John Brown and George Tiller

The death of abortionist George Tiller at the hands of a cold-blooded murderer has the left agitated and excited about an opportunity. Within an hour of his death, the blogs were alive with accusations that talk radio, right-wing blogs and anyone who is pro-life had blood on their hands and insinuated that "rhetoric" was the cause of this murder.

They want to equate those of us who value life, who believe abortion on demand to be a stain on our country and, most importantly, speak up about the issue, with a murderous individual. It suits them to use this tragedy for Tiller's family for their own purposes - to try to shut us up.

Democrats have done this before. In 1859, John Brown, an ardent abolitionist, incited a deadly insurrection at Harper's Ferry to draw attention to the plight of the slave. Abraham Lincoln, condemned him as a "misguided fanatic." But Southern democrats alleged that his rebellion was the tip of the abolitionist iceberg and represented the wishes of Lincoln and the Republican Party. It was in their best interest to tie this fanatic with legitimate abolitionists.

Not one mainstream pro-life organization or individual will stand with the man who took Tiller's life. (Interestingly enough, there were plenty of mainstream abolitionists who did stand with John Brown - among them Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau who praised his actions.)

George Tiller's death is a tragedy for his family. He is a victim of a murderous hatred. He is not a victim of the pro-life movement. I fear that his death will be all the excuse many need to equate speech with action and will attempt (and may succeed) in shutting us up. If that happens, every American who values free speech will be able to mark Sunday, May 31 as the day free speech died along with George Tiller.