Page 67 - Encyclopedia Of Terrorism

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40———Antiabortion Movement

LEGISLATIVE RESPONSES by both sides of the abortion issue. Rudolph also
exemplifies the recent convergence of antiabortion and
Many attribute the wave of violence to the change in other right-wing movements, including racist and mili-
political climate caused by the election of President tia movements.
Bill Clinton in 1992. Clinton had rescinded many of Following the murder of Slepian, the FBI, ordered
the anti-Roe regulations put in place by Reagan’s and by Attorney General Janet Reno, began investigating
the first Bush administrations. antiabortion groups for conspiracy, even though a
In May 1994, Clinton signed the Freedom of
grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, failed to deliver
Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which, by pro-
any indictments in a similar investigation two years
hibiting the use or threat of force or physical obstruc-
earlier. Senior FBI officials expressed misgivings
tion that interferes with reproductive health services,
about the investigation, questioning the boundary
created stronger legal protections for clinics. FACE,
between legitimate, if unpopular, political causes and
along with two Supreme Court decisions, Madsen v.
criminal activity. Such federal ambivalence about pur-
Women’s Health Center and NOW et al. v. Scheidler
suing antiabortion violence has plagued prochoice
et al., which, respectively, established “buffer zones”
activists since the beginning of the abortion struggle.
around clinics and allowed antiabortion groups to be
By 2000, clinic violence had dropped considerably
investigated under federal racketeering charges,
and consistently from its peak in 1994. Notwith-
worked together to prevent the spiral of violence the
standing, every year at least one in five abortion clinics
country had experienced in 1994 from repeating.
has a serious violent incident, including vandalism,
Clinic violence dropped significantly over the next
arson, death threats, and assaults. Beginning in 1997, a
several years, though more moderate antiabortion
new trend in antiabortion terrorism began—anthrax
activism continued throughout the country.
hoaxes. Mimicking the anthrax-contaminated letters of
In January 1997, after antiabortion activist Neal
October 2001, more than 550 hoax anthrax letters were
Horsley first posted the “Nuremberg Files” on the
sent to abortion clinics and advocacy groups through-
Internet, antiabortion violence experienced another
out the country, many of them signed “Army of God,
surge. Sponsored by the American Coalition for Life
Virginia Dare Chapter,” or “Virginia Dare Cell.” In
Activists, the Nuremberg Files Web site listed the
December 2001, authorities arrested Clayton Lee
names and home addresses of more than 200 abortion
Waagner, an antiabortion activist, who confessed to
providers and clinic staff, with three possible statuses:
sending the letters.
still working, wounded, and dead. The information
was used to target and terrorize abortion providers in See also ARMY OF GOD; MICHAEL GRIFFIN; PAUL HILL; ERIC
their homes. Stalking of abortion providers, which had RUDOLPH
been declining steadily since 1994, increased, and
within hours of the sniper murder of Dr. Barnett Further Reading
Slepian at his home in Amherst, New York, on October Baird-Windle, Patricia, and Eleanor J. Bader. Targets of
23, 1998, Horsley put a line through Slepian’s name. Hatred: Anti-abortion Terrorism. New York: Palgrave,
Slepian’s murder—as well as the first fatal clinic 2001.
bombing, on January 29, 1998, in Birmingham, Ala- Blanchard, Dallas A. The Anti-abortion Movement and the
bama—seemed to mark a change in attitude among Rise of the Religious Right: From Polite to Fiery Protest.
antiabortion terrorists. Unlike Griffin and Hill, who New York: G. K. Hall; London: Prentice Hall, 1996.
willingly turned themselves over to police, becoming Feminist Majority Foundation. 2000 National Clinic
martyrs for the movement, both James Kopp, charged Violence Survey Report. http://www.feminist.org/rrights/
clinicsurvey.html.
with Slepian’s murder, and Eric Rudolph, charged with
Reiter, Jerry. Live From the Gates of Hell: An Insider’s
the Birmingham clinic and other Atlanta-area bomb-
Look at the Antiabortion Underground. Amherst, NY:
ings, fled from the law. (Kopp was arrested in France
Prometheus, 2000.
in March 2001 and brought back to the United States
Risen, James, and Judy L. Thomas. Wrath of Angels: The
in June 2002 to stand trial. Rudolph, if alive, is American Abortion War. New York: Basic Books, 1998.
believed to be hiding in the Smoky Mountains.) While Solinger, Rickie. Abortion Wars: A Half Century of
both men had loose ties to antiabortion and fundamen- Struggle, 1950-2000. Berkeley: University of California
talist religious groups, they are considered to be loners Press, 1998.