund.org/investigations/gender/1319/not_a_lone_wolf

Lone wolf, my ass....

[PCIntern]

1. right you are...

A patient of mine was a good friend and colleague of Tiller's...in fact,they bought their bulletproof vests together. My guy was the doc at Planned Parenthood in Philly for years. Dangerous profession.

[deaniac21]

2. Perhaps the biggest strech I've seen this week. It's like saying

the President is responsibe for BP's oil blowout. Think I'll go take a nap.

[EFerrari]

3. This isn't news. This was known at the time of the murder. n/t

[Are_grits_groceries]

4. Stretch? Nap?

It's not that far a stretch. If taking a nap is all you want to do or say in response to this, then you are callous beyond belief.

In addition, I didn't say one word about oil, President Obama or the Gulf. You went in that particular direction. Hit dog hollers and so do very defensive ones apparently.

Why don't you try a drive-by on another thread?

Edit to add: If I had wanted to compare this to the Gulf, I would have said so in my OP. I'm not going to tiptoe around and about it.

[deaniac21]

5. Just another stupid post.