George Tiller and How Dehumanization Leads to Violence

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, abortion was portrayed as the most disgusting and hideous crime anyone could commit. Only immoral people could support legal abortion. Abortion providers were a special breed of evil and were portrayed as truly heartless and depraved.

One of the most striking examples of this dehumanization that I remember is the St. Louis Archbishop’s behavior during the 2004 election. Archbishop Burke declared that John Kerry and anyone who supported John Kerry were not eligible for communion. Because Kerry supported safe and legal abortion, he was not allowed to participate in the sacrament that is supposed to be the source and summit of Catholic life. The Eucharist is sacred, but John Kerry and his supporters were profane. They were evil. They were not human.

I can think of countless other examples. For instance, the people who protested a performance of Vagina Monologues on my college campus because Eve Ensler is prochoice. Her stance on abortion made her work immoral and unfit for Catholic eyes. Or the protesters outside of Planned Parenthood who shouted at me as I entered the clinic (I was there for an exam, not an abortion btw). They didn’t see me as a person; they saw me as evil. Or the people at the University of Notre Dame who refused to attend commencement because Barack Obama was the speaker. They didn’t see him as the president; they saw him as evil.

These are just a few examples from my own life that I’m just coming up with on the spur of the moment. I’m sure I don’t have to spell out how dehumanization and demonization create a climate in which violence is acceptable. People that you don’t view as “people” are a lot easier to hate. They are a lot easier to kill. This situation is only exacerbated when those non-humans are also considered evil. That’s why I can draw very clear connections between mainstream anti-abortion rhetoric and the murder of abortion providers. Average “pro-lifers” don’t support the murder of providers. However, they do promote dehumanizing and demonizing ideology that justifies and fuels the actions of violent extremists.

So for those of you who consider yourself a part of the anti-abortion movement and who oppose the murder of George Tiller and other abortion providers, speak up. Voice your disapproval. Voice your disapproval of the daily harassment that abortion providers receive (see this article). And make an effort to see those who disagree with you as human beings with dignity.