As with other truly Pro-Life citizens and organizations, Illinois Right to Life Committee expresses our most profound sorrow after the outrageous assault that killed abortionist George Tiller yesterday during a church service in Wichita, Kansas.  Violence against abortion providers is not the answer, and has never been advocated by Pro-Life organizations.

The mission of Illinois Right to Life Committee is education.  Though not directly involved in the prayer and counseling that occurs at many abortion clinics, these actions become part of the potential education of abortion providers regarding the value of all human life, beginning at conception. 

A number of prominent abortion providers have experienced a realization of the value of all human life, and are now vocal advocates in favor of life.  How many more have abandoned abortion after coming to the same conclusions, but chosen not to become vocal about their decisions?  Abortion advocates will claim that these silent converts stopped performing abortions because of threats of violence, but they are not able to substantiate such conclusions.

Performing abortions is a stressful job primarily because of the providers' knowledge of the killing of preborn children that they commit every day.   Converting abortion providers to turn that realization into a true change of heart is Pro-Life, but killing them is not.  Such an injustice denies the abortionist that opportunity for a change of heart to occur.

Many abortion advocates are attempting to link the life-saving work of Pro-Life sidewalk counselors, prayer warriors, and picketers with the actions of the man who murdered George Tiller.  The suspect who has been detained in this case appears to have an affiliation with extremist political groups, but not with the mainstream Pro-Life movement.  Attempts to make a connection are unwarranted.

If there is any potential connection that might later be determined to be a factor in the motivation of George Tiller's killer, a more likely source would be the continuing miscarriage of justice in the failure of Kansas governmental entities to enforce Kansas law restricting late-term abortions. 

With slick procedural rulings from judges and devious actions by states' attorneys, evidence has been suppressed that might have allowed enforcement of Kansas law and stopped the killing of many babies under Tiller's hands.  Many of these judges and other officials have received large campaign contributions from Tiller.   Such results would be much more likely to be a stimulus for misguided individuals, such as the current suspect in this case, to take the law into their own hands.  

People praying at abortion clinics or offering real alternatives to mothers coming to those clinics do not stimulate violence, even by misguided fringe elements.  Even display of graphic signs that show what abortion really is are not a trigger for violence, other than an occasional attack on the person holding such a sign.    We can only hope that the tragic death of George Tiller will become an opportunity to teach respect for all human life, from conception to natural death.