Anti-abortion protestor murdered in Michigan

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Abortion Protester Is Killed in Michigan

Quote:

A man who had long opposed abortion and was known nationally among anti-abortion protesters was shot to death Friday morning while staging a protest outside a Michigan high school, the authorities said.

Leaders of anti-abortion groups said they knew of no other instance in which a person protesting against abortion had been killed. In May, Dr. George R. Tiller, an abortion provider in Kansas, was shot to death in a crime that renewed debate over the use of violence in the abortion battle.

The protester, identified as James Pouillon, 63, was one of two people, the authorities said, who were shot dead Friday by the same man in Owosso, a city of fewer than 15,000 people about 10 miles west of Flint, Mich. The other victim, a local businessman, was not connected to the anti-abortion movement, the authorities said.

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@Robert Gentel,

I'm not sure if it's clear that the murder was related to his politics, but if so that is an unwelcome novelty of violence being used for the pro-choice side of this debate.

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The emotional tug to both sides is too intense for rational discussion, in some cases. I hope there is no linkage or escalation of violence, but I am pessimistic.

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@Robert Gentel,

Robert Gentel wrote:

Quote:
The protester, identified as James Pouillon, 63,

...

The other victim, a local businessman, was not connected to the anti-abortion movement, the authorities said.

the NYT knows where the interest lies. Don't even bother identifying the other person murdered.

I know they need to sell papers, but sometimes it's just icky. If Pouillon hadn't been an anti-abortion protestor, it's likely neither of these deaths would have made it out of the Michigan media.

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@ehBeth,

I disagree Beth. There are lots of murders. It is political murders that warrant the attention of national news.

This is a legitimate news story because it was apparently a politically motivated killing.

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@ebrown p,

What are you disagreeing with?

~~~

I pointed out that two people were murdered by the same guy. One of them was an anti-abortion protestor. The other was not.

I am pointing out that the only media interest in the case (outside of Michigan) is that one of the victims was an anti-abortion protestor.

~~~

My interest in this article has to do with U. S. media, the NYT in particular.

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@ebrown p,

I don't think so ebrown. It just is sensationalism instead of good journalism.

Quote:

But Ms. MacCleery said Friday’s shooting did not seem to her to be tied to the abortion debate since the suspect was also charged in the killing of the second man, Mike Fuoss, 61, the owner of a local gravel company, who did not appear to be involved in the abortion issue.

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@Robert Gentel,

OWOSSO, Mich. (AP) " A man fatally shot an anti-abortion activist near a Michigan high school Friday, drove to a gravel pit and shot its owner to death and planned to kill a third man, but was arrested before he could act, a prosecutor said.

Harlan James Drake, 33, was charged Friday with first-degree murder in the deaths of James Pouillon, 63, and Mike Fuoss, 61, said Shiawassee County Prosecutor Randy Colbry.

"The defendant had ill will toward these three individuals " not for the same reason necessarily, but had a grudge," Colbry said.

Before classes were to begin Friday, Pouillon was protesting across the street from Owosso High School about 70 miles northwest of Detroit. Drake then drove by the school and shot Pouillon several times in front of horrified students and parents, officials said.

Owosso Police Chief Michael Compeau said he also believed Pouillon was targeted.

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I completely agree with ehBeth on this issue. It's piss-poor journalistic style and I'm surprised and disappointed with the NYT.

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@ehBeth,

ehBeth wrote:

I am pointing out that the only media interest in the case (outside of Michigan) is that one of the victims was an anti-abortion protestor.

If the murder was politically motivated (and given that it happened while he was protesting it seems that way) it is definitely worthy of nationwide coverage. So far I'm just not sure that is the case.

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I'm going to refrain from speculation. I'll just wait to hear what the defendant's defense/statements are before I decide if it was a politically motivated murder with an innocent bystander, or a calculated murder of two men, one of whom could be easily found doing something that he did regularly (protest at that spot).

T
K
O

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across from a highschool, in front of kids.....

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@Robert Gentel,

Robert Gentel wrote:

I'm not sure if it's clear that the murder was related to his politics, but if so that is an unwelcome novelty of violence being used for the pro-choice side of this debate.

Absolutely.

I hope (odd as it sounds) that he was murdered for another reason.

It would be awful to see such violence escalating.

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@ehBeth,

ehBeth wrote:

Robert Gentel wrote:
Quote:
The protester, identified as James Pouillon, 63,

...

The other victim, a local businessman, was not connected to the anti-abortion movement, the authorities said.

the NYT knows where the interest lies. Don't even bother identifying the other person murdered.

I know they need to sell papers, but sometimes it's just icky. If Pouillon hadn't been an anti-abortion protestor, it's likely neither of these deaths would have made it out of the Michigan media.

Well, it seems that there may, indeed, be another motive.

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@ehBeth,

ehBeth wrote:

What are you disagreeing with?

~~~

I pointed out that two people were murdered by the same guy. One of them was an anti-abortion protestor. The other was not.

I am pointing out that the only media interest in the case (outside of Michigan) is that one of the victims was an anti-abortion protestor.

~~~

My interest in this article has to do with U. S. media, the NYT in particular.

And it seems he had intention to murder a third.

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@Robert Gentel,

When I first heard this story several days after it happened I knew it would not get as much media attention as the murder of George Tiller, which I heard about within an hour of it happening. Wikipedia even refuses to acknowledge that there are crimes against anti-0abortion protesters even aside from this one yet they happily admit that there is violence against pro-abortion activists.

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@cheesey,

Why assume this was politically motivated? It very well could have been, but given many of the details, I've seen nothing to be so sure.

T
K
O

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@cheesey,

WELCOME TO THE FORUM!

cheesey wrote:

When I first heard this story several days after it happened I knew it would not get as much media attention as the murder of George Tiller, which I heard about within an hour of it happening. Wikipedia even refuses to acknowledge that there are crimes against anti-0abortion protesters even aside from this one yet they happily admit that there is violence against pro-abortion activists.

In my opinion, shooting anti-abortion protesters
is a little extreme ( and of questionable legality )
but arguing with them is fun.

David

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Anti-abortion protestor murdered in Michigan

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