NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      BUFFALO, New York (CWNews.com) - Even as a New York abortionist was being buried on Monday after having been killed by a sniper's bullet on Friday, pro-abortion groups blamed pro-lifers for creating a climate of violence that made the killing possible.

      Kate Michelman, director of the National Abortion Rights Action League, equated Dr. Bernard Slepian's murderer with pro-life legislators. "Whether it comes from those who commit violence to stop women from having abortions or those who craft legislation to make abortions more difficult to obtain, the freedom to choose is under serious assault," she said. The American Jewish Congress blamed the killing on those who, "in the name of 'a demonic religious belief,' provide encouragement for the murderers even if not specifically calling for murder," the group said. "It is these perverse views that account for these atrocious acts," said AJC president Jack Rosen in a statement.

      Most pro-life groups, however, condemned the killing. The American Life League declared that such violence can never be justified. "This tragedy is but another example of the disrespect for human life that has permeated our society," ALL said in a statement. The Rev. Jerry Falwell of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, said the killer is not pro-life. "There is no justification for that and, if anything, persons like that do more to damage the cause of the unborn than any other person in the culture," he said.