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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 17, 1993)
Killing abortionist not a solution Murder is wrong. Having said that, we are presented with an interest ing moral, ethical and legal quandary when a person uses prevention of murder to justify committing one. Such is the case in Pensacola, Fla. Dr. David Gunn, a doctor employed by an abortion clinic, diedat the hands of Michael Frederick Griffin, who justified shooting Gunn by claiming that he was doing it to save the lives of the unborn. Griffin now plans to rep resent himself at trial, using the Bible as his defense. The reaction from the pro-choice movementand the media was predict able. News features on the ugly future of the pro-life movement abounded. Pro-choice advocates are urging Con gress to approve legislation thatwould criminalize blocking the entrance to abornon clinics — never mind the First Amendment’s “right of the people peaceably to assemble.” The reaction from the pro-life crowd was, to be blunt, irresponsible. Randall Terry, leader of Operation Rescue, called the murder an “inap propriate, repulsive act,” but went on in the next breath to say that, “We must remember that Gunn was a mass murderer.” Similar sentiments were echoed by other, but not all, pro-life leaders. Speaking as one who believes in the pro-life stance, I am outraged by Terry and company’s statements. They ought to be the ones condemning this louder than anyone, and they should be showing respectable, middle-of the-road folks that they ’ re not a bunch of wild-eyed, Bible-thumping zealots who think that murder and bombings are just politics by other means. The pro-lifers have missed an op portunity here to demonstrate their rationality and compassion. Instead they’ve done just the opposite. But, given their history, particularly over The pro-lifers have missed an opportunity here to demonstrate their rationality and compassion. Instead they’ve done just the opposite. the last decade, it should come as no su se. is is the group, you may remem ber, that went to the Democratic Na tional Convention last year and handed out dead fetuses as party favors to pro* choice leaders. They alsdpraised ads run by Congressional candidates in Indiana and Georgia that showed pic tures of aborted fetuses in living color and during prime-time television. In the summer of 1991, they laid siege to the city of Wichita, Kan., blocking clinics and forcing mass arrests. Add to this other actions like put ting up “wanted” posters of abortion doctors (Gunn’s face was on one), picketing not just the clinics but the physicians’ homes, harassing women who go to the clinics by phoning their friends, relatives, ministers and par ents, and you have a rather vocal and committed group that is rapidly mak ing itself a pariah in our society. What drives them? I listened to a radio talk show last week and listened to a call from a man who actually supported the killing of Gunn. The caller compared abortion to slavery and the Holocaust People were correct and courageous in op posing those things, so Operation Rescue should be seen as morally right in opposing abortion and doing whatever necessary to stop it. The caller was very sincere, not a raving lunatic. I am sure there are plenty of normal, unremarkable folks out there who would agree with ev erything this man said. Of course, they fail to stop and recall just what ' slavery and the Holocaust led to — theCivil Warand World War II. They ought to choose their precedents more carefully. I came to my pro-life position sev eral years ago in spite of people like Terry. While I agree that abortion is the taking of a life, I am not about to condone the taking of another life to remedy that. That, I suppose, is why I am so angered by the murdqr of Gunn and the reactions of Terry. We live in a society governed by the rule of law. We do not recognize justifiable homicide except in cases of self-defense. What Michael Griffin did was cold-blooded, premeditated murder, pure and simple. If Terry and the other pro-life extremists can’t ac cept that fact and give it the condem nation it deserves, they hurt their own cause. Worse yet, they hurt by asso ciation the millions who are person ally opposed to abortion, but trying to work rationally within our system of laws fora solution. If being conserva tive means anything to me, it is re spect for the law and for life. Regardless of personal beliefs on abortion, this ought to be the one thing that the two sides can agree on with out equivocation. Kepfldd is a graduate student in history, an alumnus of the UNL College of Law and a Daily Nebraskan columnist. __ _ 1993 already sculpting history 1 993 is shaping up to be a yearol hi storica I precedents for the good old U.S. of A. Things are mov ing along at such a hasty clip that Americans have almost forgotten that pesky gap in the atmosphere. Out concerns are focused a bit more lo cally. Among the history makers of 1993 is a new crop of