Murdered Pro-Life Protester Called "Martyr"
OWOSSO, Mich. -- In what may be the first killing of a person protesting abortion, a retired autoworker in Michigan was gunned down Sept. 11 as he held a pro-life placard outside a high school in Owosso, Mich., near Flint.
Over the course of two decades, James Pouillon, 63, stood in public areas holding signs protesting abortion. The particular one he held that day outside the school pictured a chubby-cheeked baby with the word "Life" on one side and an image of an aborted fetus with the word "Abortion" on the other.
President Obama, in a two-sentence statement Sept. 13, called the shooting "deplorable." "Whichever side of a public debate you're on, violence is never the right answer," Obama said.
Harlan Drake, 33, an Owosso truck driver, is in custody for shooting Pouillon and a local gravel company owner the same day. A third man, a real estate agent, also allegedly was on his hit list. Investigators believe Drake held grudges against all three men.
According to a report by NBC25, a Michigan television station, the director of public safety for the Owosso police department said detectives believe Drake killed Pouillon because of his demonstrations against abortion.
"I don't think he knew him personally," Michael Compeau told the TV station. "Drake was aware of him and was offended by the material that Mr. Pouillon carried with him."
The New York Times characterized Pouillon as a man known for standing for hours in the small, rural town, "waving graphic signs and breaking the idyllic quiet with loud anti-abortion rants." The newspaper said residents referred to Pouillon as "the Sign Man," and quoted one person who said he was "just too in-your-face."
Pouillon had been arrested before for his activities, though not in recent years, and he stood outside the high school, where his granddaughter was a student, because he "liked to be where he thought he could influence young people," The Times said. Pouillon's nephew said he was regularly threatened by residents for his abortion protests, but he never took them seriously.
"From most accounts, Mr. Pouillon was not particularly religious, although he did occasionally attend St. Paul's Catholic Church in Owosso, residents said," The Times reported.
Others were remembering Pouillon as a good neighbor and devoted family man. Some even called him a martyr. About 200 people gathered in front of Owosso High School Sunday afternoon to sing, pray and share memories about Pouillon.
Cal Zastrow, cofounder of Personhood USA, a pro-life advocacy group, called Pouillon a "peaceful pro-life Christian" and a "close friend."
"Jim was completely non-violent and never condoned using violence. I knew him very well and had prayed and ministered with him often. He was praying and holding a poster of a newborn baby outside of Owosso High School," Zastrow said in a statement Sept. 11.
"... The last time I talked to Jim was this week, Monday. I prayed with him over the phone as he was preparing to go talk about Jesus and show pro-life signs in front of Owosso High School, where he was martyred this morning," Zastrow added.
National Right to Life, the nation's largest pro-life group, condemned the violence surrounding Pouillon's death.
"We are saddened to learn of this tragic taking of innocent human life," executive director David O'Steen said Friday. "National Right to Life extends its sympathies to Mr. Pouillon's family over his death. While the motive behind the shooting is unknown, we know that Mr. Pouillon was known for his stand against abortion.
"The National Right to Life Committee unequivocally condemns acts of violence. The pro-life movement works to protect the right to life and increase respect for human life," O'Steen said. "Any unlawful use of violence is directly contrary to that goal."
Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America, said Pouillon "dedicated his life to convincing others to reject the violence of abortion."
"We hope Attorney General [Eric] Holder will as vigorously denounce the murder of Jim Pouillon, who tried to save babies from violence, as he did the murder of George Tiller, the late-term abortionist."
Tiller was killed at his Wichita, Kan., church in May. A memorial service for Pouillon is scheduled for Sept. 16 at Owosso High's Wilman Field.
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When an abortion doctor was recently murdered many in the pro choice groups blamed the anti abortion protesters for instigating the incident. Well, now the tables have turned. When discussing this vary thing on these very forums I predicted such a thing might happen. There are nut cases on both sides of every issue.
“When an abortion doctor was recently murdered many in the pro choice groups blamed the anti abortion protesters for instigating the incident. Well, now the tables have turned. When discussing this vary thing on these very forums I predicted such a thing might happen. There are nut cases on both sides of every issue.”
The reason why anti-abortion groups are said to be instigating these attacks is the rhetoric that they use… describing the doctors as murderers and expounding on terms like genocide.
