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What does the murder of Dr. George Tiller say about the anti-abortion movement?
It certainly doesn’t say that all people who oppose a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy condone the murder of abortion providers. I would never allege that. However, I think we need to examine how the rhetoric and ideology of the anti-abortion movement contribute to an environment in which the murder of abortion providers is justifiable. I haven’t done any formal research on this topic, but I did grow up around hardcore “pro-lifers." Based on my personal experiences, I can see how the mainstream anti-abortion movement supports the development of violence and extremism in its ranks. This movement demonizes and dehumanizes its opponents, portraying them as godless and immoral. Dehumanization is the first step in promoting violence. Consequently, it is not surprising to me that some people who have internalized the rhetoric of the anti-abortion movement could justify violence against providers.

I grew up in a community where being prochoice was unheard of. I went to Catholic school in the lily white and extremely Catholic south suburbs of St. Louis. As a child, I was told that the abortion debate was between those who believed in killing babies and those who didn’t. People who called themselves “pro-choice” were hideous and immoral women who wanted to kill their babies. Pro-lifers, on the other hand, were good people who knew that killing babies was wrong. All the way through high school, ...