sociopaths who have reinterpreted religious freedom. For a wild and crazy prophet in Waco, Texas, religious freedom has meant stockpiling semi-automatic weapons, practicing statutory rape and setting a record fora standoff with the police. Initially, this long-haired geek claimed to be Christ. A whole lot of people didn’t believe that Christ was Christ, and no one believes that he would show up in Waco, Texas. Elvis doesnTeven snow up in Waco, Texas. New Yorkers joined Texas in the “wackiest religious fanatic" contest when they got a big howdy from Islamic fundamentalists at the World Trade Center. One wonders what took them so long. Apparently they weren’t busy waiting to renew their visas. Perhaps the New York City Port Authority could use the immigration officials from Omaha who jumped on the im pending threat of non-naturalized chi I dren. No ornery terrorists would get past these guys. In yet another exercise of religious freedom, Michael Griffin shot a man who wore leg braces because of polio point-blank in the back. This act of utter courage was motivated by the victim’s propensity for providing a legal medical service — abortion — to consenting citizens. In a weal th-ridden nation that ranks 20th among 23 developed countries for infant mortality rates, one might wonder why more effort isn’t made to keep babies alive and healthy rather than simply forcing them to be bom. Also, if Griffin has ever had unpro tected sex with a woman whose pos sible pregnancy didn't concern him, New Yorkers joined Texas in the “wackiest religious fanatic” contest when they got a big howdy from Islamic fundamentalists at the World Trade Center. then wouldn’t he have been equally creative by shooting himself? 1993 will not only be a year ol unprecedented religious violence, but also one of unprecedented law en forcement. Aside from finally having a president who doesn’t qualify foi the American Association of Retired Persons, we have our first female attorney general. Janet Reno was confirmed by a 98 0 Senate vote. Go figure. They were ready to confirm La veme and Shirley provided that the two had never hired a illegal immigrant baby sitter. The 54-year-old Reno, who does not resemble a Barbie doll, is a no nonsense kind of gal. In her 15 years as chief of the attorney general rs of fice in Dade County, Fla., that office obtained 103 death sentences. When they say death sentence in Florida, that’s pretty much what they mean. Women also gained ground in Congress this year, with more female members than ever before. One might see a new dimension at certain types of Senate judiciary hearings: “Judge Thomas, did you feel like a real man when you came on to Profes sor Hill? “Judge Thomas, what do you sup pose ‘no’ means?” “Judge Thomas, did you invite Mrs. Thomas to watch ‘Hot Naked Space Alien Bimbos’ with you?”4 But women were not the only ones to make advances in society. Drill sergeants around the country are searching for new demoralizing terms to scream into the faces of recruits since they can no longer yell, “What’s wrong with you, boy?! ? Are you some kind of a faggot?!?” On other gender fronts, a transves tite was nominated for an Oscar. It may not be an historical precedent, but it’s certainly the first time that no one was left with anv doubts. A few remaining historical prece dents made newsprint in 1993. In the former Yugoslavia, the United States engaged in a first-of-its-lype food bombing, giving new meaning to the concept of manna from the heavens. Some Serbs reportedly waited for the Bosnians to retrieve the food and then fired onThe hungry people. These people need to control their anger. They probably just have low self-esteem. Maybe we should be air dropping daily affirmations from Stuart Smalley. Food made the news in forms other than bombs, most notably, the geneti cally engineered tomato. It may just catch on if you don’t need a hacksaw to slice it. Squishy vegetables in general will see a bigger market in self-expression in 1993. Opponents will be able to pitch them at baseball’s new expan sions teams. Miami, after finally ob taining a major league team, will out fit the players in smashing teal uni forms. Stand by for the underwear ads. And this is only March. McAdams is a sophomore Journalism major and a Daily Nebraskan columnist UPC needs volunteers for the Sawyer Brown concert on: April 23, 1993 Fifteen Security Five Stage Hands Twelve Ushers Sign up at the Student Involvement Office Room 200 NE Union First Anniversary SALE 66th & Holdrege the 466-7766 Wcai hopping vciitcr THCIRS**FRI**SfIT **SUN Mwch 18-21 60% off overstock Savings and drawings every day All Figures $1.99 |T-Shirts $7.99 Women's Basketball University of Nebraska vs. University of San Diego a First Round West Regional Cheer the nationally ranked Huskers as they host for the first time an ^ NCAA first round women's ill basketball competition. [ Wed., March 17,7:30 P.M. k Devaney Sports Center $5 - Adults $3 - All Students For ticket information, call 472-3111,
