As part of the promo for her October 25 special "The Assassination of Dr. Tiller", Rachel Maddow presented a series of Wanted posters on abortion providers who were subsequently murdered in the early Clinton years. At one point she asks, "Do you want to see the Wanted poster the movement put out for John Britton?" The poster "the movement" put out. Prima facie evidence of a conspiracy?
This is a striking segment. After showing the Clinton-era posters and murders, she notes that following the 2009 murder of Dr. George Tiller, the posters started turning up again, in North Carolina. Watch:
In the segment, Maddow notes that a grand jury is now investigating whether the Tiller killing "was connected to a broader case involving radical anti-abortion activists." She adds that many abortion providers believe there is "a network of anti-abortion extremists at work."
Regarding the Tiller murder, here are two stories from McClatchy. First from the time of the 2009 killing (my emphasis):
The suspect in custody for the slaying of Wichita abortion doctor George Tiller was a member of an anti-government group in the 1990s and a staunch opponent of abortion.And now McClatchy offers this, from the recent Grand Jury investigation:
Scott P. Roeder, 51, of Merriam, Kan., a Kansas City suburb, was arrested on Interstate 35 near Gardner in suburban Johnson County, Kan., about three hours after the shooting. ... In the rear window of the 1993 blue Ford Taurus that he was driving was a red rose, a symbol often used by abortion opponents. On the rear of his car was a Christian fish symbol with the word "Jesus" inside.
Those who know Roeder said he believed that killing abortion doctors was an act of justifiable homicide.
Tim Parks, a friend and former roommate of Roeder, said he appeared last week before a grand jury in Kansas City.Three points:
“Based on the questions they asked, they are looking into whether others were involved,” Parks said. “It appeared to me that they are trying to find or fabricate a conspiracy.” ... Parks said he and six others appeared before the grand jury last week. All of them, he said, had been part of a Bible study group that Roeder attended, and several were former roommates of Roeder.
- What are the odds there is a conspiracy of abortion-provider killers and their support groups operating in the U.S.? Evidence of this goes back to the early 1990s. The posters themselves are indications of a conspiracy.
- Does the right-wing's renewed interest in gun violence under Democratic administrations encourage this violence? Note the timing — early Clinton-era; early Obama-era.
- Does fear of right-wing propaganda attack mitigate conspiracy investigations in cases like these? Look at the Conservative reaction to the DHS report on right-wing terrorism, and the subsequent spineless government response.
GP
