Abortion and the Architecture of Reality

George Tiller, a doctor and abortion provider in Kansas, was shot and killed outside his church on Sunday. The large majority of people on either side of the abortion debate are understandably horrified by an event like this. But it sets up a rhetorical dilemma for anyone who takes seriously the claim that abortion is murder. If George Tiller really was a "baby killer" comparable to Hitler and Stalin, it's difficult to express unmitigated sadness at his murder. So we get Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue, admitting regret -- but only that Tiller was a mass murderer who "did not have time to properly prepare his soul to face God." On those rare occasions when they attempt to actually talk to each other, people on opposite sides of the abortion debate usually end up talking past each other. Supporters of abortion rights speak in the language of the autonomy ...