Landon Cox
January 4th, 1995

If your neighborhood was terrorized by a gun-slinging madman, what would your response be_ If that madman killed people you live and work around, what would your response be_ If you were the pastor of a church in that neighborhood, what would your response be_ Would it matter if that madman targeted abortionists and their clients_ Would it change how you responded_ Who, or what, is actually creating this "atmosphere of violence" around abortion clinics_

I had the chance to find some answers to these questions since the Brookline neighborhood John Salvi turned into a shooting gallery happens to be the same neighborhood where I attended church for four years. Ruggles Baptist Church's pastor, Larry Showalter, was kind enough to give me an inside look at what happened and what the community's response was - particularly the prolife community.

Larry has driven down Beacon Street thousands of times - past Preterm, past Planned Parenthood, past the persistent remnant of protesters and sidewalk counselors. The atmosphere on the morning John Salvi allegedly drove his truck down Beacon Street intent on inflicting death was no different than it had been any other day of the over 10 years Larry has pastored Ruggles. Larry's home is about a 100 yards from Preterm and Ruggles is a couple hundred yards from Planned Parenthood.

Within hours of the Brookline shootings, John Ensore, pastor of Dorchester Christian Fellowship and founder of A Woman's Concern crisis pregnancy center in Dorchester, called Larry about the shootings. One of the first things John said over the phone was "It makes me want to go to a dumpster and throw up." With sentiment this raw and still swirling within hours of the heinous crime, it was time to discuss the community's response.

John wanted to call an all-day prayer meeting the next day to pray for the friends and family of those killed or wounded but it was obvious that this would result in a media circus and the prayer meeting plans were scaled back to a two hour time - 3 to 5pm on New Years Day. The proximity of Ruggles to the site of the shootings made it the obvious venue and Larry agreed to host this prayer meeting.

Though not intended as a high visibility event, the Boston Globe and Boston Herald daily newspapers, as well as several mainstream Boston radio stations got wind and reported the time and place where the meeting was to be held. The saber rattling began in earnest. Later the Boston Globe referred to the event as an anti-abortion rally, but the Herald accurately reported it was to be a prayer meeting. So, despite attempts to focus this prayer meeting, some in the media were still intent on misrepresenting its purpose.

By 2pm on New Years Day, reporters were already getting ready for some action and were ringing the door bells of the Ruggles office from the Beacon Street entrance. Regardless of how low-key the meeting was intended to be or the fact that the focus was on prayer for the families, it was obvious that it was shaping up to be an "event" due to the overblown coverage it was receiving. The fact that the meeting got announced to all of Boston and was so close in time to the clinic shootings led the prayer leaders to inform the Boston police of the developing brew.

The media was not allowed within the sanctuary during the service and it wasn't until near the end of the time that a single reporter with a 35mm camera was allowed in. Larry said the media swarm was overwhelming. The foyer of the church was packed to the gills with video cameras and reporters along with three policemen in uniform. The media would have detracted significantly from the focus of the meeting had they been let into the sanctuary, but Larry commented that people from the media were respectful and did not disturb the service while in the foyer.

Shortly after the service began, the approximately 80 people inside could hear demonstrators outside the church yelling "Murderers!, Murderers!" Larry estimated about half of those prolifers who attended the service were Catholic and the others from various Protestant denominations. Many were Operation Rescue supporters and a Massachusetts Operation Rescue leader who has spent some time in jail for civil disobedience, Bill Cotter, also attended.

The demonstrators outside of Ruggles came and left after they got what they wanted, media coverage. After yelling "Murderer!" they made their way into the foyer of the church and began unfurling a banner which I was unable to get the full text of but which included a phrase referring to "women as incubators." They didn't raise their voices or create a direct disturbance of the worship service. The group they were with was named something like "Refuse and Resist" or "Resist and Refuse." I was unable to verify the exact name. Both the Herald and the Globe reported the leaders of this demonstration were from out of state - one said New York and one Atlanta.

One would have to assume that the amendment to the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) bill, which designates that disruption of a worship service is a felony, was the overriding reason why the demonstrators were mum inside the church. The tactics and knowledge of the law used by the demonstrators suggests they were being led by seasoned pro-abortion activists and weren't a simple Brookline-based, grass-roots reaction to the shootings. Therefore, it's unlikely that the demonstrator's sentiment is representative of the majority of pro-choice advocates. Once the group unfurled the banner, the three police in the foyer ushered them out and they left without further incident.

