[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 104 (Tuesday, August 2, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 2, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
         PENSACOLA ANTIABORTION MURDER AND RELIGIOUS FANATICISM

 Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss the events 
of last Friday in Pensacola, FL, and their broader implications on our 
civilization as a whole.
  At 8 a.m. Friday morning, Paul Hill, a former Presbyterian Minister, 
shot and killed Dr. John Britton and James Barrett. Mr. Barrett was 
escorting Dr. Britton to his job at an abortion clinic.
  Dr. Britton was 69. He had started working at the clinic a year 
previously, knowing full well the dangers of the occupation. The last 
doctor for this clinic was Dr. Gunn, who was killed by an antiabortion 
activist last year in front of the city's other clinic. Dr. Britton was 
extremely brave, but he was also cautious; however, the bulletproof 
vest he wore Friday morning was ineffective in stopping the shotgun 
spray Paul Hill aimed at his face.
  James Barrett, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, was 74. Mr. 
Barrett was shot in the head right in front of his 68-year-old wife 
June, who was also injured.
  This was the third shooting by anti-abortionists within the last year 
and a half, and the second--and third--fatality.
  Paul Hill's reasons for murder were chillingly simple. He has stated 
that ``the bible teaches us to do unto others as you would have them do 
unto you. Therefore, killing a man who is about to kill an unborn child 
constitutes killing in self defense.'' To Paul Hill, the murder was a 
justifiable homicide.
  Mr. President, this syllogism lies at the heart of one of the most 
corrosive dangers the world faces today.
  Many religious teachings and texts offer justifiable reasons for 
killing. Even so, mainstream religions systematically guide their 
populations away from these arguments and in the direction of 
tolerance. The only individuals who employ religious justifications in 
order to commit cold-blooded murder are religious fanatics. But we 
cannot dismiss these fringe elements. We cannot pretend that they do 
not read from the same bibles from which many of us read and say the 
same prayers which many of us recite. We cannot cast a blind eye to the 
horrible dangers they represent. And we need to be brave enough to 
bring the public's attention to the problem posed by religious 
fanaticism.
  This problem grows in severity every passing year. In the dawn of 
human civilization, there was only so much damage a single human being 
could execute. However, our technology has developed, and each new 
weapon has increased the power every individual represents. The classic 
example of this truth is the gun. During the 19th century, in the 
western-most frontiers of this country, guns were nicknamed 
``equalizers'' because in effect they gave every individual the same 
power as any other. Anyone with a gun had the power to eliminate one if 
not several human lives. The defensive structures of our Nation and 
every nation have been recreated in order to cope with this capacity.

  Mr. President, from dynamite to plastic explosives to nuclear bombs, 
the power of individuals has increased and will continue to increase. 
Consequently, we cannot let people slip through the cracks and fall 
into the well of fanaticism. The Paul Hills of this world are willing 
to dedicate if not sacrifice their lives for the sole purpose of 
advancing their world view by hurting or destroying others. Education 
and leadership must come now before it is too late.
  In light of the importance of responding to the threat posed by 
fanaticism, the most significant event that occurred in the world last 
week received little of the attention it deserved.
  One of the most tense places in the world right now is the Middle 
East. Many countries and religions in the Middle East are fighting over 
possession of the same pieces of land, interpretations of the same 
texts, versions of the same myths. However, last week we saw a moment 
of peace between two countries in that region that have long been 
adversaries. Perhaps most importantly, we saw two leaders speak to 
their respective people, not only as political heads of state, but as 
religious individuals, and preach tolerance and call for peace.
  Mr. President, King Hussein's and Prime Minister Rabin's lead must be 
followed by every religious and political leader to every constituent 
and every worshipper in the world. We must take responsibility for 
affirmatively leading our constituents and our congregations down the 
path of tolerance.
  It is with this goal in mind that I return to the subject of 
Pensacola.
  One of the things that made me especially upset this weekend when I 
watched television news coverage of the incident was the sign that hung 
over the abortion clinic. The name of the clinic was ``The Ladies 
Center,'' and the typeface on the sign was as blatantly euphemistic as 
this title. The fact that an abortion clinic needs to be disguised and 
to be separated from the hospitals, HMO's, and community health centers 
where such medical procedures should be performed is as upsetting as 
the fact that abortion clinics need to be under 24-hour guard.
  The wrong response to the Pensacola shootings is to segregate 
abortions even further from those seeking the procedure. The right 
thing to do is to treat abortions as exactly what they are--a medical 
procedure that any doctor is free to provide and any pregnant woman 
free to obtain. Consequently, abortions should not have to be performed 
in tightly guarded clinics on the edge of town; they should be 
performed and obtained in the same locations as any other medical 
procedure. How can we as political leaders teach tolerance to the 
public when we still treat women who seek abortions as poorly as less 
civilized societies treated lepers?
  Mr. President, if this Constitutionally protected right is to be 
preserved, and if women are to be treated decently and with respect, 
abortions need to be moved out of the fringes of medicine and into the 
mainstream of medical practice.
  And by the same token, if our children are to be safe from the danger 
of fanaticism, tolerance needs to spread out of the mainstream 
churches, mosques, and synagogues, and into the religious fringes.
  Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

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