Cynthia Davis: Tiller murder had nothing to do with pro-life movement

Rep. Cynthia Davis, R- O-Fallon, termed Worst Person in the World twice last week by Countdown's Keith Olbermann, says the murder of Wichita abortionist George Tiller had nothing to do with the pro-life movement.

In her latest capital report issued today, Mrs. Davis addresses Tiller's murder, in a column accompanied by two photos of Mrs. Davis with her new granddaughter. The first picture has the caption "There are many ways to grow a state. Birth is one. My son and daughter in law just added a new resident to Knob Noster, Missouri. Welcome Abigail Jean Davis."

The column is printed below:

I don’t like violence. That is one of the reasons I don’t like abortion. Regardless of who requested it, abortion is an act of violence against women’s bodies as well as the body of a person yet to be born. Abortion is invasive, destructive, and abnormal.

There have been many analyses surrounding George Tiller’s death, but we should all agree it is immoral to kill people of any age. We all want to live in a civil society where people show respect for one another and where we live under the rule of law. Lawlessness is both a symptom and a cause of poverty. We cherish feeling safe in our homes and neighborhoods. The fruit of living with a high common regard for life allows us to have a free and virtuous society.

Kansas already has laws prohibiting doctors from destroying babies mature enough to live outside their mothers. Many babies George Tiller aborted were viable. The Kansas prosecutors and judges let their people down by allowing this clinic to continue operating as long as it did. However with more time, the civil process could have continued to unfold and we may have seen a legal remedy. Since the Tiller abortion clinic is now closed permanently we will never know.

With no knowledge of the person who shot George Tiller, I can only speculate he may have been mentally unbalanced. With the exception of self defense, it is hard to imagine how anyone could shoot another human being in his right mind, yet people get killed every day by drug dealers, gangs, and suicide. All are equally tragic because they involve a loss of a life made in the image of God. All serve as reminders of why it is important for us to have the rule of law.

There are some pro-abortionists who will seize this as an opportunity to spew more of their pro-abortion rhetoric. A great disappointment came from a statement made by Frank Schaeffer, the son of a late philosopher. He raised the question of whether the Tiller death was related to those who speak of the evils of abortion. He could not have been more off base. Those who kill people are evil and it is okay to speak the truth. We must be compassionate and protective when the lives of innocents are involved.

Public debate is an important part of how we shape our thoughts. So long as our articulation of truth is tempered by kindness and civility, we should never let others intimidate us from our right to free speech. While it is possible for some people to be hateful and vicious, all the pro-life people I know:

1.) Are very kind, gentle, and compassionate.
2.) Believe there is a God who will judge all of us at the end of our lives.
3.) Work toward peaceful and legal solutions, through prayer and volunteering. As a result, they are making a difference in people’s lives by helping both babies and mothers.

I am grateful we live in a country where people are free to express their thoughts without fear of being imprisoned or executed. I am also grateful we live in a country where threats and violence are prosecuted. Americans should never be squelched from speaking to the evils of destroying innocent human life.

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All Turner Report posts on Cynthia Davis can be found at this link.