By Logan Murphy
As David Neiwert posted yesterday, a group of violent anti-abortion zealots planned to hold an online auction on eBay to help pay legal expenses for Scott Roeder, the man who murdered abortion provider, Dr. George Tiller at his Kansas church. Thankfully, eBay has stepped up to do the right thing and is blocking the auction:
An eBay auction planned by abortion opponents to raise money for the man accused of killing Wichita abortion doctor George Tiller will not be permitted, company officials said Tuesday.
“Based on the details we know about the anticipated listings, we believe these would violate our policy regarding offensive material,” the company said in a statement to The Kansas City Star. “eBay will not permit the items in question to be posted to the eBay site, and they will be removed if they are posted.”
It its statement, eBay said, “we do not allow items that encourage, promote, facilitate or instruct others to engage in illegal activity and will not be a platform for those who promote violence toward others
The announcement came the same day that Tiller’s family implored eBay to prevent the auction.
“These materials contain hate messages, glorify violence against abortion doctors who provide constitutionally protected medical services, and instruct on means of violence, including bombing, of abortion clinics,” said Lee Thompson, an attorney for the Tiller family, in a letter sent to eBay on Tuesday and approved by Tiller’s widow, Jeanne Tiller.
“We urge you to deny access to the resources of eBay for this reprehensible and vile ‘auction.’ ”
The auction was intended to raise money for the defense of Scott Roeder, who is charged with first-degree murder in Tiller’s death and is scheduled to go on trial in January. Currently, Roeder is being represented by public defenders.
Roeder’s supporters are encouraging him to use a “necessity defense,” saying that Tiller’s killing on May 31 was an act of justifiable homicide. Other anti-abortion activists charged with violent crimes have tried to use such a defense, but with little success.
Those working on the fundraiser said banning the auction was a violation of their rights.
“They’re not only chilling the First Amendment of the Constitution, they’re raping the whole Constitution,” said Regina Dinwiddie, a Kansas City abortion opponent and friend of Roeder.
She said the move wouldn’t stop those who are trying to help Roeder.
“We have other plans that I’m not at the discretion to say right now,” she said. “This is money for Scott Roeder so he can have a true defense. They’re trying to shoot down the truth of what went on behind Tiller’s closed doors and fenced gates, but it’s not going to work.”
The controversy arose after an article in Sunday’s Star about the auction. Items being donated included an Army of God manual, a prison cookbook compiled by a woman doing time for abortion clinic bombings and arsons, and several autographed drawings submitted by Roeder.
One drawing was of David and Goliath that depicted David holding the head of Goliath and the name “Tiller” on Goliath’s forehead. The words “child-murdering industry” were written on the corpse.
Dave Leach, an Iowa abortion opponent who was organizing the auction, planned to launch it Sunday. He was donating a reprint of an Army of God manual, an underground publication that describes dozens of ways to shut down abortion clinics, including bombing. Leach, who published the manual in 1996 in his magazine, Prayer and Action News, said he would cover the pages containing bomb recipes.
The prison recipes were being donated by Shelley Shannon, the Oregon woman who shot and wounded Tiller in 1993 and later was convicted in a series of abortion clinic arsons and bombings.
Dinwiddie, who made headlines in 1995 when a federal judge ordered her to stop using a bullhorn within 500 feet of abortion clinics, planned to donate an autographed bullhorn similar to those she used when protesting.
kenneth uwadi