Attempted Abortion Clinic Bombing, and Hate Speech From The Right

When does public speech go too far ? Is there any connection between hate speech and acts of terrorism ? This post covers recent examples of public speech, from the US right and the Christian right, that some allege influence American culture and mass belief so as make acts of terrorism more likely. Empirical connections between public speech, from prominent pundits, politicians, and religious leaders, and acts carried out by random individuals, are impossible, or very close to it, to demonstrate. So, does that mean we should give those whose speech appears to approve of, or incite, violence against targeted societal groups a pass ? And, what role do large societal institutions play in this ? Do they have any responsibility in calling out and decrying hate speech ?

[noteIndividual sections in this story are bolded, in black, so readers can quickly scroll to desired topics

Real terrorism, real victims

"The underbelly of the Christian right is as scary as anything that ever dwelled in a Tora Bora cave." - Bob Norman, the Broward-Palm Beach New Times, as cited by "moiv" in Brothers Under The Skin", about the violent, terrorist wing of the American antiabortion movement

moiv", an anonymous Talk To Action writer who covers reproductive rights, addresses a recent attempted bombing, against a Texas abortion clinic, in light of past bombings of abortion clinics, in Wilfully Blind:

Many professed shock after last week's attempted bombing of an Austin women's clinic. Others felt shocked by their shock, since the religious right's thinly disguised rhetoric of hatred has so permeated our public discourse as to have become the norm. But for some it is easier to pretend not to see what is before their faces, far easier to remain willfully blind.

In 1998, nurse Emily Lyons lost her left eye, was partially blinded in her right and sustained other horrific and disabling injuries when another bomb -- similarly packed with nails that flew as deadly shrapnel -- was detonated at a Birmingham clinic by Eric Rudolph.

"Many may find the graphic images of my trauma ... to be offensive. I hope so. Violence is ugly. You should be offended by the senseless damage caused by the attack. It isn't the photographs that are bad; it is the act of hate that created them."

Hers are powerful words. But are Emily's courage [pdf photo link] and Emily's words more powerful than the rhetoric of hate that made them necessary?

[Photos: EmilyLyons.com, the Austin American-Statesman, Ashley Cook for the Longview News-Journal and Talk to Action]