From their point of view, the language is accurate. I'm not sure what you would suggest. They see abortion as a form of murder , shouldn't they say so?
Then they have to recognize that their language endorses the killing of those performing abortions. It is that rhetoric that has led to bombings and killings in the past. If I stand up and scream about how another individual is murdering children , that I am praying to God that that person be stopped, that they are evil… am I not somewhat responsible when a mentally unstable individual takes that rhetoric and goes and kills a the guy? How does it sound if I say that I am glad that the guy I was talking about is now dead?
Of course not. What you are suggesting is a principle that would have consequences beyond the abortion debate . It is usually only levelled at one's ideological opponents, but if the principle were applied consistently it would have fallout for every conflict which is seen as morally grave. Animal rights proponents use the word ' murder '. Anti-war activists do too. LBJ and Bush II were both said to have killed American servicemen and innocent civilians by those who opposed them. There was even an art exhibit which featured a picture of Bush with a gun to his head and text desciribing that as a real 'patriot act'. Moreover, the pro-choice side accuses the pro-life side of trying to 'enslave' women. Are we supposed to believe in this day and age that saying that claims about killing children are beyond the pale, but claims about enslaving women are acceptable?
If someone believes that abortion is murder, then they have the right to say so. In fact, they may even have a duty to say so. People who speak their mind are responsible for their own words, but not for the actions of someone who is mentally unstable.
Self-defense is when you use force in resisting a current or imminent attack.
Vigilantism, a category of vengeance, is if you privately judge and punish a criminal well after the attack -- instead of turning him over to the police .
Vengeance expands vigilantism to include attacks against your attacker's friends or loved ones.
Self-defense (even lethal self-defense, if the threatened force is potentially capable of causing death or grave bodily harm) is legal , just, and your right. Vigilantism, a crime , is morally only justified when the designated authorities are non-existent or thoroughly corrupt (and even so, one cannot expect the authorities to abide such behavior). Vengeance in general must be the legal monopoly of the government, as it otherwise will likely lead to an unending chain of counter-vengeance.
The attack against the abortionist a while back was either vigilantism or murder , depending upon one's view of his activities. This murder was vengeance.
Pro-life people think they are saving lives. So they might say they deplore the act of killing Dr. Tiller but are glad there will now be fewer abortions.
Pro-choice people don't have that same life or death sense of mission, for the most part. At least, most don't feel theirs is a mission to literally prevent murder . So there is no reason why they would be anything but shocked at the killing of a protester as with the killing of anyone else. Disagreeing with someone doesn't mean you want them dead. It's hardly the same situation. he didn't even protest outside of clinics if I understand correctly.
I don't condone Pro-lifers who take the "too bad but better off dead" position with Dr. Tiller, however. I understand their urgency (don't agree but I understand) but if they claim to honor life, then murder (and the death penalty , and euthanasia ) should be a terrible deed as well.
1) Murder is NEVER a reasonable response to a disagreement.
2) Pouillon shouldn't be standing in front of a school full of children with inappropriate signs like that.
3) People should not have threatened Pouillon for doing it even if it was inappropriate no matter how "in your face" he was. As long as he's not breaking any laws he does have his freedom of speech.
4) I know I've said this already but I don't care how offended you are, I don't care how much you disagree, I don't care that some other pro-Life people are evil SOB's who have killed pro-choice activists and Dr's. None of that matters! You don't kill someone for disagreeing with you. NEVER!
With all that said, if this guy gets to be called a martyr because some psycho killed him for his beliefs, do we get to call Dr Tillman a martyr since some psycho killed him for his beliefs?
oh, and to those who will inevitably ask. I don't think you're going to hear the pro-choice population saying things (as the pro-life people did after Tillman's murder ) like he was asking for it or he deserved it.
An annoying guy busy forcing his opinions upon others, definitely. Martyr, hardly. Now Dr. Tiller would be a martyr. The pro-life movement had been gunning to kill that man for decades. I do not condone killing the guy for his outspoken opinions, however much I or anyone else disagrees with him. Killing and violence is never the answer to any problem. Sadly so called pro-lifers don't seem to get the connection that PRO life means you do NOT kill people or commit violent acts against others.
A tragic occurrence to be sure!
I wonder if any pro choice groups will say the same things that elements of the anti- abortion movement said about Dr. Tiller... that they were glad that he was dead even if they did not specifically approve of the action.