Phoenix, AZ–Today, the national religious equality watchdog organization American Atheists and the Secular Coalition for Arizona spoke out against SB 1328/HB 2388, which would give $3 million to religious “crisis pregnancy centers” (CPCs).
Arizona Lawmakers to Give Religious Extremists $3 Million to Deceive Vulnerable Women — American Atheists
https://www.globalissues.org/article/715/today-21000-children-died-around-the-world
Today, around 21,000 children died around the world. How about they give a damn more about all these children first?
That is equivalent to:
1 child dying every 4 seconds
14 children dying every minute
A 2011 Libya conflict-scale death toll every day
A 2010 Haiti earthquake occurring every 10 days
A 2004 Asian Tsunami occurring every 11 days
An Iraq-scale death toll every 19–46 days
Just under 7.6 million children dying every year
Some 92 million children dying between 2000 and 2010
The silent killers are poverty, hunger, easily preventable diseases and illnesses, and other related causes. Despite the scale of this daily/ongoing catastrophe, it rarely manages to achieve, much less sustain, prime-time, headline coverage.
From UNICEF, the world’s premier children’s organization, part of the United Nations:
2.5 billion people lack access to improved sanitation
1 billion children are deprived of one or more services essential to survival and development
148 million under 5s in developing regions are underweight for their age
101 million children are not attending primary school, with more girls than boys missing out
22 million infants are not protected from diseases by routine immunization
7.6 million children worldwide died before their 5th birthday in 2010
4 million newborns worldwide are dying in the first month of life
2 million children under 15 are living with HIV
>500,000 women die each year from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth
Social, Political, Economic and Environmental Issues That Affect Us All
Nutritious foods in adequate amounts are essential for everyone but particularly for children. In early childhood, adequate nutrition can ensure healthy growth, proper organ formation and function, a strong immune system, and neurological and cognitive development. Nutrition, too, has increasingly been recognized as a basic pillar for social and economic development. Well-nourished people can learn new skills, think critically and contribute to their communities. Improving child nutrition impacts global, national and regional child survival, primary education, women’s empowerment, and maternal and child health rates.
On the flip side, child malnutrition hurts cognitive function and contributes to poverty by impeding people’s ability to lead productive lives. Poverty is the leading cause of hunger, but poverty also results from hunger, in a cyclical relationship. In spite of the importance of childhood nutrition and significant progress in the last 25 years, global childhood hunger is still rampant.
Overall, 5.6 million children under age five died in 2016, nearly 15,000 daily (World Health Organization [WHO], 2016). The risk of a child dying before five years of age is highest in Africa (76.5 per 1000 live births), about 8 times higher than in Europe (9.6 per 1000 live births) (WHO, 2016).
Approximately 3.1 million children die from undernutrition each year (UNICEF, 2018a). Hunger and undernutrition contribute to more than half of global child deaths, as undernutrition can make children more vulnerable to illness and exacerbate disease (UNICEF, 2018a).
Children who are poorly nourished suffer up to 160 days of illness each year (Glicken, M.D., 2010). Undernutrition magnifies the effect of every disease including measles and malaria. The estimated proportions of deaths in which undernutrition is an underlying cause are roughly similar for diarrhea (61%), malaria (57%), pneumonia (52%), and measles (45%) (Black, Morris, & Bryce, 2003; Bryce et al., 2005). Malnutrition can also be caused by diseases, such as the diseases that cause diarrhea, by reducing the body’s ability to convert food into usable nutrients (Black, Morris, & Bryce, 2003; Bryce et al., 2005)
66 million primary school-age children attend classes hungry across the developing world, 23 million whom live in Africa, which greatly impacts their ability to learn (World Food Programme [WFP], 2012).
Source: Mercy Corps, 2018
Globally, about 151 million under-five-year-olds are estimated to be stunted in 2013.(UNICEF, WHO and The World Bank, 2018).
The global trend in stunting prevalence and numbers affected is decreasing. Between 2000 and 2017, stunting prevalence declined from 33% to 22% and numbers declined from 198 million to 151 million (UNICEF, 2018a). However, the regions of West and Central Africa have actually seen an increase in numbers of stunted children – from about 23 million to 29 million (UNICEF, 2018a).
In 2017, about half of all stunted children lived in Asia and over one third in Africa (UNICEF, WHO & The World Bank, 2018). Stunting is a public health problem but often goes unrecognized.
UNDERWEIGHT (children significantly below standard weight for their age)
Globally, 99 million under-five-year-olds were underweight in 2013, most of whom lived in Asia and Africa (Krasevec et al., 2014). The global trend in underweight prevalence continues to decrease; going from 25% to 13.5% between 1990 and 2017 (The World Bank, 2017).
The underweight prevalence in Africa decreased from 23% in 1990 to 17% in 2013, while in Asia, for the same period, the prevalence was reduced from 32% to 18%. In Latin America and the Caribbean the underweight prevalence decreased from 8% to 3% (Krasevec et al., 2014).
WASTING (children significantly below standard height to weight ratios)
Globally, 51 million under-five-year-olds were wasted and 16 million were severely wasted (UNICEF 2018a)
Wasting prevalence is estimated at 7.5% and severe wasting prevalence at 2.4% (UNICEF, 2018a).
Wasting in the under-five-year-olds group decreased by 13% from 1990 to 2013.
In 2017, approximately two thirds of all wasted children lived in Asia (mostly in South-Central Asia) and about one-quarter in Africa, with similar proportions for severely wasted children (UNICEF, 2018a)
MICRONUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES (Micronutrient – vital minerals and vitamins – deficiencies are caused by disease or inadequate consumption of nutritious foods).
Vitamin A deficiency affects about a third of children in low and middle-income countries, which increase a child’s risk of contracting infectious diseases by weakening the immune system (UNICEF, 2018b).
Zinc deficiency in low-income countries affects the immune and gastrointestinal systems, contributing to a major cause in under-five deaths – diarrhea (UNICEF, 2018b).
About 30% of the world’s population lives in areas where diets do not contain sufficient amounts of iodine, resulting in poor brain development (UNICEF, 2018b). The lack of micronutrients in children can be greatly influenced by the mother’s health, especially during pregnancy. In low-income countries, pregnant women who are malnourished may lack essential micronutrients for fetal development, such as iodine, zinc, iron, folate and vitamin D (Gernand et al., 2016).
For example, low iron in the mother can result in low birthweight of the infant, increasing the infant’s susceptibility to disease, a known contributor in the cycle of malnutrition (Gernand et. al., 2016).
According to UNICEF (2018b), about 40% of pregnant women and 40% of children under five years of age in developing countries are anemic, half of whom are estimated to be iron deficient.
THE DOUBLE BURDEN OF MALNUTRITION (The coexistence of undernutrition and overnutrition within individuals, families or populations)
Malnutrition encompasses both undernutrition and overnutrition. Some countries face this double burden of malnutrition, where undernutrition occurs along with overweight, obesity or diet-related diseases (WHO, 2017).
In some countries, like Egypt, Iraq and Vanuatu, for example, stunting is greater than 20% of their under-five population, while adult obesity is greater than 20% (FAO et al., 2017).
This double burden is becoming increasingly common in low and middle-income countries (WHO, 2017).
Globally, about 41 million children under five years old were overweight or obese (WHO, 2017).
About 155 million children under five years old were chronically undernourished (WHO, 2017). *
Undernourishment is a general term for receiving insufficient food and nutrients for growth (Merriam-Webster, 2018). It may lead to a child being underweight, a term that describes an individual below the median body measurements (weight for age) for a population (UNICEF, n.d.).
Source: WHO, 2018
What are some contributors? Early life nutrition. The amount of nutrition received during the fetal development period can determine much of the child’s future health (WHO, 2017).
o Low birthweight infants are at higher risk for metabolic disease (conditions that include high cholesterol and high blood sugar) (WHO, 2017).
o On the other hand, women who are overweight during pregnancy may have infants with larger weight, placing them at greater risk for obesity later (WHO, 2017).
Socioeconomic status and inequality. Low socioeconomic status impacts a family’s ability to buy adequately nutritious food (WHO, 2017).
While upper and middle-income countries have the highest prevalence of overweight, the prevalence in low and middle-income countries is still sizeable ¬– between 10% and 30% (WHO, 2017).
Food Systems. Diets high in saturated fats, salt and sugar are becoming more prominent, replacing nutritious diets, as they are sometimes more affordable or accessible (WHO, 2017).
Source: (GAIN) https://www.gainhealth.org; Global Nutrition Report 2015 The prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight among children under-five years of age worldwide has significantly decreased since 1990. This is good news, but overall progress on malnutrition is insufficient, and millions of children remain hungry. Any child suffering from these conditions is at substantial increased risk of severe, acute malnutrition, illness and death.
COMBATING CHILD HUNGER
Medical Treatment of Child Malnutrition
While some hunger prevention practices involve better access to nutritious foods and health care, as well as improving water and sanitation, short-term solutions for severe undernutrition commonly use ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF). Used to treat undernourished children under five years of age, RUTF is ideal for treatment at home; it contains micronutrients, does not need to be cooked, and can be stored for a long time (UNICEF, 2015).
Large Scale Approaches
In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the United Nations sets global goals to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger (FAO et al., 2017).
Approaches by international organizations and programs to combat child hunger in lower-middle-income countries involve agriculture sustainability; emphasis on maternal health, education and empowerment; community and household education on nutrition; and partnerships with governments to fortify micronutrient levels in food.
Below are examples of some of the work in eradicating child hunger:
UNICEF (UNICEF, 2018b) Community-based approach to promote breastfeeding and encourage diet diversity, involving a variety of local foods; Vitamin A supplementation programs for children under-five-years old; Support of government programs to supplement iron folic acid supplementation during pregnancy to ensure proper fetal development; Support governments in implementing mass food fortification – for example, universal salt iodization.
World Food Programme (WFP, 2018) Invest in the agricultural supply chain and rural infrastructure (roads to transport food and ways to store food); Encourage the expansion of social protection (in some countries, in the form of cash transfers) for the poorest 2 billion in the world, creating the potential for economic growth so that poor households can afford proper food and medical care.
Action Against Hunger (Action Against Hunger, 2017) Provision of local, accessible outpatient treatment for undernourished children (community management of acute malnutrition – CMAM); Educating and supporting mothers in best feeding practices to ensure healthy child development; Ensuring access to supplementary foods for particularly vulnerable populations; Capacity building by training health workers to treat undernutrition and working to strengthen local health care systems. (Updated July 2018 with the assistance of Crystal Lam, George Washington University, MPH candidate) References
Action Against Hunger. (2017).
Nutrition and health. Retrieved from https://www.actionagainsthunger.org/impact/nutrition. Glicken, M. D. (2010). Social work in the 21st century: An introduction to social welfare, social issues, and the profession. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Black, R. E., Morris, S. S., & Bryce, J. (2003).
Where and why are 10 million children dying every year?, The Lancet, 361(9376), 2226-2234. Bryce, J., Boschi-Pinto, C., Shibuya, K., Black, R. E., & WHO Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group. (2005).
WHO estimates of the causes of death in children. The Lancet, 365(9465), 1147-1152. FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. (2017).
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2017. Building resilience for peace and food security. Retrieved from https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP-0000022419/download/?_ga=2.58209514.1314642926.1528665631-1013504369.1528665631. Gernand, A. D., Schulze, K. J., Stewart, C. P., West Jr, K. P., & Christian, P. (2016).