Is a Prayer Meeting a Prolife Rally_

So what actually went on in this so-called anti-abortion rally that would raise accusations of murder from those outside_ Prayer and scripture reading. Everyone who attended got a copy of the 10 commandments. John Ensore was the primary leader of the service. Larry read from Deuteronomy about the need to fear God. David Hill, pastor of Tree of Life City Church, read passages from Proverbs and Ecclesiastes on the blessings which come from fearing God. Several pastors traded time teaching on different commandments all within the context of fearing God. John Ensore led in praying through the first four commandments and a Catholic priest, Father Michael Macnamara, covered the final six and also spoke to those gathered. And there was prayer, led by the pastors, for the families of the victims that they would receive comfort, justice, and resolution. In addition, some who were attending the service also prayed in a similar vein.

In summary, this meeting was not about seeking confrontation and controversy. It was about prayer for the families and reaffirming life on Beacon Street. It was about healing.

Prolifers - Murderers_

Imagine for an instant that John Salvi, instead of shooting up abortion clinics, shot up a school yard full of kids. Imagine, local church leaders, being sickened and completely disheartened by the whole episode, calling together a prayer meeting for those parents and friends of the kids shot as well as to try to start the healing process. Would you expect a group of people standing outside this prayer meeting yelling "Murderers_" Hardly.

Though the church's response would have been the same in either case, a school yard shooting or abortion clinic shooting, the response of the people outside the church is much different.

It's likely the Operation Rescue folks attending were the ones to whom the "murderer" epithets were hurled, but as in many demonstrations it's difficult to discriminate the specific target. As the moderator for a prolife electronic Internet mailing list, I've seen an obvious attempt to link anyone with pro-life views to the abortion clinic murders of recent months. The link is fuzzy and always has to do somehow with creating an atmosphere of violence. If you believe abortion is wrong and even support demonstrations against the practice of abortion, you are linked with, and in some cases I've experienced, directly pegged with the responsibility of the murder itself.

The attempt to link all prolifers with clinic violence ignores many important questions including "Is there a difference between someone who is `anti-abortion' and some who is `pro-life'_"

Prolife vs. Anti-Abortion

Larry commented that John Salvi was anti-abortion, no doubt, but he was not pro-life. How can one make such a statement_ It's easy when you consider the manner in which Salvi allegedly carried out his executions.

After the Preterm attack he was seen running down Beacon Street. He then turned and fired random shots back towards the building down the sidewalk. On that sidewalk were pro-life demonstrators and sidewalk counselors. One sidewalk counselor's car was hit by a stray Salvi bullet. Thankfully no further injuries outside the clinic were reported. Salvi shot indiscriminately killing peripheral employees and not the actual abortionists. It's likely there were clients in the clinics for reasons other than abortion and yet he recklessly fired away. But this begs the question.

If he was actually discriminating in his execution, like Paul Hill in Pensacola, am I saying that it is then somehow defensible_ No. Both acts rained death on people in those clinics. Neither act promoted life and in both cases both men have set back, if not irreparably damaged, the pro-life movement politically.

Gary North, in a letter written to Paul Hill after the Pensacola murders, made the point that delaying the recriminalization of abortion by a single week "allows the slaughter of almost 29,000 innocent lives in the U.S." Together John Salvi and Paul Hill have heaped on years of delay. Thanks a lot Paul and John. You're dismissed. If you thought long and hard, Paul and John, could you come up with a more effective way to defeat the cause for which you sacrificed your life_ This is the bitter, caustic irony of their murderous actions.

Salvi is anti-abortion but he was intent on death. This is not a characteristic which describes a true prolifer and is the distinction between someone who is just anti-abortion and someone who is pro- life.

Real Contributors to the Atmosphere of Violence

Given the gut-wrenching repulsion brought on by the sheer magnitude of the murders coupled with the extensive political damage and therefore significant delay those murders have caused the prolife movement, it's inconceivable to me that there are protesters with the gall to call people who are genuinely sickened by the whole affair, "murderers." To think such things is the zenith of a crass and cynical mind.

The people hurling charges of murder are the people who left little souvenirs in Ruggles' back pews - chicken eggs scrawled with the message "fetus for breakfast." It's the pinnacle of disrespect for the families of those killed and the media is right there stirring the boiling pot and positively beaming the perpetrators of this bent morality into thousands of homes.

