Now that the FBI has established a clear political motive in the shooting at the officers of the Family Research Council, more focus is being placed on how the pro-life group had been treated in the time leading up to the shooting.
Planned Parenthood is not responsible for the shooting and didn’t encourage it (though it appears to have not yet issued any condemnation of the shooting, with nothing appearing on the abortion business’ Twitter account). However, a listing of the Family Research Council as a “terrorist” group on its web site in 2006 is drawing renewed attention.
A blogger Kevin Holtsberry wrote at LifeNews at the time:
I don’t really want to get into another extensive argument about abortion. Nor am I trying to foment some false outrage. But I think the way Planned Parenthood communicates on its website is shameful and symbolic of their mindset.
On their website they are comfortable labeling pro-life and pro-family organizations as “terrorists and extremists.” They apparently miss the irony of a group that advocates the killing of unborn children under any and all circumstances – and all sorts of other, shall we say, non-mainstream opinions – calling their political opposition terrorists and extremists.
Currently (I have a screenshot for future reference) they have on their website a section called “Eye on Extremism.” On that page, there is a heading entitled “Terrorists and Extremist Organizations.”
Now, you might be thinking what does terrorism have to do with “family planning?” Or perhaps you are thinking that this section will provide links to those fringe, or little known, groups that actually support violence against abortion providers, etc. Feeling charitable you might expect that this section provides links to actual terrorists of some sort; or at the least extremist organizations.
Nope. All the link contains are “Profiles of 15 Anti-Choice Organizations.” That’s right. Under a heading of “Terrorists and Extremist Organizations” you have listed the following groups (among others):
Christian Coalition
Concerned Women for America
Eagle Forum
Family Research Council
Feminists for Life of America
Focus on the FamilyYou may disagree with the agendas and rhetoric of these organizations – even vehemently disagree. You may think that their agenda is bad and harmful for America. But is simply escapes the bounds of reason to label these groups as terrorists. The fundamental key being that they don’t advocate the use of violence as a political tool.
Joseph Farah of the conservative news web site WND today recalled that terrorist designation Planned Parenthood applied to the Family Research Council.
“Left-wing extremist groups are always quick to blame the right for acts of violence perpetrated by random nut jobs,” he writes. “In light of the shooting attack on the Family Research Council today, maybe it’s time for organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center and Planned Parenthood to get a dose of their own poison.”
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Farah continued: “Both of these organizations literally did their best to put a target on the back of FRC and other pro-family groups by labeling it as a “hate group” (SPLC) and “terrorist or extremist organization” (Planned Parenthood). Do they bear any responsibility for the climate of fear-mongering they helped create? Were they in any way responsible for encouraging this act of violence against a group that stands up for the institution of marriage and against the wanton taking of unborn life? Has either one of these groups expressed any remorse over the hysteria they purposely generated toward Family Research Council?”
“In light of the attack on FRC, every other organization and individual targeted with such vitriolic hate speech by Planned Parenthood and SPLC now understands they, too, are in the crosshairs,” he said.
No organization that is involved int he public policy debate over abortion should advocate nor be targeted with terrorism, violence or the kind of attacks the Family Research Council faced. Nor should be the classified as such for merely exercising their First Amendment rights to speak up and speak out on the most important political issue of our time: the destruction of unborn children in abortion.
