With the number of victims of the abortion holocaust now exceeding 49.5 million since 1973, it is perhaps easy to permit the number of the dead to become a mere statistic. But the shooting in Owosso, Michigan, of pro-life activist James Pouillon is a stark reminder of the life-and-death nature of the struggle to end legalized abortion.
Authorities have charged an Owosso, Michigan, man with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder in the Friday shooting deaths of an anti-abortion activist and another man, a prosecutor’s office said.
Authorities say the suspect, Harlan James Drake, was offended by anti-abortion material that the activist had displayed across from the school all week….
Pouillon, whose anti-abortion activity was well-known in the area, was protesting across the street from Owosso High School about 7:20 a.m. Friday when he was killed by several shots fired from a passing vehicle, Owosso Police Chief Michael Compeau said.
The fact that authorities have specifically charged that Drake’s motivation for allegedly murdering Mr. Pouillon was the victim’s pro-life activities, and that the crime was premeditated, are crucial facts in the case, because advocates of abortion are already trying to put distance between themselves and the crime. As the New York Times reports,
A spokeswoman for the Center for Reproductive Rights, Laura MacCleery, said her group, which supports a woman’s right to abortion, was stunned by the “senseless killings.” But Ms. MacCleery said Friday’s shooting did not seem to her to be tied to the abortion debate since the suspect was also charged in the killing of the second man, Mike Fuoss, 61, the owner of a local gravel company, who did not appear to be involved in the abortion issue.
“This is not something any group on either side of this debate would ever contemplate condoning,” Ms. MacCleery said.
But Ms. MacCleery’s remarks seem to utterly ignore the very nature of the cause for which Mr. Pouillon was martyred: Mr. Pouillon was trying to defend children from the slaughter of the innocents brought about because of legalized abortion — the cause for which Ms. MacCleery seems so passionate. For nearly 40 years, pro-life activists have been stunned by the “senseless killings” as millions of babies have had their lives cut short by the horrific violence of abortion. Pro-life activists such as James Pouillon believe that the cause for which Ms. MacCleery and other so-called “pro-choice” advocates are contending is a defense of putting to death the next generation of Americans.
According to press reports, abortion is a profitable business. Thus, in the case of Planned Parenthood:
According to figures, the pro-choice organization registered the largest percentage increase in abortions in over a decade. During the 2006-2007 period, 289,570 abortions were performed throughout its 860 locations, an increase of nearly 25,000.
Although separate and independent studies reveal that the number of abortions throughout the country decreased overall last year, Planned Parenthood records show it was little affected by recent declining trends.
Last year, Planned Parenthood serviced record numbers of patients and earned over $1 billion in profits.
For two generation, pro-life activists have been subjected to harassment, absurd prosecutions, vilification in the press, and sporadic acts of violence. Now, the New York Times is already comparing Mr. Pouillon’s murder to that of Dr. George Tiller earlier this year. On one level, such a comparison is apt: no murder can be justified, and prosecutors should work to see that those who perpetrate such crimes are punished for their deeds. But the difference between the two men that the establishment media will almost certainly continue to ignore: Dr. Tiller allegedly claimed to have committed 60,000 abortions; all Mr. Pouillon did was peacefully, and legally, protest against the on-going slaughter of babies.
According to the CNN report, the murder of Mr. Pouillon was specifically on account of his beliefs, not any personal animus between the two men:
According to Sara Edwards of the county prosecutor’s office, authorities do not believe that Drake knew Pouillon.
Operation Save America, the anti-abortion group of which Pouillon was a member, said in a written statement that he was "well known for his love of Christ and unborn children."
The CNN report continued: "The Owosso school district went into immediate lockdown after the shooting outside of the high school and remained so until the suspect was in custody, [Owosso Police Chief Michael] Compeau said." Now if only children in the womb could be as safe from violence as the children of the Owosso school district.
Photo of James Pouillon: AP Images
