On Friday, the Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested a homegrown American rightwing terrorist named Paul Ross Evans who had attempted to bomb an abortion clinic in Austin earlier in the week week:
A 27-year-old Austin man was … charged with placing an unexploded [sic] bomb containing some 2,000 nails outside an abortion clinic in the state’s capital.
The explosive device also included a propane tank and a mechanism “akin to a rocket,” Austin Police Commander David Carter said.
The device was discovered on Wednesday in the parking lot of the Austin Women’s Health Center, police said.
It is surprising that Evans was arrested by the terrorism task force — which is comprised of federal, state and local law enforcement authorities — and not the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS). And even though Evans was arrested by a terrorism task force, none of the charges against him are terrorism-related:
Evans was charged with violating federal laws banning the manufacture of explosives and interfering with access to an abortion clinic. He appeared before a federal magistrate, and was being held without bail.
No further arrests were anticipated in the case. “The threat is over,” Carter said.
It is exceedingly strange that in the Republican mindset that dominates our culture abortion clinic bombers do not fall under the purview of DHS and yet child predators and pornograhpers do. (I first learned that DHS tracked pedophiles when the department was instrumental in arresting John Mark Karr, the man who falsely claimed to have killed JonBenet Ramsey.)
Certainly, the government has a responsibility to investigate and arrest anyone involved in child predation and porn, but it’s hard to make the case that this problem, serious as it is, is a threat to homeland security. It seems that these sorts of crimes ought to be handled by the FBI.
Conversely, people who bomb abortion clinics are, by definition and intent, terrorists who threaten America homeland security. Who would be better at investigating them than DHS?
A cynic might wonder if the reason DHS leaves domestic terrorists to task forces like the one in Texas is political, since clinic bombers are tacitly supported by the GOP’s Christian nationalist allies.
Grow up. Do you think anyone actually cares that a babykilling abortion mill is blown up? You don’t seem too concerned about the babies that are being murdered at the babykilling Austin Women’s Health Center; only that their babykilling building is left standing so they can continue to murder innocent children.
SAY THIS PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I am a sinner and am headed to eternal hell because of my sins. I believe you died on the cross to take away my sins and to take me to heaven. Jesus, I ask you now to come into my heart and take away my sins and give me eternal life.
Wow, a pro-terrorist Christian nationalist comes out of the shadows to speak. It’s not often advocates of bombing American citizens will come forward and promote their terror campaign.
Lucky for you, “Rev,” your corrupt Republican Party controls the government so your local terrorism task force probably won’t be tracking your IP address.
IT’S NOT AN “ABORTION” CLINIC DAMN IT !!! Unless that is all they do IT IS A WOMEN’S HEALTH CLINIC !!!!!!!!
I am so very tired of hearing the media’s continuous shilling to the religeous right by using their incorrect terms.
Hey Madison, I think the “Rev” really is a rev. He’s got a Blogger blog here: http://www.blogger.com/profile/16606993.
He lives in that bastion of fundamentalism, Hampton Roads, Va., and his sole interest is: “Saving souls from going to eternal hell and saving babies from being murdered by babykilling abortionists.” Oh, and he also thinks “PETA is full of hate and anti-Christian bigotry.” Just another terrorist witlessing for the lord.
So “rev”, where in the bible does Jesus say you should kill ANYBODY for ANY reason?
Where exactly does it say he supported bombs that indisciminately kill people that may be there to see a doctor about the baby they are having or passing by when the bomb blows?
Who else is on your list of people you think should die for not following your beliefs “rev”?
I don’t agree with abortion. I am a Christian. The “Rev.” is a disgrace to Christians. Christ never condoned violence. He practiced and He preached peace and love. Not violence and murder. Don Spitz, you give Christianity a bad name…
Ghandi said this, “I like your Christ, but I do not like your Christians, your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Dear public, please don’t judge my Jesus based on this lunatic!
Hey Nick:
I am an atheist, but I very much appreciate your post. I wish there were more Christians like you–willing to stand up and denounce extremists in their own religion. The far right uses the numbers of Christians in the U.S. to bolster their power–basically claiming they represent all of Christianity. But until there are more Christians like you, willing to stand up and say, “that isn’t me,” our politicians will continue to accept their claims and cater to their political agendas.
There is no reason to think that a religion or denomination that would try to dictate anyone’s right to make decisions regarding their own body, wouldn’t also eventually try to infringe on the right of freedom of religious worship for other believers who believe differently.
When a religious faction dictates their religion from Washington–that’s the end of religious freedom for everyone else–whether secular or nonsecular.
Christianity, in general, doesn’t seem to see that they have less to fear from me, the atheist, than they do from their more conservative brothers and sisters. I will defend anyone’s right to believe and worship as they choose (even the Rev’s)–so long as they don’t harm someone else or infringe on the Constitutional rights of others.
The religious right cannot make that same statement. They push very hard–using our own government–to make sure their religion is dominant and that it enjoys a privileged status in our nation over all other beliefs. Just this year, I’m aware of four pieces of legislation that involve promoting Christianity through government channels here in Texas, where I am from:
1. Putting “In God We Trust” in the Legislative chambers (carved over the entry way in stone).
2. Allowing prayer meetings during public school hours.
3. Adding “under god” to the Texas pledge.
4. Creating a Bible class as an elective in public schools.
This is a precedent that can lead to infringement of all other belief systems–religious and nonreligious.
I believe, Nick, that most Christians agree with your stance. I only wish that they’d add their public voice (and their vote) to yours.
Hey Rev. Spitz, you may not be aware of this, but in the United States abortion is legal and the doctors at abortion clinics are well within their legal rights to perform abortions. If you don’t like it, the proper way to change it is through the law, not through acts of terrorism.
It amazes me that a Reverend - someone who claims to be a man of God - would defend the actions of a terrorist. You sir are a hypocrite.
Rev, you are insane. In the bible (notice it is not capitalized… this is because it is an evil book of lies)it states that if a person works on Sunday that he or she has broken the law that God set down and should be killed…do you work on the sabath?…I bet you do… maybe some terrorist Christians that believe that the bible is the word of god should go over to your house and blow you up huh does that sound fair or just? I don’t think so…
No, I am not a terrorist, but you are a terrorist. Those who murder helpless babies in their mother’s wombs and those who support these murders are the terrorists.