Can Tiller's Family Sue O'Reilly?

Posted by Fraulein

This is what I want to know: when there is video evidence of Bill O'Reilly's film crew following and ambushing the late Dr. George Tiller--twice--is that enough grounds for Tiller's family to bring a civil suit against O'Reilly for contributing to the fanatical atmosphere that led to Tiller's murder? (This of course in addition to all the other times O'Reilly went on TV foaming at the mouth about Tiller and late-term abortion, implying that women just love to have abortions for fun.)

If not, why not? Seriously?

By the way, among the many outrageous things about this whole situation is the idea, beloved of right-wing blowhards like O'Reilly, that any woman would have an abortion towards the end of her pregnancy without a damn good reason. I guess it's theoretically possible, but as a mother I can tell you it's extremely hard to believe anyone would do this on a whim. For many of Tiller's patients, the choice was between having an abortion, even at a very late stage of pregnancy, or giving birth to a baby with horrific deformities and/or grave illnesses that would cause the baby to die a painful death within hours, days or weeks. The amount of anguish such a decision would cause the mother can't possibly be imagined by anyone as ignorant as O'Reilly. It is this very type of thorny situation that the "pro-lifers," so enamored of their fantasy world where all babies are born whole and perfect, refuse to admit is the reason for many of the abortions performed in this country.

And until we come to terms with this reality and seriously address the domestic terrorism in our midst, we can't even come close to making any progress on the abortion issue in this country.

Frank Schaeffer on Rachel Maddow

I sat around today thinking of the murder of Dr. George Tiller, about his pro-life murderer and how I felt about it. As I've said before, pro-life does not mean pro-abortion, but that nuance gets lost on many not so clear-minded thinkers (or non-thinkers as the case may be.) I didn't want to haphazardly put down some words in the heat of the moment as I tend to do on occasion. Not on this subject.

Then I caught Frank Schaeffer on The Rachel Maddow Show and I felt that he said what I feel better than I could have said it, so I'll let him have at it.

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By the way, Bill O'Reilly is some piece of work, huh? What an abhorrent human being.