Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 8, 1995 TAG: 9501100016
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-13 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium
The balding, portly former pastor, one of the signers of a ``justifiable homicide'' petition endorsing violence against abortion doctors, arrived at the Hillcrest Clinic moments after the shooting, in which no one was injured.
``No one was shedding many tears, I tell you that,'' he said. ``Everyone in that building was either involved in the abortion trade or a guardian of the abortion trade.''
The next day, the 48-year-old Spitz - megaphone in hand - stood outside the Norfolk jail where Salvi, a suspect in the slayings of two abortion clinic workers in a Boston suburb, was being held. Spitz offered unconditional support to the 22-year-old apprentice hairdresser.
``We love you, John Salvi,'' he shouted. ``You are a hero. Thank you for what you did. We want to help you any way we can.''
Now, Spitz may be paying the price. He said he has received several death threats in the wake of what became the nation's top story of the New Year's holiday weekend.
``I've gotten some nasty letters,'' he said, declining to specify anything in particular.
He also may have turned a federal grand jury's attention to his activities, if the panel already wasn't looking into them.
Commonwealth's Attorney Charles Griffith, in comments directed at Spitz and his small but vocal following in Pro-Life Virginia, described as ``moral accomplices'' anyone who endorses or refuses to condemn abortion clinic violence.
``These kinds of activities must be dealt with in the harshest way to show this is not acceptable conduct in a free country,'' Griffith said Thursday after agreeing to delay prosecuting Salvi in Virginia so he could face the more serious charges in Massachusetts. ``We have to be free of terrorism.''
But Spitz believes he holds the moral high ground, even taking on other abortion foes who worry that violent expressions of outrage at the practice could provoke attacks on peaceful protesters.
``I will be glad to suspend all protests at abortion mills if they suspend the killing of unborn babies,'' he said after a Roman Catholic bishop proposed a cooling-off period by suspending clinic protests.
Spitz has become a familiar name in the abortion battle in Virginia. A former Queens, N.Y., resident who moved to Hampton Roads eight years ago, he is a frequent demonstrator at Hillcrest and has had occasional brushes with the law.
In December 1992, Spitz was fined $250 for threatening to destroy the practice of a local gynecologist. He wrote a letter to the doctor in which he threatened to put up posters accusing the physician of ``crimes against humanity'' for performing abortions.
Spitz said he has been told by other anti-abortion activists that his name already has come up before the Alexandria grand jury, which is believed to be delving into possible conspiracies to commit abortion clinic violence.
He said he expects to be subpoenaed, but that hasn't happened yet.
But he insisted he had never met or heard of Salvi before last weekend, despite reports that said his name and phone number were found on a piece of paper when Salvi's New Hampshire apartment was searched.
``I don't know what this piece of paper is,'' he said. ``I'd like to see what it is.''
Spitz tried to visit Salvi in the jail, but Salvi told jail officials ``he didn't know any Donald Spitz and didn't want to see him,'' said Larry Hill, a Norfolk police spokesman.
Even if the grand jury adds the Salvi case to its probe, Spitz said he didn't think authorities would move to prosecute him ``unless they're trying to play into the hands of pro-abortion hysteria.''
by CNB