Micronutrient deficiencies in pregnancy worldwide: Health effects and prevention. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 12(5), 274. International Food Policy Research Institute. (2015).
Global nutrition report 2015: Actions and accountability to advance nutrition and sustainable development. Retrieved from http://www.thousanddays.org/wp-content/uploads/2015-Global-Nutrition-Report.pdf. Krasevec, J., Thompson, A., Blössner, M., Borghi, E., Feng, J., Serajuddin, U. for The United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Health Organization and the World Bank. (2014).
“Levels & trends in child malnutrition – UNICEF-WHO-The World Bank joint child malnutrition estimates”. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/nutgrowthdb/summary_jme_2013.pdf. Mercy Corps. (2018).
Quick facts: What you need to know about global hunger. Retrieved from https://www.mercycorps.org/articles/quick-facts-what-you-need-know-about-global-hunger. The New York Academy of Sciences. (2014, October 23).
Micronutrients: Supplementation, fortification, and beyond. Retrieved from https://www.nyas.org/podcasts/media/podcast/micronutrients-supplementation-fortification-and-beyond/. The World Bank. (2017).
Prevalence of underweight, weight for age (% of children under 5). Retrieved from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.MALN.ZS?view=chart.
Undernourished. 2018. In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved July 14, 2018 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undernourished.
UNICEF. (2015, December 23). Severe acute malnutrition. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/nutrition/index_sam.html. UNICEF. (2018a). Malnutrition rates remain alarming: stunting is declining too slowly while wasting still impacts the lives of far too many young children. Retrieved from http://data.unicef.org/topic/nutrition/malnutrition/#.
UNICEF. (2018b). Micronutrients. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/nutrition/index_iodine.html.
UNICEF. (n.d.). Definitions: Nutrition. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/stats_popup2.html.
UNICEF, World Health Organization, & The World Bank. (2012, September 20). Key facts and figures. UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Group Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/nutgrowthdb/key_facts_figures.pdf.
UNICEF, World Health Organization & The World Bank. (2018, May 14). Levels and trends in child malnutrition. UNICEF / WHO / World Bank Group Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates Key findings of the 2018 edition. Retrieved from http://data.unicef.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/JME-2018-brochure-.pdf.
World Food Programme. (2012). Two minutes to learn about: School Meals. Retrieved from https://documents.wfp.org/stellent/groups/public/documents/communications/wfp220221.pdf?_ga=2.263020492.1314642926.1528665631-1013504369.1528665631.
World Food Programme. (2018). Zero Hunger. Retrieved from http://www1.wfp.org/zero-hunger.
World Health Organization. (2016). Global Health Observatory (GHO) data. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/gho/child_health/mortality/mortality_under_five/en/.
World Health Organization. (2017). Policy brief. Geneva: The double burden of malnutrition. Retrieved from http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/255413/WHO-NMH-NHD-17.3-eng.pdf;jsessionid=6CC6C4506E1E43112CD1EF845ACC99A1?sequence=1.
World Health Organization. (2018). Nutrition. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/nutrition/double-burden-malnutrition/infographics/en/.
Louisiana Lawmakers Act to Become Accessories to Murder
By Deborah Foster
https://www.politicususa.com/2014/06/08/louisiana-politicians-act-accessories-murder.html
When any remaining abortion doctors in Louisiana are eventually murdered, each and every member of the Louisiana House and Senate who voted for their new HB 388 law, as well as Governor Bobby Jindal, should be charged as accessories to murder. This law will be requiring doctors, including those in private practice who provide a limited number of abortions, to register with the state. This registration requires doctors to publish their names, addresses, and even photos to the internet. Pushed through the Louisiana Senate with a vote of 34-3, and then the House with a vote of 85-6, HB 388 also closes most of the state’s abortion clinics.
These legislators know that they are purposefully putting the lives of abortion providers at risk by forcing them to publish their identifying information. In the past, in other states, wanted posters with the names and details of abortion providers have been circulated among anti-choice extremists. In these cases, the consequence has been death, such as the murders of Dr. David Gunn and Dr. George Patterson. Too often, the allegedly “pro-life” community either remains silent on these murders or applauds them outright, as Reverend Paul Hill did when he said in the New York Times that the murders of Drs. Gunn and Patterson, “had the desired result.”
As it stands, five years after the murder of Dr. George Tiller, most of these remaining abortion doctors already have to remain in hiding to prevent violent radicals from killing them or their loved ones. They take different routes to work each day. They wear bullet proof vests. Their clinics have armed guards, metal detectors, and the highest levels of security they can afford.
Dr. Cheryl Chastine, the doctor who bravely stepped forward to take Dr. Tiller’s place in Wichita, Kansas, appeared on MSNBC, but in shadow, to share how her life is constantly endangered. Many significant threats, lawsuits, and other forms of intimidation were also used against another potential abortion provider in Kansas in 2011 to the point where one doctor felt she could not continue to practice abortion services, in part for her own safety. Rachel Maddow uncovered another major threat to an Allentown, Pennsylvania clinic.
When Maddow, on June 3rd, covered Louisiana’s premeditated effort to have abortion providers targeted for murder, she quoted Democratic State Representative Larry Walker of Georgia, who said in 2001,
“Have you heard about these clinics being bombed and these people being shot and if the word goes out this could very well cause that. In fact, I had a leading Republican over here say we’re a right to life, not this kind of thing…How many appendectomy doctors do you know whose clinics have been bombed? Or baby doctors…pediatricians…or heart specialists? Now…let’s be realistic about it. If you take that approach, this is the real thing. If you put out on the Internet that these people are performing abortions, the next thing you know some of these radicals are going to want to shoot ’em and kill ’em and bomb ’em and everything else. It’s going on. It’s the real world.”
Louisiana itself is no stranger to violence against abortion clinics. In 1986, several people were indicted for bombing two clinics and attempting to bomb a third. Again in 1993, a man torched another abortion clinic in Louisiana. People know the consequences of publishing this information.
The hypocrisy of Christians on abortion never ceases to amaze or astound me. So? I figure I ought to expose all the hypocrisy of Christians on the topic of abortion.
God committing abortions himself
Genesis 6:9-22 New International Version (NIV)
9 This is the account of Noah and his family.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.
11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. 16 Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”
God commanding children to be slaughtered
Numbers 31:17-18 New International Version (NIV)
17 Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, 18 but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.
God commanding that the fetuses of Samarian women to be ripped out of their wombs
Hosea 13:16 New International Version (NIV)
16 The people of Samaria must bear their guilt, because they have rebelled against their God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to the ground, their pregnant women ripped open.”
God commanding fetuses be ripped out of the wombs of pregnant Tiphsah women
2 Kings 15:16 New International Version (NIV)
16 At that time Menahem, starting out from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and everyone in the city and its vicinity, because they refused to open their gates. He sacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.
God commanding his followers to slaughter the Amalekites including children and infants and fetuses
1 Samuel 15:3 New International Version (NIV)
3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”
God being praised for ordering infants to be murdered by smashing them against rocks
Psalms 137:9 New International Version (NIV)
9. Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.
God kills fetuses in the womb and causes miscarriages due to a prayer by Hosea.
Hosea 9:11-16 New International Version (NIV)
11 Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a bird—no birth, no pregnancy, no conception.12 Even if they rear children, I will bereave them of every one. Woe to them when I turn away from them! 13 I have seen Ephraim, like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place. But Ephraim will bring out their children to the slayer.” 14 Give them, Lord—what will you give them? Give them wombs that miscarry and breasts that are dry. 15 “Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal, I hated them there. Because of their sinful deeds, I will drive them out of my house. I will no longer love them; all their leaders are rebellious. 16 Ephraim is blighted, their root is withered, they yield no fruit. Even if they bear children, I will slay their cherished offspring.”
Verses about cannibalism of children ordered by God in the bible:
2 Kings 6:28-29 New International Version (NIV)
28 Then he asked her, “What’s the matter?”
She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we’ll eat my son.’ 29 So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him,’ but she had hidden him.”
Deuteronomy 28:53
“Then you shall eat the offspring of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters whom the LORD your God has given you, during the siege and the distress by which your enemy will oppress you
Deuteronomy 28:57
and toward her afterbirth which issues from between her legs and toward her children whom she bears; for she will eat them secretly for lack of anything else, during the siege and the distress by which your enemy will oppress you in your towns.
Jeremiah 19:9
“I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh in the siege and in the distress with which their enemies and those who seek their life will distress them.”‘
Death Penalty for Crimes committed by Children
God commands mouthy children be stoned to death
Deuteronomy 21:18-21 New International Version (NIV)
18 If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, 19 his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. 20 They shall say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.” 21 Then all the men of his town are to stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid.
God sends two she bears to maul and murder 42 children for them making a joke about Elisha’s bald head.
2 Kings 2:23-24 New International Version (NIV)
23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” 24 He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.
God murders the first born of Egypt
Exodus 12:29 New International Version (NIV)
At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well.
God killed, intentionally, every first-born child of every family in Egypt, simply because he was upset at the Pharaoh. And god caused the Pharaoh’s actions in the first place. Pharaoh was in fact? Going to free the Hebrews numerous times, but God kept hardening his heart to do so. In essence? God himself messed with the Pharaoh’s Free Will and because of it? God then had all the INNOCENT first born killed. Since when is it appropriate to murder children for their ruler’s forced action?
The rape and murder by butchery of a concubine by cutting her into 12 pieces and sending the pieces to the Tribes of Israel
Judges 19:24-29 New International Version (NIV)
“Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing. But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go. Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her lord was, till it was light. And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold. And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place. And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.” To put it very bluntly this poor, young lady was murdered by her mate for being raped.
The sacrifice and murder of children to be buried under the foundation of the city on the order of God.
1 Kings 16:34 New International Version (NIV)
34 In Ahab’s time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua son of Nun.
God commanding infants to be dashed to pieces, and ripped out of the womb of pregnant women.
Isaiah 13:15-18 New International Version (NIV)
15 Whoever is captured will be thrust through; all who are caught will fall by the sword. 16 Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; 17 See, I will stir up against them the Medes, who do not care for silver and have no delight in gold. 18 Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants, nor will they look with compassion on children.
When Christianity was declared a legal religion in the Roman State in 315, Christians started their persecutions of Pagans and many others. From 315 AD until the 6th century, tens of thousands of Pagan believers were brutally put to death by Christians. Whole Pagan towns that refused to bow down to the Christian Talibans invading their lands with forced conversions, were slaughtered. No doubt? Many pregnant Pagan women were slaughtered during this time, which caused the abortions of their fetuses. In 356 AD Christians made it a death penalty punishment to be a Pagan believer and the Christian Emperor Theodosius even had Pagan infants and children put to death because they had been playing with pagan statutes as if a child today was playing with a Barbie or GI Joe doll. In the 6th century Christians declared Pagans devoid of all rights.
Christians murdered and butchered millions of Jewish, Pagan, Native American and other pregnant women in their history. This is a fact and a truth. And Christians? Are fucking hypocrites when they speak out against abortion like they do. Matter of fact? Here is some more hypocrisy of the Christians on the subject of abortion.
70% of Women Who Get Abortions Identify as Christians, Survey Finds
https://www.christianpost.com/news/70-of-women-who-get-abortions-identify-as-christians-survey-finds.html
Over 40 percent of women who have had an abortion say they were frequent churchgoers at the time they ended their pregnancies and about a half of them say they kept their abortions hidden from church members, new LifeWay Research shows.
