Dr. George Tiller has been murdered

Dr. George Tiller, one of three doctors in the U.S. who would do the heartbreaking task of aborting late-term fetuses when they were non-viable or threatened the life of a pregnant woman, has been shot down in church by a Christian terrorist. A man is in custody.

The New York Times notes that threats and other incidents of violence, including wounding, led up to this crime.

"In 1993, Rachelle Shannon, from rural Oregon, shot Dr. Tiller in both arms. Two years earlier, during Operation Rescue’s “Summer of Mercy” protests, thousands of anti-abortion protesters tried to block off the clinic, the site of a bombing in 1986.

"Friends of Dr. Tiller also described regular incidents of vandalism at the clinic, and a barrage of threats to him and his family — threats they say had concerned him deeply for years.

"Family members, including 4 children and 10 grandchildren, issued a statement through Dr. Tiller’s lawyer, which read in part: “George dedicated his life to providing women with high-quality health care despite frequent threats and violence. We ask that he be remembered as a good husband, father and grandfather and a dedicated servant on behalf of the rights of women everywhere.”"