'we haven't seen any democracy, all we've seen is hypocrisy' The Anarchives Volume 3 Issue 10 The Anarchives Published By The Anarchives The Anarchy Organization The Anarchives tao@lglobal.com Send your e-mail address to get on the list Spread The Word Pass This On... --/\-- America's / / \ \ Invisible ---|--/----\--|--- Terrorists \/ \/ /\______/\ by Will Hart LGard@gnn.com In the summer of 1994 anti-abortion activist Paul Hill killed Dr. John Britton and security guard James Barrett in a brutal broad daylight attack. The murderer, a former Christian minister, had exchanged his Bible for a shotgun after publicly advocating the execution of abortionists as an act of "justifiable homicide". In the fall, abortion clinics in Chico and Redding were set on fire on the same night. Dido Hasper, Executive Director of the Chico Feminist Women's Health Center, considers these to be terrorist acts aimed at shutting the clinics down. Nevertheless, according to a report released by the State Department on May 5th, 1995: "There were no cases of domestic terrorism in the US in 1994." The FBI is the agency responsible for the study the State Department based its conclusions on. What then does this agency make of John Salvi's bloody two-day rampage at the end of the year? Like Paul Hill - who made sure to aim his shotgun at Britton's head knowing the doctor wore a protective vest - Salvi's was certainly a cold blooded and thoroughly premeditated act. But was it an act of terrorism? According to witnesses, the murderer coolly stepped up to the front desk at an abortion clinic on Boston's Beacon Street, and asked, "Is this planned parenthood?" After receptionist Shannon Lowery, 25, replied affirmatively, Salvi pulled out his semi-automatic rifle and shot the receptionist dead. Then he spun around and sprayed a fusillade of bullets at anyone in the vicinity. The 22 year old anti-abortion protestor replayed the deadly scenario at another clinic ten minutes later. The second execution went very much like the first. Fortunately, a guard returned fire causing Salvi to flee the scene. Undeterred, he was at it again the next day. As authorities in Massachusetts mounted a manhunt for the killer, reports came in that another fatal shooting had occurred at a clinic in Norfolk, VA. The self-appointed executioner was eventually caught, but not before leaving a bloody multi-state trail behind. No one could deny that Salvi and Hill were murderers. Still, according to FBI investigators, they could not be cast as terrorists. Why? Perhaps a more fundamental question should be answered first. What is terrorism? Websters defines the word quite simply:" The systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion." The FBI uses a more complex definition:" Unlawful use of force or violence by a group (two or more individuals) to coerce government or individual citizens in furtherance of a political objective." In 1993 and '94, five abortion clinic killings occurred nationwide. However, these grisly numbers only tell part of the story. In addition to the double murder, Hill also wounded Jane Barret. Salvi's final toll included 2 dead and 5 wounded. In 1993, Michael Griffin killed Dr. David Gunn. That same year Rachel "Shelley" Shannon added to the victim list by wounding Dr. George Tiller in Wichita, Kansas. Hill was an outspoken abortion opponent who had confined himself to harsh words and clinic demonstrations before he decided assassinating abortion workers was the only way to achieve his objectives. Salvi was a pro-life demonstrator who drove around with a picture of a dead foetus plastered on his truck prior to becoming a lethal fanatic. Shannon jumped from non-violent protests to a series of militant actions that included sabotaging the Chico clinic in 1993 and then shooting Dr. Tiller. There is a clear pattern of escalating militancy prevalent in these cases. Equally important is the influence that radical anti-abortion leaders and religious extremists apparently had on motivating these individuals. In recent years the rhetoric of radical abortion foes has grown more and more inflammatory. Several years ago, Matt Trewhella, founder of Missionaries to the Preborn, spoke of arming his followers and training them to carry out anti-abortion violence. Randell Terry, founder of Operation Rescue, proclaimed, " We're going to shame them, humiliate them, embarrass them, disgrace them and expose them until they quit." Nevertheless, Bill Carter of the FBI Public Affairs Office says that Hill, Salvi, Trewalla, Terry, Shannon, et al. are not terrorists. The reason is that their actions do not meet the FBI's terrorist criteria. "The actions were isolated incidents carried out by individuals acting alone, " Carter claims. If a conspiracy involving two or more perpetrators is the sticking point, why is the Unabomber being treated as a terrorist? While the FBI and Department of Justice juggle semantics, abortion foes have resorted to every type of terrorist tactic - verbal threats, physical harassment, assault, vandalism, fire bombings, murder - with increasing frequency. Clinic directors nationwide have reported a mounting tide of death threats. Dido Hasper's experience is typical of many abortion workers across the country. " In 1993, we received a series of death threats from Ronald Walters. Through a lucky fluke he was eventually captured, prosecuted and sentenced. After his release the court ordered him to stay away from abortion clinics but he was recently arrested again for taking part in a blockade in Sacramento." The main political objective of radical anti-abortionists has been made abundantly clear by its leaders: Stop abortion by any means. In addition to assassinations and firebombings, clinics (Chico's included) have been doused in acid and staff threatened in their homes. Physicians and their families have become targets of psychological as well as physical terrorism. After staking out Dr. Susan Wicklund's home, The Lambs of Christ stalked her and her daughter. In 1992, Rev. Robert Shenck adopted the tactic of shadowing abortion providers. The campaign included making and distributing handbills that stated "Dr. X Kills Children" as well as red banners emblazoned with "Abortionists Eat Here" for use at restaurants targeted doctors frequented. The tactics of terror have achieved their intended effects. Many abortion providers have quit practicing. A '93 survey of some 150 clinics, conducted by the Feminist Majority, revealed that one-fourth had lost a staff member as a result of anti-abortion violence. Hospitals wishing to avoid the battle have stopped offering abortion training classes. Clinics have closed. According to The National Abortion Federation, 83% of our counties lack doctors who can perform abortions. For those that choose to remain in the fray, life can be grim. Practitioners are forced to adopt a siege mentality to combat anti-abortionists' harassment and terrorism. Dr. Warren Hern works behind bulletproof glass ever since five shots were fired through his window in 1992. Physician Damon Stutes, owner of northern Nevada's only abortion clinic, says this about the FBI's report: " I didn't put my gun away when I heard the government say that there was no terrorism in this country in 1994." Stutes carries a 9 mm Berreta to work. He also wears a bullet-proof vest and conducts his medical practice under the watchful eye of remote controlled video scanners that monitor the facility. " The instigators of abortion clinic violence know how to fire these marginal personalities off. Americans might not want to believe it but a widespread conspiracy to terrorize physicians and patients has been going on for a decade, " the doctor said. Dr. Stutes was forced to build a new clinic and turn to guns and high tech surveillance after his former downtown Reno clinic was fire bombed four times. " The pro-life movement is 100% responsible for these acts of terrorism. They are the ones breaking the law, destroying property and killing people!" Stutes proclaims. Operation Rescue laid down the gauntlet 3 years ago when the organization's leaders switched their strategy. They decided to turn their focus from fighting to end legalized abortions to driving doctors out of business. That's when Matt Trewalla, Randell Terry and other leaders turned up the rhetorical heat. Others in the anti-abortion movement went a lot further than fiery words. The case of Rachel "Shelley" Shannon points out why the government needs to get a grip on homegrown terrorism. A manual attributed to the Army of God (A.O.G.) was found buried in Shannon's backyard while she was being held pending trial for the attempted murder of Dr. Tiller. The pamphlet offered this advice to sick fellow travellers: "If terminally ill, use your final months to torch clinics; by the time the authorities identify you...you will have gone to your reward." Ms. Shannon took these suggestions to heart. In 1992, she set off a stink bomb at the Chico clinic. Shannon also hit Stutes' Reno clinic with butyric acid before shooting Dr. Tiller. A number of shocking revelations came out the week ending June 9th regarding Shannon's ongoing anti-abortion crime spree during '92-'93. In the early stages of a 10 year incarceration, the fanatical anti-abortionist recently admitted to being involved in 10 acts of sabotage. They run the gamut from vandalism to arson against clinics in Oregon, California, and Nevada. This case raises some disturbing questions. Why wasn't the FBI able to identify and apprehend Shelley Shannon before she shot Dr. Tiller? The public record shows they were aware of her criminal activities and transient lifestyle at least as early as 1992. The same can be said of Paul Hill. A year before he shot-gunned two people to death, Hill collaborated with other activists in signing a joint call-to-arms statement declaring that Michael Griffin had committed "justifiable homicide" when he killed Dr. David Gunn. Were Shelley Shannon and Paul Hill invisible to FBI investigators because they can't seem to believe that otherwise law abiding Americans who profess to be God-fearing Christians can also be terrorists? They have no such trouble with radical Moslems, Animal Rights advocates, the Unabomber and environmental extremists. Attorney General Janet Reno created the Clinic Violence Task Force after the Florida shootings last summer. The Task Force was supposed to determine whether there was a conspiracy against abortion clinics as many abortion workers contended. It followed on the heels of similar FBI probes into Trewalla's and other anti-abortion groups. But conspiracy is a very difficult thing to prove in court and no conclusions have been forthcoming. At the same time, US marshals were deployed to stem the rising tide of violence at several dozen clinics. However, by fall the number of marshals was dramatically reduced on the grounds that the threat had subsided. Then came Salvi. In California the only US marshals that accompany a doctor are the ones that shuttle from the Chico to Redding clinics. How many more potential Hills, Shannons and Salvis are out there plotting yet another fire bombing or assassination attempt? That's a question authorities need to answer. Yet how can they when these individuals remain invisible? In the final analysis, it's the government's job to enforce the law and protect all of us, including abortion clinic workers and their patients. The consensus among providers is that anti-abortion terrorism has created a health care crisis that demands immediate federal intervention. Dido Hasper has nothing but praise for local police. Nevertheless, she describes the national situation this way: "Every abortion provider feels the effects of the terrorist conspiracy being waged by radical anti-abortionists every day regardless of how the government sees it." -=~ -=~ -=~ -=~ -=~ -=~ -=~ -=~ -=~ -=~ -=~ -=~ -=~ -=~ The TAO Media Collective http://www.lglobal.com/TAO/ -=~ -=~ -=~ -=~ -=~ -=~ -=~ -=~ -=~ -=~ -=~ -=~ -=~ -=~ -------------------------------------------------------------- To receive the Anarchives via email send a note to Majordomo@lglobal.com with the message in the body: subscribe anarchives To get off the list, send to the same address but write: unsubscribe anarchives Also check out: http://www.lglobal.com/TAO/