In a survey released Monday that was sponsored by the pregnancy center support organization Care Net, researchers from the Christian research group LifeWay found that about 70 percent of women who had an abortion self-identified as Christians, while 43 percent say they attended a Christian church at least once per month or more at the time they aborted their child.
The survey, which interviewed 1,038 respondents who’ve all had abortions, found that 20 percent of the respondents attended church at least once a week at the time of their first pregnancy termination. Six percent said they attended church more than once per week, while about 54 percent said they rarely or never attended a church.
As a majority Christian churches do not support aborting a child, only 7 percent of women said they discussed their abortion decision with anyone at church, while 52 percent said no one at their church knew about their abortion. Additionally, 76 percent of them say that the church had no influence on their decision to go through with the abortion.
“I’m not surprised but I don’t think that necessarily reflects anything bad about churches,” Jeanne Mancini, the president of the March for Life organization that organizes an annual pro-life rally in Washington D.C., told The Christian Post Wednesday.
“That would be fantastic if she went to a church member but the reality is that they know often that they are not doing what’s right, so they are not going to go [to someone] who is an expert in morality to find that out,” Mancini added. “They want somebody to tell them that it’s OK and they are not going to hear that from a church, at least not most churches.”
The survey also found that 64 percent of respondents feel that members of the church are more likely to gossip about their pregnancy or abortion consideration rather than actually help them understand their pregnancy options.
While weighing their abortion decisions, 36 percent said they expected or experienced judgemental reaction from a church, while 26 percent said they expected or experienced condemnation from the congregation.
Only 16 percent said they expected or experienced a “caring” reaction from the church, while 14 percent said they expected or experienced a helpful reaction.
Overall, only 38 percent of post-abortive respondents said they considered the church a safe place to discuss their pregnancy options. Fifty-four percent of respondents said they would not recommend a friend or family member to consult anyone from a church about their pregnancy options.
Churchgoers who regularly attend were more likely than individuals who rarely or never attend church to say that they experienced or anticipated positive responses from the church.
Thirty-one percent of people who attend church regularly said they experienced a “caring” reaction from the church, while 28 percent said they experienced or anticipated a helpful reaction from the church.
“While much work needs to be done to equip the church to help women and men with their pregnancy decisions, there are positive signs that many churches will be receptive to efforts to implement programming that addresses this need,” Care Net CEO Roland C. Warren said in a statement shared with The Christian Post.
With about four out of 10 post-abortive women saying they attended church regularly, LifeWay Vice President Scott McConnell said in a statement that there is a “huge opportunity” for churches to have an impact on abortion decisions.
But in order to get more pregnant women to embrace the church community for pregnancy advice, churches need to find a way to eliminate the notion that women facing unplanned pregnancies will be judged, condemned and become the center of gossip.
“One of the best ways that churches can do that is have someone who has found healing after regretting an abortion either lead a ministry or get some pulpit time to talk about their story and especially to talk about how we can be really sensitive to it,” Mancini said.
Mancini also suggested that congregants who have experienced and regretted an abortion can go to other churches to teach their members how to be compassionate toward the situation, yet uphold the biblical truth at the same time.
“They really can give great tools about how to be sensitive, yet honest as possible,” Mancini said. “Doesn’t ever help anyone to say that [abortion] doesn’t take the life of a human being, that’s just not honest. They need to help them grieve that life with mercy, love, hope and warmth. That is really what we are called to do.”
Although the research finds that many women feel their church will do nothing but gossip about their situation, Mary Claire Kendall, the author of Oasis: Conversion Stories of Hollywood Legends, told CP that faith communities will help women deal with the sense of pain and loss after a woman has gone through an abortion.
“Choosing life, when you’re pregnant and unmarried, or not married to the father, has never been an easy decision. All the stars I write about who had abortions — Mary Astor, Lana Turner, Patricia Neal — were deeply wounded by their decision, and the consequences they faced were magnified by secrecy,” Kendall wrote in an email to CP. ” For all of these women, the church ultimately became a place of healing. For God’s forgiveness, they came to see, was more powerful and important than toxic, destructive gossip.”
Acts of violence and murder perpetrated by Christians against abortion providers and clinics.
The National Abortion Federation has been compiling statistics on incidents of violence and disruption against abortion providers since 1977. Our comprehensive database is an invaluable resource that enables us to detect changes in the patterns and trends in anti-abortion activities.
Here is a link to the National Abortion Federation Website
https://prochoice.org/education-and-advocacy/violence/violence-statistics-and-history/
The statistics in this table are compiled by NAF from reports from our member clinics, the news media, and other pro-choice organizations. The actual number of incidents is likely much higher in most categories.
| 11/2015 | Colorado | MURDER AND ATTEMPTED MURDER (SHOOTING) | Officer Garrett Swasey, Ke’Arre Stewart, and Jennifer Markovsky were killed when a gunman entered a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs and held staff and patients hostage. Nine other people were injured in the attack. Robert Lewis Dear has been charged with murder and attempted murder and is in custody. |
| 10/2015 | California | ARSON | Open | |
| 9/2015 | Washington | ARSON | Open | |
| 8/2015 | Louisiana | ARSON | Open | |
| 7/2015 | Illinois | ARSON | Open | |
| 11/2014 | Alabama | ARSON | Open | |
| 3/2013 | Montana | VANDALISM | $500,000 | Zachery Klundt severely vandalized and destroyed a clinic in Kalispell, Montana. He was sentenced to 5 years in prison and ordered to pay $642,477.29 in restitution, plus about an additional $27,000 to other parties. |
| 1/2012 | Florida | ARSON | Bobby Joe Rogers was sentenced to 10 years for arson and damaging a reproductive health facility. | |
| 5/2012 | Georgia | ARSON | Open | |
| 5/2012 | Georgia | ARSON | Open | |
| 5/2012 | Missouri | ATTEMPTED ARSON | Jedediah Stout pled guilty to is charged with attempted arson and violating the FACE Act. He was sentenced to 63 months imprisonment for these and other crimes. | |
| 4/2012 | Wisconsin | ARSON | ||
| 5/2011 | Wisconsin | ATTEMPTED MURDER | Ralph Lang was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempted first-degree intentional homicide. Lang admitted to police that he planned to shoot abortion providers at a nearby Planned Parenthood the next day. Lang was also sentenced to 10 years of extended supervision. | |
| 7/2011 | Texas | ARSON | Open | |
| 8/2011 | Michigan | BOMBING | Open | |
| 5/2009 | Kansas | MURDER | Dr. George Tiller was shot and killed in his church in Wichita, Kansas. Anti-abortion extremist Scott Roeder confessed to the murder and was found guilty of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated assault and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 50 years. | |
| 2/2008 | California | ATTEMPTED ARSON | Open | |
| 12/2007 | New Mexico | ARSON | More than $1,000,000 | Chad Altman and Sergio Baca pled guilty to conspiracy to commit arson. Altman was sentenced to 40-months incarceration, 3 years supervised release, and restitution in the amount of $796,531.92. Baca was sentenced to 46-months incarceration, 3 years supervised release, and restitution in the amount of $796,531.92. |
| 5/2007 | Virginia | ARSON | Remains open | |
| 7/2005 | Florida | ARSON | Remains open | |
| 1/2005 | Washington | ARSON | $500,000 | Remains open |
| 7/2004 | Florida | ARSON | Remain open | |
| 1/2004 | Florida | ARSON | Remains open | |
| 9/2003 | Indiana | ARSON | $2,000 | Remains open |
| 5/2003 | Florida | ARSON | Remains open | |
| 1/2003 | Illinois | ARSON | Remains open | |
| 6/2002 | Texas | ARSON | Remains open | |
| 6/2001 | Washington | ARSON | Remains open | |
| 6/2001 | Washington | BOMB | $6,000 | Remains open |
| 4/2001 | Kentucky | ARSON | Remains open | |
| 7/2000 | Vancouver | STABBING | ||
| 5/2000 | New Hampshire | ARSON | $20,000 | Remains open |
| 4/2000 | Kentucky | ARSON | Remains open | |
| 4/2000 | Florida | ARSON | $2-3,000 | Remains open |
| 8/1999 | New Hampshire | ARSON | Approx. $20,000 | Remains open |
| 7/1999 | California | ARSON | Minimal damage to the clinic. Approx $100,000 damage to the building housing the clinic. | Benjamin Matthew Williams and James Tyler Williams pled guilty and were sentenced to 21-30 years in jail for this fire and three synagogue arsons. |
| 5/1999 | New Mexico | ARSON | $5,000 | Ricky Lee McDonald pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in jail. |
| 4/1999 | Wisconsin | ARSON | $500 | Remains open |
| 3/1999 | Wisconsin | ARSON | $1,000 | Peter Quinn, 17, admitted to this arson. He is being charged in state court as an adult. He was sentenced as an adult to 5 years’ imprisonment and 5 years’ probation. |
| 3/1999 | Wisconsin | ARSON | Minimal | Peter Quinn, 17, admitted to this arson. He is being charged in state court as an adult. He was sentenced as an adult to 5 years’ imprisonment and 5 years’ probation. |
| 3/1999 | South Dakota | ARSON | Minimal | Martin Uphoff was convicted of using explosives during a felony, and vandalism to a facility providing health care services (a FACE charge). Uphoff was sentenced to 60 months for the felony and 6 months for the FACE charge, to be served concurrently. |
| 3/1999 | New Mexico | ARSON | $3,000 | Ricky Lee McDonald pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in jail. |
| 3/1999 | North Carolina | BOMB | Minimal | Remains open |
| 10/1998 | New York | MURDER | Dr. Barnett Slepian was shot and killed in his home in Amherst, New York. James Kopp was convicted of second-degree murder in state court and received the maximum sentence of twenty-five years to life in prison. He was also convicted and sentenced to life on federal charges of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. | |
| 9/1998 | North Carolina | ARSON | $200 | Remains open |
| 9/1998 | North Carolina | ARSON | $17,000 | Remains open |
| 9/1998 | North Carolina | ARSON | $7,000 | Remains open |
| 7/1998 | Texas | ACID | Unknown | |
| 7/1998 | Louisiana | ACID | Unknown | |
| 7/1998 | Louisiana | ACID | $13,000 | |
| 7/1998 | Louisiana | ACID | Unknown | |
| 7/1998 | Louisiana | ACID | Unknown | |
| 7/1998 | Texas | ACID | Unknown | |
| 7/1998 | Texas | ACID | Unknown | |
| 7/1998 | Texas | ACID | Unknown | |
| 7/1998 | Louisiana | ACID | Unknown | |
| 5/1998 | Florida | ACID | Unknown | |
| 5/1998 | Florida | ACID | Unknown | |
| 5/1998 | Florida | ACID | Unknown | |
| 5/1998 | Florida | ACID | Unknown | |
| 5/1998 | Florida | ACID | Unknown | |
| 5/1998 | Florida | ACID | $3,000 | |
| 5/1998 | Florida | ACID | Unknown | |
| 5/1998 | Florida | ACID | Unknown | |
| 5/1998 | Florida | ACID | Unknown | |
| 5/1998 | Florida | ACID | Unknown | |
| 3/1998 | California | ARSON | $5,000 | Remains open |
| 1/1998 | Alabama | BOMB | $85,000 | Officer Robert Sanderson was killed during a clinic bombing in Birmingham, AL. Emily Lyons, a nurse at the clinic was severely injured in the blast. Eric Robert Rudolph pled guilty and is serving a life sentence for the bombings at Olympic Park, a gay bar, and two abortion clinics including the Birmingham clinic. |
| 12/1997 | New York | ARSON | Minimal | Remains open |
| 11/1997 | Manitoba | SHOOTING | Dr. Jack Fainman was shot and injured in his home in Winnipeg, Manitoba. James Kopp is a suspect in the shooting. | |
| 10/1997 | New York | SHOOTING | An unnamed physician was shot at in his home in Rochester, New York. James Kopp is a suspect in the shooting. | |
| 10/1997 | Oregon | ARSON | $5,000 | Remains open |
| 8/1997 | Alabama | ARSON | $250,000 | Remains open |
| 5/1997 | Washington | ARSON | $1,500 | Remains open |
| 5/1997 | Oregon | ARSON | $400,000 | Remains open |
| 3/1997 | California | BOMB | $1,000 | Container of flammable liquid thrown through the window. |
| 3/1997 | Iowa | BOMB | Unknown | Remains open |
| 3/1997 | Montana | BOMB | $2,000 | JohnYankowski apprehended at clinic; convicted and sentenced to 5 years in prison. |
| 3/1997 | North Carolina | BOMB | $50,000 | Remains open |
| 3/1997 | California | ARSON | Unknown | Peter Howard, a local activist, put 13 gas cans and 3 propane tanks in his truck and drove it thru the clinic door. He was caught on the scene, pled guilty and was sentenced to 15 yrs in prison and fined $16, 320.87 for damages and restitution. |
| 2/1997 | Virginia | ARSON | $25,000 | James Anthony Mitchell of VA pleaded guilty and was sentenced to ten years in jail in September 1997. |
| 1/1997 | Oklahoma | ARSON | $7,000 | A juvenile was convicted in this and other arsons and bombings. Name sealed due to age. |
| 1/1997 | Oklahoma | BOMB | $2,500 | A juvenile was convicted in this and other arsons and bombings. Name sealed due to age. |
| 1/1997 | Georgia | BOMB | $90,000+ | 2 explosions. Eric Robert Rudolph is serving a life sentence for the bombings at Olympic Park, a gay bar, and two abortion clinics including the Georgia clinic. |
Anti-abortion extremists perpetrated an unprecedented level of violence in 1993 with the first murder of an abortion provider. Dr. David Gunn was shot and killed by a zealot in Pensacola, FL. Since that time, anti-abortion extremists have murdered or attempted to murder numerous other individuals who were involved in reproductive health care.
