WICHITA, Kan. - A man who said he killed prominent Kansas abortion provider Dr. George Tiller in order to save the lives of unborn children was convicted Friday of murder.
The jury deliberated for just 37 minutes before finding Scott Roeder, 51, of Kansas City, Mo., guilty of premeditated, first-degree murder in the May 31 shooting death.
I never understood the mentality of people like this. Even if one subscribes to this man's fanatically anti-abortion philosophy (which I don't), how is he going to "save the lives of unborn children" by killing one doctor? No woman who wants an abortion will change their mind because of this. They'll just go to someone else and get it
If you're going to do behavior considered unacceptable on the grounds of serving a higher good, you have to at least show that what you're doing is indeed likely to "produce that good. This man didn't even come close to doing that.
I cetainly do not agree with Mr. Roeder's actions. And, I am not going to question his mentality. However, based on this argument (and, yes, I know you are not advocating his "cause") this man did come close to "produce that good."
Tiller's specialty was late term and partial-birth abortions. His clinic is now closed. He was rather efficient and relatively safe as few mother's died during the process. There was at least one baby that survived the ordeal (probably more) that died some five years later from the effects of the attempted abortion).
Mr Roeder's killing of Tiller will make it much more difficult for mothers seeking a later term and especially third term abortion. While it is relatively easy to obtain an abortion during the first trimester, there are far fewer providers for late term abortions. So in that since Mr. Roeder accomplished his mission.
