Sticks and stone may break my bones,
But words can never hurt me.
Many of us remember shouting these words when we were children, but now that we are adults we recognize that words lead to pushing and shoving, which can lead to knifing or gun shots.
Today Women's eNews published my commentary on the death of Dr. George Tillman while he stood in church on Pentecost Sunday.
To link to it, click on "Words and Bullets" above or copy this link:
http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/4032
Letha Dawson Scanzoni told me that Frank Schaeffer said in his blog on the Huffington Post that his words in the past made him an accomplice in this week's murder:
"I -- and the people I worked with in the religious right, the Republican Party, the pro-life movement and the Roman Catholic Church, all contributed to this killing by our foolish and incendiary words. I am very sorry."
Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-schaeffer/how-i-and-other-pro-life_b_209747.html?view=print
When my daughter Ellen was in high school, she attended a party where words escalated to shoving; a girl left the party and came back with a knife, stabbing and killing another girl.
Dr. Warren Hern, a friend of Tiller's who performs abortions in Boulder, Colorado, says in today's Los Angeles Times that he does not believe recent statements by antiabortion groups since the shooting that condemn violence.
"It's exactly what they wanted," he says. "Give me a break."
See the full article by DeeDee Correll at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-na-tiller-hern5-2009jun05,3,4312846.story
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