| 11/2015 | Colorado | Officer Garrett Swasey, Jennifer Markovsky, and Ke’Arre Stewart were shot and killed when an attacker entered a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Robert Lewis Dear has been charged with murder and attempted murder and is in custody. |
| 5/2009 | Kansas | Dr. George Tiller was shot and killed in his church in Wichita, Kansas. Anti-abortion extremist Scott Roeder confessed to the murder and was found guilty of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated assault and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 50 years. |
| 10/1998 | New York | Dr. Barnett Slepian was shot and killed in his home in Amherst, New York. James Kopp was convicted of second-degree murder in state court and received the maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison. He was also convicted and sentenced to life on federal charges of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. |
| 1/1998 | Alabama | Officer Robert Sanderson was killed during a clinic bombing in Birmingham, AL. Emily Lyons, a nurse at the clinic was severely injured in the blast. Eric Robert Rudolph pled guilty and is serving a life sentence for the bombings at Olympic Park, a gay bar, and two abortion clinics including the Birmingham clinic. |
| 11/1997 | Manitoba | Dr. Jack Fainman was shot and injured in his home in Winnipeg, Manitoba. James Kopp was suspected in the shooting but not charged. |
| 10/1997 | New York | An unnamed physician was shot at in his home in Rochester, New York. James Kopp was suspected in the shooting but never charged. |
| 11/1995 | Ontario | Dr. Hugh Short was shot and injured in his home in Ancaster, Ontario. James Kopp was charged with attempted murder in the shooting, but those charges were later dropped. |
| 12/1994 | Massachusetts | Shannon Lowney and Leanne Nichols were shot and killed by John Salvi at two clinics in Brookline, Massachusetts. Five others were injured in the attacks. Salvi was sentenced to two life terms but committed suicide in prison in November 1996. |
| 11/1994 | Vancouver | Dr. Garson Romalis was shot and seriously wounded in his home in Vancouver, British Columbia. James Kopp was suspected in the shooting. |
| 7/1994 | Florida | Dr. John Bayard Britton and his escort, James H. Barrett were shot and killed in front of a clinic in Pensacola, Florida by Paul J. Hill. June Barrett was also shot and injured in the incident. Hill was executed by lethal injection on September 3, 2003. |
| 8/1993 | Kansas | Dr. George Tiller was shot and injured by Rachelle u201cShelleyu201d Shannon at his clinic in Wichita, Kansas. Shannon was sentenced to 11 years in prison for attempted first-degree murder. She is still in prison serving additional prison time for six arsons and two butyric acid attacks. |
| 3/1993 | Florida | Dr. David Gunn was shot to death by Michael Griffin in Pensacola, Florida. Griffin is serving a life sentence for murder. |
Arsons and bombings at clinics can cause widespread destruction. Over 200 of these crimes have been committed against reproductive health care clinics since the mid-1970s.
| 5/2016 | California | ARSON | Police investigated the incident as an arson. No arrests were made. | |
| 10/2015 | California | ARSON | Open | |
| 9/2015 | Washington | ARSON | Open | |
| 8/2015 | Louisiana | ARSON | Open | |
| 7/2015 | Illinois | ARSON | Open | |
| 11/2014 | Alabama | ARSON | Open | |
| 5/2012 | Georgia | ARSON | Open | |
| 5/2012 | Georgia | ARSON | Open | |
| 5/2012 | Missouri | ARSON | Jedediah Stout pled guilty to is charged with attempted arson and violating the FACE Act. He was sentenced to 63 months imprisonment for these and other crimes. | |
| 4/2012 | Wisconsin | ARSON | Francis Grady was sentenced to 11 years for arson of a Planned Parenthood facility in Grand Chute, WI. | |
| 1/2012 | Florida | ARSON | Bobby Joe Rogers was sentenced to 10 years for arson and damaging a reproductive health facility. | |
| 8/2011 | Michigan | BOMBING | Open | |
| 7/2011 | Texas | ARSON | Open | |
| 12/2007 | New Mexico | ARSON | Chad Altman and Sergio Baca pled guilty to conspiracy to commit arson. Altman was sentenced to 40-months incarceration, 3 years supervised release, and restitution in the amount of $796,531.92. Baca was sentenced to 46-months incarceration, 3 years supervised release, and restitution in the amount of $796,531.92. | |
| 5/2007 | Virginia | ARSON | Remains open | |
| 7/2005 | Florida | ARSON | Remains open | |
| 1/2005 | Washington | ARSON | $500,000 | Remains open |
| 7/2004 | Florida | ARSON | Remain open | |
| 1/2004 | Florida | ARSON | Remains open | |
| 9/2003 | Indiana | ARSON | $2,000 | Remains open |
| 5/2003 | Florida | ARSON | Remains open | |
| 1/2003 | Illinois | ARSON | Remains open | |
| 6/2002 | Texas | ARSON | Remains open | |
| 6/2001 | Washington | BOMB | $6,000 | Remains open |
| 6/2001 | Washington | ARSON | Remains open | |
| 4/2001 | Kentucky | ARSON | Remains open | |
| 5/2000 | New Hampshire | ARSON | $20,000 | Remains open |
| 4/2000 | Kentucky | ARSON | Remains open | |
| 4/2000 | Florida | ARSON | $2-3,000 | Remains open |
| 8/1999 | New Hampshire | ARSON | Approx. $20,000 | Remains open |
| 7/1999 | California | ARSON | Minimal damage to the clinic. Approx $100,000 damage to the building housing the clinic. | Benjamin Matthew Williams and James Tyler Williams pled guilty and were sentenced to 21-30 years in jail for this fire and three synagogue arsons. |
| 5/1999 | New Mexico | ARSON | $5,000 | Ricky Lee McDonald pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in jail. |
| 4/1999 | Wisconsin | ARSON | $500 | Remains open |
| 3/1999 | South Dakota | ARSON | Minimal | Martin Uphoff was convicted of using explosives during a felony, and vandalism to a facility providing health care services (a FACE charge). Uphoff was sentenced to 60 months for the felony and 6 months for the FACE charge, to be served concurrently. |
| 3/1999 | New Mexico | ARSON | $3,000 | Ricky Lee McDonald pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in jail. |
| 3/1999 | Wisconsin | ARSON | Minimal | Peter Quinn, 17, admitted to this arson. He is being charged in state court as an adult.He was sentenced as an adult to 5 years’ imprisonment and 5 years’ probation. |
| 3/1999 | North Carolina | BOMB | Minimal | Remains open |
| 3/1999 | Wisconsin | ARSON | $1,000 | Peter Quinn, 17, admitted to this arson. He is being charged in state court as an adult.He was sentenced as an adult to 5 years’ imprisonment and 5 years’ probation. |
| 9/1998 | North Carolina | ARSON | $17,000 | Remains open |
| 9/1998 | North Carolina | ARSON | $7,000 | Remains open |
| 9/1998 | North Carolina | ARSON | $200 | Remains open |
| 3/1998 | California | ARSON | $5,000 | Remains open |
| 12/1997 | New York | ARSON | Minimal | Remains open |
| 10/1997 | Oregon | ARSON | $5,000 | Remains open |
| 8/1997 | Alabama | ARSON | $250,000 | Remains open |
| 5/1997 | Oregon | ARSON | $400,000 | Remains open |
| 5/1997 | Washington | ARSON | $1,500 | Remains open |
| 3/1997 | Montana | BOMB | $2,000 | John Yankowski apprehended at clinic; convicted and sentenced to 5 years in prison. |
| 3/1997 | California | BOMB | $1,000 | Container of flammable liquid thrown through the window. |
| 3/1997 | California | ARSON | Unknown | Peter Howard, a local activist, put 13 gas cans and 3 propane tanks in his truck and drove it thru the clinic door. He was caught on the scene, pled guilty and was sentenced to 15 yrs in prison and fined $16, 320.87 for damages and restitution. |
| 3/1997 | Iowa | BOMB | Unknown | Remains open |
| 3/1997 | North Carolina | BOMB | $50,000 | Remains open |
| 2/1997 | Virginia | ARSON | $25,000 | James Anthony Mitchell of VA pleaded guilty and was sentenced to ten years in jail in September 1997. |
| 1/1997 | Georgia | BOMB | $90,000+ | 2 explosions. Eric Robert Rudolph is serving a life sentence for the bombings at Olympic Park, a gay bar, and two abortion clinics including the Georgia clinic. |
| 1/1997 | Oklahoma | ARSON | $7,000 | A juvenile was convicted in this and other arsons and bombings. Name sealed due to age. |
| 1/1997 | Oklahoma | BOMB | $2,500 | A juvenile was convicted in this and other arsons and bombings. Name sealed due to age. |
| 11/1996 | Missouri | ARSON | $75,000 | A juvenile was convicted in this and other arsons and bombings. Name sealed due to age. |
| 9/1996 | Oklahoma | BOMB | $1,000 | A juvenile was convicted in this and other arsons and bombings. Name sealed due to age. |
| 7/1996 | Washington | BOMB | $50,000 | Brian Rattigan, Verne Jay Merrell, Charles Barbee and Robert Berry were convicted of conspiring in the bombing of the clinic and a bank robbery. |
| 7/1996 | Idaho | ARSON | $50,000 | Remains open |
| 5/1996 | Idaho | ARSON | $400 | Remains open |
| 11/1995 | Florida | ARSON | $100 | Remains open |
| 11/1995 | Florida | ARSON | $400 | Remains open |
| 9/1995 | Wyoming | ARSON | $50,000 | In October 1997, Richard Thomas Andrews was indicted for setting three fires to clinics in Redding and Chico. |
| 8/1995 | Florida | ARSON | $100,000 | Remains open |
| 8/1995 | Florida | ARSON | $40,000 | Remains open |
| 8/1995 | Oregon | ARSON | $200 | Remains open |
| 5/1995 | Ohio | BOMB | Minimal | Remains open |
| 3/1995 | Virginia | ARSON | under $5,000 | Jennifer Spearle and Ryan Clark Martin were convicted. |
| 2/1995 | California | ARSON | $500 | Remains open |
| 2/1995 | California | ARSON | $300 | Remains open |
| 2/1995 | California | ARSON | $50,000 | Remains open |
| 2/1995 | California | ARSON | Minimal | Remains open |
| 2/1995 | New Mexico | ARSON | $5,000 | Ricky Lee McDonald arrested by Services ATF 2/24/95 and convicted. |
| 2/1995 | Virginia | ARSON | $500 | Remains open |
| 2/1995 | California | ARSON | $1,000 | Remains open |
| 1/1995 | Pennsylvania | ARSON | unknown | Remains open |
| 1/1995 | New Mexico | ARSON | Minimal | Ricky Lee McDonald arrested by ATF 2/24/95 and convicted. |
| 12/1994 | Kansas | ARSON | $3,000 | Remains open |
| 12/1994 | Virginia | ARSON | $400 | Jennifer Spearle and Ryan Clark Martin were convicted. |
| 12/1994 | South Dakota | ARSON | $1,000 | Remains open |
| 11/1994 | California | BOMB | Minimal | Remains open |
| 10/1994 | California | ARSON | $500 | Remains open |
| 10/1994 | Montana | ARSON | $100,000 | In October 1997, Richard Thomas Andrews was indicted for setting three fires to clinics in Redding and Chico. |
