The Killing of George Tiller

The liberal outcry over the murder of George Tiller, the late-term abortion doctor from Kansas, demonstrates exactly where American discourse is going. Shot dead in a church by an anti-government militant, Tiller did not deserve his fate. Even though the man destroyed an estimated 60,000 fetuses that could have lived outside the womb, he was an American citizen entitled to protection. No matter what you think about abortion, it is a sad day for the country when vigilantism takes a life.

It took just minutes after the report of Tiller's murder for the far-left loons to hit the websites. Postings on Daily Kos and The Huffington Post immediately blamed Fox News and me for inciting Tiller's killer. Even though I reported on the doctor honestly, the loons asserted that my analysis of him was "hateful."

Chief among the complaints was the doctor's nickname: "Tiller the baby killer." Some pro-lifers branded him that, and I reported it. So did hundreds of other news sources. But the bigger picture here is the glorification of Tiller.

The uber-liberal New York Times led the way, editorializing: "For his principled devotion to women's health and constitutionally protected rights, Dr. Tiller was the target of protests at his clinic, his house and his church."

The Times made Tiller out to be a hero. The paper's editorial never mentioned that he aborted fetuses after 21 weeks, when they could live outside the mother's womb. The Times opinion also did not mention that Tiller became a millionaire doing this, or that only three late-term abortion clinics exist in the entire country.

Nor did the editorial writer put forth that 36 states restrict late-term abortions without violating the Constitution.

As usual, The New York Times editorial page failed to tell its readers the whole story.

But that was nothing compared to NBC News, which went full tilt in blaming pundits for the death of Tiller. NBC anchorman Brian Williams led that charge, overseeing a report that emphasized the verbal criticism of Tiller rather than the militancy of the person who shot him. NBC pundits filled the night with slanderous wails against those who opposed Tiller's deadly practice.

But behind all the bluster was a well thought out, coordinated campaign. By exploiting the death of Tiller, the far left is seeking to silence Americans who are appalled at late-term abortion. By demonizing people like me who believe that terminating viable fetuses must only be done when there are catastrophic health ramifications, pro-abortion zealots are trying to inhibit dissent on the abortion issue in general.

That's the same tactic in play on gay marriage: Oppose it and you're a homophobe. The far left well understands that the media will pick up the demonizing tactics and shove them down the throats of the American people.

The debate in America is no longer about rational points of view. It is now about the strategy of destruction. The murder of Dr. Tiller, as misguided as he was, can never be condoned.

But neither can the hateful, dishonest tactics of the far left.

Veteran TV news anchor Bill O'Reilly is host of the Fox News show "The O'Reilly Factor" and author of the book "Who's Looking Out For You?" To find out more about Bill O'Reilly, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com. This column originates on the Web site www.billoreilly.com.

COPYRIGHT 2009 BillOReilly.com.