How can we expect to find common ground if the meaning and gesture of a simple prayer meeting called to grieve and pray for the victims' families is trampled on by the callousness and depravity of false accusers_ Such a prayer meeting is as appropriate for pro-abortion and pro-choice people as it is pro-life. Is there anything that will change the mind of those who believe espousing a prolife view is contributing to the atmosphere of violence_ This is an open question and open letter to those who believe such things. What will it take_ What expression is valid_

Prolife people have made sincere attempts to combat an atmosphere of violence. Despite these attempts, press releases from pro-life organizations are snuffed out as cheap media ploys and prayer meetings are nothing more than a huddle of murderers in a vast, conspiring army, receiving ever more bloody marching orders.

Isn't there a distinction between a John Salvi and a volunteer doing yeoman's work finding a scared woman in an unplanned pregnancy the food, shelter, and protection she needs at the most vulnerable time in her life_ Isn't there a distinction between those who would practice and promote non-violent direct action and legitimate forms of political activism and a Paul Hill_ When this distinction is recognized, then there is possibility for common ground.

Does Civil Disobedience Lead to an Atmosphere of Violence_

If the emotion of clinic murders and visions of Operation Rescue demonstrators shrouds the distinction I'm trying to communicate, consider the civil rights movement in the 60's. Peaceful demonstrations as well as acts of civil disobedience had a role and purpose. It's the difference in approach between Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. No doubt there are those who support Malcolm X or the Black Panthers but denounce abortion murderers - it seems like an entirely inconsistent position. Regardless, how many times did Martin Luther King get arrested for civil disobedience and non-violent direct action_ Yet, his name is not associated with murder nor is he pegged with the responsibility for the unrest and violence of the 60's.

No one would call Martin Luther King Jr. a murderer because he fought for his convictions through non-violent direct action. Nor should a true pro-lifer need to deflect accusations of murderer because she speaks out against abortion and follows through with non-violent direct action using tactics no different in substance than those MLK used.

The Judicial Pressure Cooker

Charles Colson has pointed out that the problem in today's struggle over the abortion issue is that one side has been locked out of the political process by the judicial activism of the Supreme Court. Just as blacks were locked out of the political process, prolifers are also blocked and pressure builds. Colson states, "Some people, like Paul Hill in Florida, are being driven over the edge because they think the abortion debate is closed to peaceful change. And they've got a point. Ever since _Roe v. Wade_ in 1973, and particularly the _Casey v. Planned Parenthood_ case in 1992, federal judges have slammed the door to political reforms advocated by pro-lifers. And today, even Republican leaders are talking about abandoning their parties long- standing commitment to a human life amendment."

Oppressing one side with raw judicial power leads to the rise of two kinds of people represented by Martin Luther King and Malcolm X and the Black Panthers. In his book "Why We Can't Wait", Martin Luther King Jr. in referring to the atrocities of segregation states, "...There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair."

For a Paul Hill or John Salvi, the cup ran over sooner than later. There must be a way to address this issue politically and not judicially by contorted Supreme Court decisions. Until then, violence will ensue and there's nothing more that true prolifers can do to control the Paul Hills and John Salvis than Martin Luther King Jr. could do to control Malcolm X and the Black Panthers. It's almost axiomatic that people convinced that violence will solve the problem will resort to violence and are beyond controlling influences - even the God they profess to honor.

Chuck Colson also commented on January 4th after the Salvi shootings "When somebody walks into a Post Office and shoots several people, as happened several times last year, federal agents aren't dispatched to every Post Office in the country. But if cracked pots like John Salvi can prompt that kind of response at abortion clinics, there will be an open invitation to every nut with a gun to come out shooting. And if that happens, blame somebody. But don't blame the pro-life movement."

So there are many factors contributing to the atmosphere of violence - not the least of which is the Supreme Court and the Clinton Administration's response to clinic shootings. I'm not saying that it's right or justifiable, I'm just acknowledging the existence of these factors.

Stand Your Ground

If you are a pro-choice reader, you may be somewhat embarrassed by the demonstrators outside of Ruggles and claim they don't represent the mainstream pro-choice sentiment. That's well and good and I hope that's the case. However, if I were to ask you to control them, you'd have no better way to do that than I would have to catch a John Salvi before he goes berserk. Yet it's the latter that the true prolife movement is being asked and demanded to do by pro-choice activists. And if we fail to complete the mission, we're branded "murderers."

The demonstrators seared an image by their murderous epithets and "fetus for breakfast" souvenirs and took with them hope of resolution. In the meantime, efforts to heal will continue. I encourage the true prolife reader to not be discouraged by the waves of false accusations and press forward on healing activities, regardless of how they're perceived by those bent on cynical demonstrations, and continue the work that exposes the truth behind abortion. Perhaps in this way, true prolifers can find a way to demonstrate their commitment to life.