| 10/1994 | California | ARSON | $35,000 | In October 1997, Richard Thomas Andrews was indicted for setting three fires to clinics in Redding and Chico. |
| 10/1994 | California | ARSON | $3,000 | In October 1997, Richard Thomas Andrews was indicted for setting three fires to clinics in Redding and Chico. |
| 8/1994 | Minnesota | ARSON | $373,000 | Remains open |
| 8/1994 | Ohio | ARSON | $100 | Remains open |
| 7/1994 | Virginia | ARSON | $10,000 | Remains open |
| 12/1993 | New York | ARSON | $150 | Janet Smith was arrested for throwing two molotov cocktails. |
| 11/1993 | Pennsylvania | ARSON | $500 | Remains open |
| 10/1993 | Texas | ARSON | $20,000 | On 3/14/94, Joshua Graff pled guilty & was sentenced to 39 months in prison. |
| 9/1993 | Pennsylvania | ARSON | $130,000 | Remains open |
| 9/1993 | Illinois | ARSON | $7,500 | Remains open |
| 9/1993 | California | ARSON | $1.4 million | Remains open |
| 9/1993 | California | BOMB | $1,000 | Remains open |
| 8/1993 | Florida | ARSON | $500,000 | Remains open |
| 5/1993 | Idaho | ARSON | $100,000 | In October 1997, Richard Thomas Andrews was indicted for setting three fires to clinics in Redding and Chico. |
| 5/1993 | Oregon | ARSON | $5,000 | Remains open |
| 3/1993 | Montana | ARSON | $100,000 | In October 1997, Richard Thomas Andrews was indicted for setting three fires to clinics in Redding and Chico. |
| 2/1993 | Florida | ARSON | $70,000 | Remains open |
| 2/1993 | Texas | ARSON | $625,000 | Remains open |
| 12/1992 | California | ARSON | $50,000 | Remains open |
| 11/1992 | California | ARSON | $175,000 | Rachelle Shannon pled guilty on 6/7/95 to 6 arson incidents and 2 acid incidents. Shannon was convicted of attempted murder of Dr. Tiller of Wichita, KS. |
| 11/1992 | Illinois | ARSON | $2,500 | Remains open |
| 9/1992 | New Mexico | ARSON | $500 | Remains open |
| 9/1992 | Virginia | ARSON | $25,000 | Remains open |
| 9/1992 | Oregon | ARSON | $1,000+ | Rachelle Shannon pled guilty on 6/7/95 to 6 arson incidents and 2 acid incidents. Shannon was convicted of attempted murder of Dr. Tiller of Wichita, KS. |
| 9/1992 | Nevada | ARSON | $600 | Michael Andrew Fix was arrested on 9/28/92 by NV State Police. He was convicted in state court and sentenced to 2 years in prison. |
| 9/1992 | Nevada | ARSON | $5,000 | Michael Andrew Fix was arrested on 9/28/92 by NV State Police. He was convicted in state court and sentenced to 2 years in prison |
| 8/1992 | Nevada | ARSON | Minimal | Michael Andrew Fix was arrested on 9/28/92 by NV State Police. He was convicted in state court and sentenced to 2 years in prison. |
| 8/1992 | Oregon | ARSON | $2,500 | Rachelle Shannon pled guilty on 6/7/95 to 6 arson incidents and 2 acid incidents. Shannon was convicted of attempted murder of Dr. Tiller of Wichita, KS. |
| 8/1992 | California | ARSON | $5,000 | Rachelle Shannon pled guilty on 6/7/95 to 6 arson incidents and 2 acid incidents. Shannon was convicted of attempted murder of Dr. Tiller of Wichita, KS. |
| 7/1992 | California | ARSON | $9,000 | Remains open |
| 6/1992 | California | ARSON | $70,000 | In October 1997, Richard Thomas Andrews was indicted for setting three fires to clinics in Redding and Chico. |
| 5/1992 | Toronto | ARSON | Remains open | |
| 3/1992 | North Dakota | ARSON | $2,000 | Remains open |
| 3/1992 | Oregon | ARSON | $225,000 | Rachelle Shannon pled guilty on 6/7/95 to 6 arson incidents and 2 acid incidents. Shannon was convicted of attempted murder of Dr. Tiller of Wichita, KS. |
| 3/1992 | Ohio | ARSON | $1,000 | Remains open |
| 1/1992 | Texas | ARSON | $300,000 | Remains open |
| 1/1992 | Montana | ARSON | $75,000 | Attributed to Richard Andrews though he was not charged due to statute of limitations. |
| 11/1991 | Florida | ARSON | Minimal | Remains open |
| 8/1991 | North Carolina | ARSON | $50,000 | Remains open |
| 5/1991 | Alabama | ARSON | $80,000 | Remains open |
| 3/1991 | New Jersey | ARSON | $500,000 | Alan Weiselberg pled guilty to insurance and mail fraud. It was a prosecutorial decision not to prosecute on the arson charges. |
| 3/1991 | North Carolina | ARSON | Minimal | Robert Hugh Farley arrested 3/91. Committed to mental institution. |
| 3/1991 | North Carolina | ARSON | $100,000 | Robert Hugh Farley arrested 3/91. Committed to mental institution. |
| 2/1991 | Ohio | ARSON | $250,000 | Remains open |
| 2/1991 | Arizona | ARSON | $300 | Remains open |
| 2/1991 | Ohio | BOMB | $10,000 | Remains open |
| 11/1990 | Indiana | ARSON | $10,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 9/1990 | Massachusetts | ARSON | Minimal | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 9/1990 | California | ARSON | $50,000 | David Brian Martin arrested for burglary; authorities ruled case not abortion-related. |
| 8/1990 | Washington | BOMB | $400 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 7/1990 | California | ARSON | Minimal | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 7/1990 | California | ARSON | $30,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 5/1990 | Oregon | ARSON | $15,000 | Daniel J. Carver indicted by state 6/1/90. Apprehended and pled guilty. Sentenced to three years in prison. |
| 5/1990 | New York | ARSON | Minimal | Shari DiNicola, arrested 5/28/90. Self-committed to mental institution. State will not prosecute |
| 3/1990 | Arizona | ARSON | Minimal | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 12/1989 | Missouri | ARSON | $100,000 | Two juveniles arrested on state juvenile charges for vandalism. |
| 10/1989 | New Jersey | ARSON | Minimal | Marjorie Reed pled guilty to this and multiple other arson charges in 1992. |
| 9/1989 | Michigan | BOMB | $300 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 9/1989 | Pennsylvania | ARSON | $5,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 7/1989 | New Hampshire | ARSON | $1,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 3/1989 | Florida | ARSON | $50,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 3/1989 | Tennessee | ARSON | $12,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 3/1989 | Florida | ARSON | $60,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 3/1989 | Florida | ARSON | $50,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 12/1988 | Texas | ARSON | $25,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 12/1988 | Texas | ARSON | $2,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 12/1988 | Texas | ARSON | $65,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 10/1988 | California | ARSON | $50,000 | Shannon Taylor convicted in state and sentenced to 8 years in prison. |
| 6/1988 | California | ARSON | Minimal | Shannon Taylor convicted and sentenced to 8 years in prison. |
| 12/1987 | Alabama | ARSON | Minimal | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 10/1987 | Minnesota | ARSON | Minimal | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 9/1987 | Minnesota | ARSON | Minimal | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 9/1987 | Minnesota | ARSON | $5,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 9/1987 | Minnesota | ARSON | Minimal | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 8/1987 | North Dakota | ARSON | $500 | Scott Garman pled guilty. Sentenced to 2 months in prison, 2 years probation, and $215 fine. A juvenile was tried in state court and sentenced to two years deferred sentence and 100 hours community service. |
| 7/1987 | California | BOMB | Minimal | Dorman Owens, Joanne Kreipel, Cheryl Sullinger, Randy Sullinger, Chris Harmon, Robin Harmon and Erick Svelmoe were convicted of conspiracy and were given sentences ranging from 149 days to five years. |
| 6/1987 | Ohio | ARSON | $1,000 | Marjorie Reed pled guilty to this and multiple other arson charges in 1992. She served 5 years and was released in September 1997. |
| 3/1987 | Ohio | ARSON | $1,000 | Marjorie Reed pled guilty to this and multiple other arson charges in 1992. She served 5 years and was released in September 1997. |
| 1/1987 | Minnesota | ARSON | $1,500 | Mark J. Bundlie confessed to arson. Committed indefinitely to state institution. |
| 1/1987 | Illinois | ARSON | Minimal | David Holman pled guilty. Received 18 months imprisonment and 3 years probation. |
| 12/1986 | California | ARSON | $35,000 | Frederick Gordan Tipps arrested. Pled guilty to arson to cover burglary. |
| 12/1986 | New York | BOMB | Minimal | In connection with this and other New York bombings, Dennis John Malvasi pled guilty to 3 counts & received five years in prison; Carl Cenera pled guilty and received three years in prison; Frank Wright, Jr., pled guilty and received two years in prison. |
| 12/1986 | Michigan | ARSON | $750,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 12/1986 | Illinois | ARSON | Minimal | David Holman pled guilty. Received 18 months imprisonment and 3 years probation. |
| 11/1986 | Illinois | ARSON | Minimal | David Holman pled guilty. Received 18 months imprisonment and 3 years probation. |
| 10/1986 | New York | BOMB | $10,000 | In connection with this and other New York bombings, Dennis John Malvasi pled guilty to 3 counts & received five years in prison; CarlCenera pled guilty and received three years in prison; Frank Wright, Jr., pled guilty and received two years in prison. |
| 6/1986 | Missouri | ARSON | $100,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 6/1986 | Kansas | BOMB | $100,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 5/1986 | Ohio | ARSON | $200,000 | Marjorie Reed pled guilty to this and multiple other arson charges in 1992. She served 5 years in prison and was released in September 1997. |
| 12/1985 | Ohio | ARSON | $75,000+ | John Brockhoeft pled guilty to one count arson in connection with multiple cases. Sentenced to 7 years in prison. Released in 1995. |
| 12/1985 | Ohio | ARSON | $35,000 | John Brockhoeft pled guilty to one count arson in connection with multiple cases. Sentenced to 7 years in prison. Released in 1995. |
| 12/1985 | New York | BOMB | Minimal | In connection with this and other NY bombings, Dennis John Malvasi pled guilty to 3 counts and received 5 years in prison; Carl Cenera pled guilty and received 3 years in prison; Frank Wright, Jr., pled guilty and received 2 years in prison. Donald C. pryor, Jr. pled guilty but died before sentencing. |
| 12/1985 | Ohio | ARSON | $20,000 | Marjorie Reed pled guilty to this and multiple other arson charges in 1992. She served 5 years in prison and was released in September 1997. |
