THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, December 13, 1994 TAG: 9412130006
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
While I do not share their beliefs, I have always respected how difficult it must be for people who earnestly believe abortion is murder to stand by and do nothing. However, the issue raised by the Paul Hill case, that killing a doctor who performs abortion constitutes justifiable homicide, is an example of the ends justifying, and distorting, the means.
The claim that Mr. Hill saved the lives of unborn children by killing the doctor scheduled to perform their abortions makes little sense. While any procedures scheduled on or about the time of the doctor's murder needed to be rescheduled, there is no reason to doubt that most, if not all, of his patients subsequently made other arrangements. Perhaps a few patients, frightened by the murder, lacked the courage to find another doctor during the first trimester, and there we find the killer's true motive - terrorism.
Killing doctors who perform abortions cannot help but make potential users of such a service fear for their safety, but killing random doctors will not make a significant difference in the number of abortions performed in this country. Acts of terrorism which frighten women from taking an action they are legally entitled to take just might.
Perhaps if we blow up Alcohol Beverage Control stores we can prevent alcohol-related traffic fatalities; perhaps if we kill teachers of the theory of evolution, we can further the spread of creationism; perhaps if we assassinate a president, we can elect our party's candidate. How far can such anti-social - and anti-Christian - actions go? As far as the self-righteous wish.
The one thing those for and against freedom of choice should be able to agree upon is the need for contraception and/or abstinence. If there is no undesired pregnancy, there will be no abortion. Let us focus on education, counseling and, when necessary, adoption. The chilling contradiction of taking a life to save a life is almost too sad to bear.
DANIEL STEINER
Portsmouth, Dec. 6, 1994 by CNB