Before the first murder of an abortion doctor, in 1993, the idea of activists appearing on national television to defend such crimes was unimaginable. Six more murders later, however, extremists can be seen on news and talk shows, wearing suits and ties, explaining that assassination is a credible political tactic— at least where abortion is concerned.
The following activists have aggressively promoted pro-violence views— using the Internet, in their own newsletters, and in the mainstream media. They are unquestionably exercising their First Amendment rights to free speech, but does their inflammatory rhetoric also incite those responsible for the murder and maiming of abortion clinic workers?
| Michael Bray Bowie, MarylandEditor, Capital Area News; Lutheran Reformation pastor Spent 46 months in prison in the 1980s for abortion clinic bombings. Wrote A Time to Kill, which advocates the murder of abortion doctors. Organizes annual banquet to honor activists who commit antiabortion crimes. Profiled in USA Today and The Washington Post. Touted Army of God manual on ABC’s Nightline after the Birmingham bombing in January.
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| Neal Horsley Carrollton, GeorgiaComputer programmer Hosts Web site containing the Nuremberg Files, which includes abortion doctors’ home addresses and photographs. Advises other |
| C. Roy McMillan Jackson, MississippiExecutive director, Christian Action Group; an American Coalition of Life Activists (ACLA) leader Married to obstetrician who once performed abortions. Longtime friend of Paul Hill. Advocated sniper shootings of abortion doctors in The New York Times in 1994, nine days before first sniper attack in Canada. Told Time in 1995: “It wouldn’t bother me if every abortionist in the country today fell dead from a bullet.”
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| David Leach Des Moines, IowaPublisher, Prayer & Action News; music store owner Fired from job as journalist at suburban newspaper after publishing Army of God manual in Prayer & Action News. Printed cartoons and stories by Shelley Shannon, who is in prison for the attempted murder of an abortion doctor. Published a fictional tale about Army of God members bombing Florida clinics shortly before Florida clinics were hit by butyric acid in May.
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| Donald Spitz Norfolk, VirginiaDirector, Pro-Life Virginia Publicly praised John Salvi after he killed two clinic workers in 1994.
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| Father David Trosch Mobile, AlabamaCatholic priest; president of Life Enterprises Unlimited Suspended from parish in 1993 after trying unsuccessfully to publish a newspaper ad urging that abortion doctors be killed. Promoted views on Geraldo, CNN, and NBC’s Today Show. Publishes Web site featuring gory fetus photos and a cartoon of a scale that balances the number of clinic workers killed against the
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| Donald Treshman Baltimore, MarylandFounder of Rescue America; an ACLA leader Arrested more than 100 times for
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| Paul Hill Starke, FloridaInmate, Florida State Prison Applauded the 1993 murder of David Gunn on Donahue and ABC’s Nightline. Killed abortion doctor and his volunteer escort in 1994. Severely
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| Andrew Burnett Portland, OregonPublisher, Life Advocate magazine; cofounder, Advocate for Life Ministries; cofounder, ACLA Arrested more than 50 times for
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Research: Jennifer Del Medico
photo credits:
BRAY: H. DARR BEISER/USA TODAY; MCMILLAN, SPITZ: AP/WIDE WORLD; TRESHMAN: PATRICK SANDOR/BALTIMORE SUN
One of four articles in our The Terrorist Campaign Against Abortion feature.