| 10/1985 | Louisiana | ARSON | $20,000 | Brent Paul Braud, Derrick James Jarreau, John David Newchurch, and Charles Albert Cheshire Jr. each pled guilty to one count. Braud and Jarreau were sentenced to 2 years in prison and a $50 special assessment Newchurch was sentenced to 5 years, subject to review after a psychiatric exam. |
| 10/1985 | Louisiana | ARSON | $300,000 | Brent Paul Braud, Derrick James Jarreau, John David Newchurch, and Charles Albert Cheshire Jr. each pled guilty to one count. Braud and Jarreau were sentenced to 2 years in prison and a $50 special assessment. Newchurch was sentenced to 5 years, subject to review after a psychiatric exam. Cheshire was sentenced to 5 years and ordered to pay $314,000 in restitution. |
| 10/1985 | North Carolina | ARSON | $75,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 3/1985 | California | ARSON | $10,000 | Shane Cameron arrested. Convicted on unrelated arson charges. |
| 2/1985 | Texas | ARSON | $1,500,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 1/1985 | Washington, DC | BOMB | $100,000+ | Kenneth Shields and Thomas Spinks. |
| 12/1984 | Florida | BOMB | $100,000+ | Matthew Goldsby and James Simmons convicted in U.S. District Court; sentenced to 10 years in prison and $353,073.66 in fines. (Assessed only $350). Kathren Simmons and Kaye Wiggins convicted for conspiracy, received 5 years probation and $2,000 in fines. (Assessed only $50). |
| 12/1984 | Florida | BOMB | $225,000+ | Matthew Goldsby and James Simmons convicted in U.S. District Court; sentenced to 10 years in prison and $353,073.66 in fines. (Assessed only $350). Kathren Simmons and Kaye Wiggins convicted for conspiracy, received 5 years probation and $2,000 in fines. (Assessed only $50). |
| 12/1984 | Florida | BOMB | $100,000+ | Matthew Goldsby and James Simmons convicted in U.S. District Court; sentenced to 10 years in prison and $353,073.66 in fines. (Assessed only $350). Kathren Simmons and Kaye Wiggins convicted for conspiracy, received 5 years probation and $2,000 in fines. |
| 12/1984 | Maryland | BOMB | $150,000 | Kenneth Shields and Thomas Spinks pled guilty to conspiracy in connection with this and 9 other cases. Shields received 15 years and was ordered to pay $55,000 in restitution. Michael Bray entered Alford plea, in which the defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges he would be found guilty if tried, and was sentenced to six years. |
| 11/1984 | Maryland | BOMB | $300,000 | Kenneth Shields and Thomas Spinks pled guilty to conspiracy in connection with this and 9 other cases. Shields received 15 years and was ordered to pay $55,000 in restitution. |
| 11/1984 | Washington, DC | BOMB | Minimal | Kenneth Shields and Thomas Spinks pled guilty to conspiracy in connection with this and 9 other cases. Shields received 15 years and was ordered to pay $55,000 in restitution. Michael Bray entered Alford plea, in which the defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges he would be found guilty if tried, and was sentenced to six years. |
| 11/1984 | Maryland | BOMB | $50,000 | Kenneth Shields and Thomas Spinks pled guilty to conspiracy in connection with this and 9 other cases. Shields received 15 years and was ordered to pay $55,000 in restitution. |
| 11/1984 | Texas | ARSON | $400,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 9/1984 | Georgia | ARSON | $8,000+ | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 9/1984 | California | ARSON | $125,000+ | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 9/1984 | Georgia | ARSON | $5,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 9/1984 | Texas | ARSON | Minimal | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 9/1984 | Texas | ARSON | Minimal | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 9/1984 | Texas | ARSON | $90,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 9/1984 | Texas | ARSON | $10,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 8/1984 | Texas | ARSON | $30,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 7/1984 | Maryland | BOMB | $50,000+ | Kenneth Shields and Thomas Spinks pled guilty to conspiracy in connection with this and 9 other cases. Shields received 15 years and was ordered to pay $55,000 in restitution. |
| 7/1984 | Washington, DC | BOMB | $40,000 | Kenneth Shields & Thomas Spinks pled guilty to conspiracy in connection with this and 9 other cases. Shields received 15 years and was ordered to pay $55,000 in restitution. |
| 6/1984 | Florida | BOMB | $200,000 | Matthew Goldsby and James Simmons were arrested. U.S. Attorney declined to prosecute because of changes in insanity law. Both men and their girlfriends were prosecuted and convicted in district court. See 12/84 Florida cases. |
| 5/1984 | Oregon | ARSON | $1,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 3/1984 | Washington | ARSON | $55,000 | Curtis Beseda convicted in U.S. District Court; received two consecutive 10-year terms, 5 years probation, and ordered to pay $295,000 in restitution. |
| 3/1984 | Washington | ARSON | $10,000 | Curtis Beseda convicted in U.S. District Court; received two consecutive 10-year terms, 5 years probation, and ordered to pay $295,000 in restitution. |
| 3/1984 | Washington | ARSON | $70,000 | Curtis Beseda convicted in U.S. District Court; received two consecutive 10-year terms, 5 years probation, and ordered to pay $295,000 in restitution. |
| 2/1984 | Maryland | ARSON | $100,000 | Kenneth Shields & Thomas Spinks pled guilty to conspiracy in connection with this and 9 other cases. Shields received 15 years and $55,000 in restitution. Michael Bray entered Alford plea, in which the defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges he would be found guilty if tried, and was sentenced to six years. |
| 2/1984 | Virginia | ARSON | $1,000 | Kenneth Shields & Thomas Spinks pled guilty to conspiracy in connection with this and 9 other cases. Shields received 15 years and $55,000 in restitution. Michael Bray entered Alford plea, in which the defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges he would be found guilty if tried, and was sentenced to six years. |
| 1/1984 | Delaware | ARSON | $100,000 | Kenneth Shields & Thomas Spinks pled guilty to conspiracy in connection with this and 9 other cases. Shields received 15 years and $55,000 in restitution. Michael Bray entered Alford plea, in which the defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges he would be found guilty if tried, and was sentenced to six years. |
| 12/1983 | Washington | ARSON | $45,000 | Curtis Beseda convicted in U.S. District Court; received two consecutive 10-year terms, 5 years probation, and ordered to pay $295,000 in restitution. |
| 5/1983 | Virginia | ARSON | $250,000 | Joseph Grace convicted in state court. Regarding this and other arson charges, he was sentenced to 10-20 years in Virginia state prison. Scheduled for release: April, 1999. |
| 10/1982 | New Jersey | ARSON | $100,000+ | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 6/1982 | Virginia | BOMB | $18,000 | Don Benny Anderson & Matthew Moore convicted in state court. Both pled guilty and received 30 years, to be served consecutively with 30-year sentence received by Anderson, Matthew Moore and brother Wayne Moore for kidnapping of Illinois physician and his wife. |
| 5/1982 | Florida | ARSON | $340,000 | Don Benny Anderson & Matthew Moore convicted in state court. Both pled guilty and received 30 years, to be served consecutively with 30-year sentence received by Anderson, Matthew Moore and brother Wayne Moore for kidnapping of Illinois physician and his wife. |
| 5/1982 | Florida | ARSON | $122,000 | Don Benny Anderson & Matthew Moore convicted in state court. Both pled guilty and received 30 years, to be served consecutively with 30-year sentence received by Anderson, Matthew Moore and brother Wayne Moore for kidnapping of Illinois physician and his wife. |
| 1/1982 | Illinois | ARSON | $100,000+ | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 4/1981 | Michigan | ARSON | $30,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 2/1979 | New York | ARSON | $100,000+ | Peter Burkin entered clinic during working hours, set it on fire and injured himself, risking staff & patientsu00d5 lives. Acquitted of attempted murder and arson; found not guilty by reason of insanity on charges of arson and reckless endangerment. |
| 6/1978 | Iowa | BOMB | Unknown | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 6/1978 | Ohio | BOMB | Unknown | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 5/1978 | Vermont | BOMB | Unknown | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 2/1978 | Ohio | ARSON | Unknown | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 2/1978 | Ohio | BOMB | $3,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 2/1978 | Ohio | ARSON | $200,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 2/1978 | Ohio | ARSON | $100,000+ | Closed under statute of limitations. (Man entered clinic, blinded a technician by throwing chemicals, and set center on fire, destroying it. Clinic was full of patients at the time; they escaped without injury). |
| 11/1977 | Ohio | ARSON | $4,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 8/1977 | Nebraska | ARSON | $35,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 5/1977 | Vermont | ARSON | $100,000+ | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 2/1977 | Minnesota | ARSON | $250,000 | Closed under statute of limitations. |
| 3/1976 | Oregon | ARSON | $19,000 | Joseph C. Stockett was convicted and served two years in prison. |
Butyric acid is a clear, colorless liquid with an unpleasant, rancid, vomit-like odor. Anti-abortion extremists began using butyric acid as a weapon against abortion facilities in early 1992. The goal of introducing butyric acid into a clinic is to disrupt services, close the clinic, and harass patients and staff. Depending on the amount used and how it is introduced into the clinic, butyric acid can cause thousands of dollars of damage, requiring clinics to replace carpeting, furniture, and conduct extensive cleanup of the facility. In addition, even after cleanup, butyric acid’s smell leaves a reminder of the incident for months, and often years, to come.
There have been about 100 butyric acid attacks throughout the United States and Canada, causing in excess of $1 million in damages.
