The fundraising email hit inboxes late on the 14th of September. Apparently, their lack of money meant the project they had planned to launch "in the next 30 days" was delayed. Now, it's "in the coming weeks". What have they done in the last 30 days? Launched IAM71, an online activist project to tell Congress 71% of Americans do not support tax-funded abortions? The number comes from a Zogby poll from last year (reading their site for similar polls shows opinions change drastically depending on how the question is stated going from 69% opposed to 51% opposed in the same poll). Also found on their site? Top 10 reasons why pro-choice side is wrong (with no similar post for why the "pro-life" side is wrong) and a poll saying 71% of parents "oppose 'normalizing' homosexual relationships". Don't know that I entirely trust their statistics. Wiley Drake, who prayed for Obama's death and said Dr. Tiller's assassination answered his prayers, weighs in on the project, encouraging people to participate. Randall Terry called it a waste of time. According to OR's Twitter page, the project was launched on October 2nd, though the website says it has been up since August 31st. But Operation Rescue has never been known for their accuracy in reporting.
While I enjoy mocking the incredibly lackluster IAM71 project, I'm really still sitting here wondering what Operation Rescue is doing that they needed money for and are working harder than ever at. Other than incorrectly calling Jim Poullion's murder similar Roeder's. They're so busy with so many things happening, so many clinics they're closing, that they barely update their website with their many adventures.
I have no doubt they're working on something, some moderately new way to terrorize providers and take away women's rights (in the name of "saving" women's lives). And I have no doubt it's underhanded, and they will not commit any obviously illegal act to do it. They leave that up to other people. People like Michael Griffin, Shelley Shannon, Paul Hill, James Kopp (suspected in several shootings and convicted of one murder), John Salvi, and Eric Rudolph. And, for all intents and purposes, Scott Roeder who has all but admitted he killed Dr. Tiller. Some "Prisoners of Christ" lists I've unwittingly ran into are already asking for prayers for him. Of course, Don Spitz (snarkily pictured above) of Army of God and David Leach of Prayer & Action News and distributor of the Army of God manual are all over the place proclaiming his guilt.
Anti-choice terrorist sites regularly post the home addresses and other critical information about employees and volunteers at abortion clinics. This information has been used to stalk, harass, intimidate, and abuse clinic employees and their families at home, work, out on the town, and even their children in school. Without this in mind, the Oklahoma state legislature has passed a measure to put women's information online, short of their name and address, when they get an abortion in state. The Young Turks points out how terrifying this law could be.
I wouldn't be surprised if Operation Rescue, Kansas Coalition for Life, and Kansans for Life (among others) attempt to pass something similar in Kansas this upcoming legislative session. Roeder's murder of Dr. Tiller already makes it more difficult for Kansas women (and women across the country) to seek abortion care; what would happen if Kansas passed a law similar to Oklahoma? I really don't want to find out.
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