The table below contains fewer than 100 entries. This is because in many cases multiple clinics were targeted in the same city on the same day.
| 7/1998 | Texas | Unknown |
| 7/1998 | Texas | Unknown |
| 7/1998 | Texas | Unknown |
| 7/1998 | Texas | Unknown |
| 7/1998 | Louisiana | Unknown |
| 7/1998 | Louisiana | Unknown |
| 7/1998 | Louisiana | $13,000 |
| 7/1998 | Louisiana | Unknown |
| 7/1998 | Louisiana | Unknown |
| 5/1998 | Florida | Unknown |
| 5/1998 | Florida | Unknown |
| 5/1998 | Florida | Unknown |
| 5/1998 | Florida | Unknown |
| 5/1998 | Florida | $3,000 |
| 5/1998 | Florida | Unknown |
| 5/1998 | Florida | Unknown |
| 5/1998 | Florida | Unknown |
| 5/1998 | Florida | Unknown |
| 5/1998 | Florida | Unknown |
| 11/1996 | Alberta | |
| 5/1994 | Texas | $1,000 |
| 5/1994 | New York | $10,000 |
| 4/1994 | New York | $60,000 |
| 4/1994 | Nebraska | $1,000 |
| 2/1994 | Indiana | Minor |
| 2/1994 | Wisconsin | $1,000 |
| 10/1993 | Colorado | $1,000 |
| 8/1993 | Wisconsin | $40,000 |
| 8/1993 | Wisconsin | $10,000 |
| 5/1993 | Indiana | $150,000 |
| 3/1993 | California | $100,000+ |
| 3/1993 | Kansas | $5,000 |
| 2/1993 | Texas | $10,000 |
| 12/1992 | Florida | $5,000 |
| 11/1992 | Texas | $750 |
| 10/1992 | Louisiana | unknown |
| 10/1992 | Florida | $3,000 |
| 10/1992 | Louisiana | unknown |
| 10/1992 | Alabama | $25,000+ |
| 10/1992 | Texas | $3,000 |
| 10/1992 | Louisiana | $28,000 |
| 9/1992 | Michigan | $40,000 |
| 9/1992 | Texas | $500 |
| 9/1992 | Michigan | $60,000 |
| 9/1992 | Michigan | $13,000 |
| 9/1992 | California | $7,000 |
| 9/1992 | Michigan | $7,000 |
| 9/1992 | Nevada | $2,000 |
| 7/1992 | Michigan | $3,000 |
| 7/1992 | Ohio | $20,000 |
| 6/1992 | Kansas | $500 |
| 6/1992 | Illinois | $5,000 |
| 6/1992 | Illinois | $1,500 |
| 6/1992 | Illinois | $2,000 |
| 5/1992 | Tennessee | $200,000 |
| 4/1992 | Kentucky | $800 |
| 4/1992 | Michigan | $1,000 |
| 4/1992 | Michigan | $5,000 |
| 3/1992 | Texas | $25,000 |
| 3/1992 | Colorado | $15,000 |
| 1/1991 | Ontario | $1,000 |
Letters threatening anthrax poisoning were first used to terrorize and disrupt reproductive health care clinics in October 1998, just days after the murder of abortion provider Dr. Barnett Slepian. At that time, about a dozen clinics across the country received letters that claimed to contain anthrax toxin. They threatened that clinic personnel exposed to the letters would die. Since then, additional anthrax threat letters have been received by clinics in February and June 1999, January 2000, October and November 2001, and January 2002. As of January 2002, approximately 654 letters have been received by clinics across the United States.
Letters were postmarked from various places including Kentucky, Ohio, Georgia, New York, and Washington, DC. Early letters contained no return addresses, but after law enforcement agents advised clinic personnel around the country to avoid opening mail from anonymous senders, letters started arriving with phony return addresses that included fictitious medical supply companies, the department of taxation, other clinics, law enforcement agencies, and pro-choice organizations.
While investigation has proven that none of the letters have actually contained anthrax toxin, virtually every case has resulted in frightening clinic staff and patients, disrupting services, and wasting valuable law enforcement resources.
The 554 letters sent via U.S. Mail and FedEx in 2001 have been attributed to anti-abortion extremist Clayton Waagner. Waagner was convicted in December 2003 of various charges including threatening the use of a weapon of mass destruction for sending the letters. He was sentenced to 19 years in prison.
Suspicious mail guidelines from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (PDF file, 288K)
| 1998 | 12 |
| 1999 | 35 |
| 2000 | 30 |
| 2001 | 554 |
| 2002 | 23 |
| 2003 | 0 |
| 2004 | 1 |
| 2005 | 0 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 4 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 7 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 6 |
| 2016 | 36 |
| Total | 718 |
The FBI Makes a Bizarre Claim About Pro-Choice Terrorism
By Spencer AckermanSenior Nat’l Security CorrespondentEmily ShugermanGender Reporter
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-fbi-makes-a-bizarre-claim-about-pro-choice-terrorism
The bureau revamped its homegrown-terror efforts to include “people on either side” of the abortion debate. But there’s almost no evidence of pro-choice violence.
The FBI is expanding its focus on domestic terrorism, and that includes pro-choice violence—even though such violence is so vanishingly rare, it’s all but nonexistent.
In testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray disclosed that the bureau has recently “changed our terminology as part of a broader reorganization of the way in which we categorize our domestic terrorism efforts.” It’s part of a much-heralded reinvigoration of the bureau’s domestic terrorism focus after a rising tide of mostly white-supremacist terrorism.
Among four broad categories of domestic terrorism that the FBI confronts, Wray said, is “abortion violent extremism.”
But Wray wasn’t only talking about the pro-life extremism that murders abortion providers in their churches, he hastened to add, but “people on either side of that issue who commit violence on behalf of different views on that topic.”
His questioner, Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), was puzzled at Wray’s seeming equivalence: “People on either side of that issue don’t commit violence.” In fact, the FBI pointed The Daily Beast to just one episode of pro-choice-inspired terrorism—one that did not involve an actual act of violence, but rather a threat in an online comments section.
But Wray persisted: “Well, we’ve actually had a variety of kinds of violence under that, believe it or not. But at the end of the day.” Bass asked, “Really, that blow up buildings and threaten doctors?” Rather than responding, Wray moved on to detailing the FBI’s next domestic-terrorism category, one about “animal rights and environmental extremism.”
Wray’s comments weren’t the first instance of the bureau promoting the idea of pro-choice violence as a real threat.
n 2017, the FBI distributed a brief “Abortion Extremism Reference Guide” at a counterterrorism training for local law enforcement, listing “pro-choice extremists” as a group of domestic terrorists. The document, first reported by Jezebel, claimed that these extremists “believe it is their moral duty to protect those who provide or receive abortion services”—though even this document noted that only one “pro-choice extremist” had ever been prosecuted. Additionally, an earlier FBI training document obtained by the ACLU in 2012 referenced pro-choice violence but did not “provide a single example of violence against abortion opponents,” the ACLU wrote.
“Abortion violent extremism” of any sort accounts for a only small percentage of FBI domestic terrorism cases. Wray on Wednesday that the “top threat” of domestic terrorism comes from what he called “racially/ethnically motivated violent extremists.” Out of approximately 850 current cases that a senior FBI official cited in congressional testimony last May, about half concern anti-government extremism and another 40 percent concern racist terrorism. That leaves around 85 cases of violence motivated by animal rights, ecological degradation, abortion and miscellaneous cases. An FBI spokesperson confirmed the total caseload and the breakdown are still current.
But abortion extremism doesn’t have an “either side.” The primary case of pro-choice violent extremism that the FBI pointed The Daily Beast toward—the same one cited in the 2017 FBI document—is the 2012 conviction of Theodore Schulman, who had a long history of threatening anti-abortion activists.
Schulman’s ultimate downfall was the result of posting a threat in the comments section of religious conservative outlet First Things: “if Roeder is acquitted, someone will respond by killing” Princeton’s Robert George and Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life, he wrote. That itself spoke to the discrepancy in violence between the two sides. “Roeder” was a reference to Scott Roeder, who murdered abortion provider George Tiller in the foyer of a Wichita church in 2009.
Other instances of anti-abortion violence include a trio of bombings at Florida abortion clinics in 1985, a string of arson attacks on a Washington clinic in 1983, and a 2015 shooting at a Colorado Planned Parenthood that killed three. Between 1993 and today, anti-abortion activists murdered 11 people and attempted to kill another 26, according to the National Abortion Federation.
“Anti-choice violence as we know it is constant, pervasive, and escalating dramatically, and it threatens the civil liberties as well as the lives of our patents, our members, our society,” NAF President Katherine Ragsdale told The Daily Beast.
Wray’s comments, she added, are a “danger to public perception.”
“It tars everyone with the same brush when in fact pro-choice folks simply are not doing this,” she said.
The Daily Beast has filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the FBI to document the extent of its focus on alleged pro-choice violent extremism.
“The bureau seems to be grasping a tiny number of unrelated incidents that are not part of any organized effort to falsely imply that such a ‘domestic terrorist’ movement exists.”
former FBI special agent Mike German
Mila Johns, a domestic terrorism researcher affiliated with the University of Maryland’s National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), said violence was “very much lopsided in the other direction,” the anti-abortion side, and called Wray’s equivalence “a very political statement.”
START maintains the Global Terrorism Database, which tracks terrorist attacks across the world since 1970. The database records about 300 incidents related to anti-abortion violence and none for pro-choice violence. However, an Austin woman in 2016 was charged with throwing a crude Molotov cocktail at anti-abortion protesters. And last year, an 85-year old anti-abortion protester in San Francisco was knocked to the ground after he attempted jamming the bicycle spokes of a man who appears to have stolen a pro-life group’s banner.
Troy Newman, the president of Operation Rescue—a radical anti-abortion group that moved its headquarters to Wichita, Kansas, specifically to target Dr. Tiller—said his movement has been on the receiving end of threats. He estimated he had made between 20 and 50 complaints to federal law enforcement over the last two decades, for everything from anthrax scares to online intimidation. Wichita resident Christopher Thompson, he noted, was sentenced to 12 months in jail last year for making menacing calls to Operation Rescue’s office and employees.
But when asked about specific instances of pro-choice violence, Newman cited only the murder of James Pouillon, an Operation Save America activist who was shot while protesting abortion outside a high school in 2009. (The judge in that case said the killer’s motivations were not tied to abortion.) Newman declined to give examples of abortion-rights violence of the scale and magnitude of that enacted by the anti-abortion movement. “You got your scorecard and I got mine,” he said. “All of them are terrible.”
The FBI’s position is that pro-choice activists and groups not concerned with violence don’t need to worry about the new domestic terrorism categorization. “We don’t investigate ideology or rhetoric or anything of that sort,” Wray testified.
An FBI spokesperson declined to comment, but pointed to comments from the bureau’s former assistant director for counterterrorism, Mike McGarrity, from last June. “It is important to remember that in line with our mission to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States, no FBI investigation can be opened solely on the basis of First Amendment-protected activity,” McGarrity testified to a House panel in June. “Rather, domestic terrorism investigations on individuals are opened on the basis of information concerning the occurrence or threat of violent criminal actions by the individual in furtherance of an ideology.”
However, prior episodes during the 18-year-old war on terror show the FBI does not always hold a rigid distinction between ideology that isn’t to be investigated and violence that is. In 2011, its counterterrorism training at Quantico included instructional material that held Islam was an ideology, rather than a religion, with violence baked into its doctrines. The point of the training was to portray Islam itself as a threat to national security—which, for an investigative entity with broad domestic powers, was ominous enough for the Obama administration to order the training materials removed.
Michael German, a former FBI special agent who investigated domestic terrorism, said the FBI was not only engaging in a false equivalence but “the manufacturing of an imaginary violent movement,” reminiscent of its now-discarded “black identity extremism” category.
The bureau “seems to be grasping a tiny number of unrelated incidents that are not part of any organized effort to falsely imply that such a ‘domestic terrorist’ movement exists,” said German, now with the Brennan Center for Justice. “This is a misleading analysis of dubious purpose, apparently to satisfy some political constituency, which is not what an objective law enforcement agency should be doing.”
But for some in the reproductive rights space, the threat posed by anti-abortion violence is enough that they are willing to accept dubious FBI categorization to ensure it gets investigated.
“Those of us in this movement have lost friends and family,” Ragsdale said. “By all means, investigate the escalating violence.”
“And if politics requires you to have a category that says pro-choice violence, go right ahead,” she added. “I’d be interested to see if anything ever pops up.”
The Absurd Lie of ‘Pro-Choice Violence’ Opinion Piece by Lauren Rankin
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/the-absurd-lie-of-pro-choice-violence/ar-BB100h37?ocid=msn360
Anti-abortion violence has been a real, present danger for decades. In the past few years, zealots have committed acts of targeted harassment, assault, and attempted arson at health-care providers; in the 1990s, extremists murdered several providers in their places of work, in church, and in their own homes.
Under Trump, instances have clinic harassment, threats against providers, and vandalism have skyrocketed. And just last week, FBI Director Christopher Wray seemed to hint at a new threat to the pro-choice movement. He testified before the House Judiciary Committee on the Bureau’s decision to revise domestic terrorism terminology, dividing into four broad categories — one of which is “abortion violent terrorism.” But he didn’t just mean anti-abortion terrorists. The updated definition includes “people on either side of that issue who commit violence on behalf of different views on that topic,” according to a new report from the Daily Beast.
Wray’s comments could indicate something abortion-rights advocates have feared for years: that this administration may be willing to target abortion-rights supporters. This kind of rhetorical conflation could have a chilling impact on those fighting to protect abortion access, who say they already face indifference and, sometimes, outright hostility from law enforcement. If the FBI is signaling that pro-choice activists are no different than those who harass and even attack abortion providers, it could send a message to law enforcement to treat them as perpetrators rather than victims.
No one is more on the frontlines of the fight for access than abortion-clinic escorts, who volunteer to help guide patients and staff past throngs of anti-choice protesters. As an escort myself, I’ve seen what these protesters are capable of. They scream, “Don’t murder your baby!” into megaphones. They follow women, sometimes for blocks, calling them murderers and “jezebels.”
We escorts are there to help abortion patients; protesters are there to shame, intimidate, and harass them. When law enforcement fails to make this distinction, they embolden the latter group. This is something I’ve experienced firsthand: In the spring of 2014, I approached a young woman outside of the clinic where I volunteered. She was trying to get to her appointment, but there was a mob of irate protesters by the door. One was screaming into his megaphone that the women inside were going to burn in hell. Another held a huge, gruesome sign with a doctored picture of a bloody fetus, while a third stared at us, a wry smirk plastered across his face. He grabbed his phone and held it up, filming our every move. She whispered in my ear, “Please don’t let them film me. Please.”
As we walked toward the door, I held my hand up to block her face from the phone’s camera lens. “Harassment! That’s harassment,” the man holding the phone screamed. “That ‘deathscort’ just harassed me!”
Thirty minutes later, the police showed up. I told the officer that I hadn’t touched the camera or the protester. I simply blocked him from filming someone who didn’t want to be filmed. It wasn’t harassment. It didn’t matter. The officer wrote up a report about it anyway. I begged him not to take down my home address, aware that some anti-abortion groups gather information on abortion providers and pro-choice advocates and target them at home. His response? “Well, you should have thought about that before you came out here.”
“Both-sides-ing” domestic terrorism is an absurd enterprise, but especially when it comes to anti-abortion terrorism. There have been 125 cases of vandalism and 15 cases of assault and battery against clinics last year alone. Anti-abortion terrorists have murdered 11 people. START’s Global Terrorism Database includes roughly 300 acts of anti-abortion violence. On the pro-choice side? Not one. (Indeed, the FBI wasn’t able to provide an example of pro-choice terrorism when asked by the Daily Beast, instead pointing to a lone threat in an online-comment section.)
It’s an absurd false equivalence, made more ridiculous by the fact that anti-abortion harassment is so widespread and such a recognized threat that some forms are already a federal crime. Under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, passed in 1994, it’s a felony to threaten or physically block someone from accessing a reproductive health-care facility, punishable by up to ten years in prison and fines up to $250,000.
But the law is only effective when it’s enforced, which requires the Justice Department to cooperate with local law enforcement. According to clinic escorts, that rarely happens. “The police in Milwaukee are pretty useless,” said Leslie Filingham, who’s been clinic escorting in the city since 1991. “They just want us all to go away.”
Benita Ulisano, a clinic escort in Chicago and founder of the Clinic Vest Project, says she rarely bothers to call the police anymore when anti-abortion protesters violate the city’s bubble zone, which requires all protesters to stay eight feet away from a patient. According to Ulisano, police often do nothing, which only serves to embolden the protesters, who then feel that the state is on their side
Law enforcement’s often laissez-faire attitude to anti-abortion harassment and violence has allowed that conduct to thrive, despite having the legal means to curb it. And now, pro-choice volunteers have to contend with the possibility that the FBI could err on the side of “both sides,” essentially equating bomb threats and acts of arson with — what, exactly? Me holding up my hand to block someone from filming an abortion patient?
My encounter with law enforcement was six years ago. What would have happened to me if it had taken place today, with the federal government sending a message that pro-choicers are a potentially serious threat?
Clinic escorts like Ulisano already avoid contacting the police at all. If law enforcement becomes even more of an enemy, that could mean more protesters, less protection, and fewer people to ensure access to safe abortion care.
Perhaps that’s the point.
I find it interesting, as a former Christian and now an atheist, when I hear some Christians speak about us atheists. Of course, a lot of Christians are still afraid of us. They still call us the most evil people on the planet. They still insult and denigrate us. They call us baby killers, baby cannibals, satanists, etc.
In a recent article published in the American Sociological Review, Penny Edgell, Joseph Gerteis, and Douglas Hartmann reported their findings, on how atheists are perceived, based on data from a national survey. To the question, “This group does not at all agree with my vision of American society,” ten groups were listed as options: religious groups (Muslims, conservative Christians, Jews), racial groups (Hispanics, Asian Americans, African Americans, and White Americans), homosexuals, recent immigrants, and atheists. By far, the most “detested” group were the atheists. To the question, “I would disapprove if my child wanted to marry a member of this group,” eight of the latter groups were included (homosexuals and recent immigrants were excluded). Again, the least desired group were the atheists. This might be one of the saddest scientific findings that I have ever read.
Gad Saad, PhD
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/homo-consumericus/200908/atheists-most-mistrusted-group-evil-and-immoral
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/12/06/10-facts-about-atheists/
1 The share of Americans who identify as atheists has increased modestly but significantly in the past decade. Pew Research Center telephone surveys conducted in 2018 and 2019 show that 4% of American adults say they are atheists when asked about their religious identity, up from 2% in 2009. An additional 5% of Americans call themselves agnostics, up from 3% a decade ago.
2 The literal definition of “atheist” is “a person who does not believe in the existence of a god or any gods,” according to Merriam-Webster. And the vast majority of U.S. atheists fit this description: 81% say they do not believe in God or a higher power or in a spiritual force of any kind. (Overall, 10% of American adults share this view.) At the same time, roughly one-in-five self-described atheists (18%) say they do believe in some kind of higher power. None of the atheists we surveyed, however, say they believe in “God as described in the Bible.”
3. Atheists make up a larger share of the population in many European countries than they do in the U.S. In Western Europe, where Pew Research Center surveyed 15 countries in 2017, nearly one-in-five Belgians (19%) identify as atheists, as do 16% in Denmark, 15% in France and 14% in the Netherlands and Sweden.
But the European country with perhaps the biggest share of atheists is the Czech Republic, where a quarter of adults identify that way. In neighboring Slovakia, 15% identify as atheists, although in the rest of Central and Eastern Europe, atheists have a smaller presence, despite the historical influence of the officially atheist Soviet Union. Like Americans, Europeans in many countries are more likely to say they do not believe in God than they are to identify as atheists, including two-thirds of Czechs and at least half of Swedish (60%), Belgian (54%) and Dutch adults (53%) who say they do not believe in God. In other regions surveyed by the Center, including Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa, atheists generally are much rarer.
4 In the U.S., atheists are mostly men and are relatively young, according to the 2014 Religious Landscape Study. About seven-in-ten U.S. atheists are men (68%). The median age for atheists is 34, compared with 46 for all U.S. adults. Atheists also are more likely to be white (78% vs. 66% of the general public) and highly educated: About four-in-ten atheists (43%) have a college degree, compared with 27% of the general public. Self-identified atheists also tend to be aligned with the Democratic Party and with political liberalism.
5 The vast majority of U.S. atheists say religion is not too or not at all important in their lives (93%) and that they seldom or never pray (97%). At the same time, many do not see a contradiction between atheism and pondering their place in the world. About a third of American atheists say they think about the meaning and purpose of life at least weekly (35%), and that they often feel a deep sense of spiritual peace and well-being (31%). In fact, the Religious Landscape Study shows that atheists are more likely than U.S. Christians to say they often feel a sense of wonder about the universe (54% vs. 45%).
6 Where do atheists find meaning in life? Like a majority of Americans, most atheists mentioned “family” as a source of meaning when Pew Research Center asked an open-ended question about this in a 2017 survey. But atheists were far more likely than Christians to describe hobbies as meaningful or satisfying (26% vs. 10%). Atheists also were more likely than Americans overall to describe finances and money, creative pursuits, travel, and leisure activities as meaningful. Not surprisingly, very few U.S. atheists (4%) said they found life’s meaning in spirituality.
7 In many cases, being an atheist isn’t just about personally rejecting religious labels and beliefs – most atheists also express negative views when asked about the role of religion in society. For example, seven-in-ten U.S. atheists say religion’s influence is declining in American public life, and that this is a good thing (71%), according to a 2019 survey. Fewer than one-in-five U.S. adults overall (17%) share this view. A majority of atheists (70%) also say churches and other religious organizations do more harm than good in society, and an even larger share (93%) say religious institutions have too much influence in U.S. politics.
8 Atheists may not believe religious teachings, but they are quite informed about religion. In Pew Research Center’s 2019 religious knowledge survey, atheists were among the best-performing groups, answering an average of about 18 out of 32 fact-based questions correctly, while U.S. adults overall got an average of roughly 14 questions right. Atheists were at least as knowledgeable as Christians on Christianity-related questions – roughly eight-in-ten in both groups, for example, know that Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus – and they were also twice as likely as Americans overall to know that the U.S. Constitution says “no religious test” shall be necessary to hold public office.
9 Most Americans (56%) say it is not necessary to believe in God to be moral, while 42% say belief in God is necessary to have good values, according to a 2017 survey. In other wealthy countries, smaller shares tend to say that belief in God is essential for good morals, including just 15% in France. But in many other parts of the world, nearly everyone says that a person must believe in God to be moral, including 99% in Indonesia and Ghana and 98% in Pakistan, according to a 2013 Pew Research Center international survey.
10 Americans feel less warmly toward atheists than they do toward members of most major religious groups. A 2019 Pew Research Center survey asked Americans to rate groups on a “feeling thermometer” from 0 (as cold and negative as possible) to 100 (the warmest, most positive possible rating). U.S. adults gave atheists an average rating of 49, identical to the rating they gave Muslims (49) and colder than the average given to Jews (63), Catholics (60) and evangelical Christians (56).
Atheist Militants Rising 
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