I don’t know this guy Mark Gietzen who is head of Kansas Coalition for Life and maybe he’s more wonderful than Mother Teresa and St. Francis put together but The New York Times quotes Mark Gietzen saying two of the stupidest things I’ve heard come out of a pro-lifers mouth in years.
Speaking of the varying opinions in the pro-life community concerning Dr. Tiller’s murder,:
Mr. Gietzen said, they were not of one mind about statements many groups here have issued condemning the killing of Dr. Tiller. “You can’t be pro-life and go around killing people, but some people are really mad at me for saying that,” he said.
Give me a break.
First off, congratulations to Mr. Gietzen on giving the New York Times the exact quote they wanted to make all pro-lifers not named Mark Gietzen look insane.
And if you, Mr. Gietzen, have people in your organization that are pretty cool with murdering people it seems to me that as the head of the group it’s your responsibility to oust them, not just tell reporters how brave you are for condemning murder.
Most likely he just set up a straw man so he could look big and tough knocking it down. Yeah sure, he essentially told the Times, the pro-life community is full of stark raving lunatics but not me. I’m against stark raving lunatics.
And then as if Mr. Gietzen hadn’t done enough damage, he drops in this idiotic comment at the end of the story. The Times asked him what would happen if Tiller’s abortion clinic reopened.
On Sunday, Mr. Gietzen said some of his more than 600 trained volunteers already were organized in shifts for a new week, in case visiting doctors were flown in.
“If it happened,” he said, “we’re going to act like the Minutemen and be there.”
Good one. Hey dude, you know who the Minutemen are? They were an armed militia that assembled quickly to kill invading enemies. Thanks Mr. Gietzen for your service to the unborn. Now shut up.
June 9, 2009 at 7:50 am
FYI – Geitzen is the most dedicated pro-life leader I have ever met. BTW, he's a strong Catholic who lives out his faith and spends countless hours each day dedicating his life to pro-life work.
Also FYI — Tiller attempted to kill Geitzen by running over him with his Jeep. Geitzen filed a lawsuit and Tiller got off scott-free. As a good Christian, Geitzen forgave him for that.
This man (Geitzen) deserves our praise and not our criticism.
Tiller made many enemies because he was a dangerous man both in and outside his abortion mill. He always got off scott-free regardless of what he did.
Very few people who live outside of KS really understand the horrific situation that has been going on here for years.
I think you took his words the wrong way. I also think the New York Times is one of the most biased newspapers around. I wouldn't read that rag even if I were paid to.
I have been blogging about Tiller for more than five years, so check out my blog for more details.
I like your blog and feel that you are usually on target, but not this time.
June 9, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Jean,
I have no doubt what you say is true. I also have no doubt that Mr. Geitzen walked right in to a trap that he should have seen.
As a dedicated pro-life leader great care must always be taken when speaking to the press. This is never more true than when speaking to the New York Times. Further, it never more critical than after the murder of an abortionist that words be chosen very carefully. This he did not do.
Mr. Geitzen may very well be a dedicated leader of the pro-life cause, but he did that cause no service in this interview.
I suppose we should view this as a cautionary tale.
June 9, 2009 at 3:15 pm
I don't see how he said anything wrong. He stated the truth. There are many people, ESPECIALLY here in Kansas, that has conflicted ideas about Tiller's murder, and without political correctness… can you truly blame them? Some of us still struggle with NOT feeling relieved the man is dead. I'm sure the Jews felt relief that Hitler was dead too. Yes, we are called to forgive and be appalled that he was killed. Forgive those of us that are still trying. We'll get there alot faster than the anti-life idiots that are still groveling at his death and exploiting it to push their agenda.
Minutemen, in the more present image, are lay people that protect our borders from illegal aliens. The do it in a legal manner, protecting the innocent (the American land owners) while not going off shooting people. So I think you're going a little too far in history on that one.
So to give Mr. Gietzen the benefit of the doubt, I'm pretty certain he didn't mispeak.
KFL is a GREAT organization, with the most pro-life people you would ever meet. They don't just talk the talk, they walk the walk as well. I honestly would rank them up there with ALL and Priests for Life in their level of commitment and passion for Life. I have witnessed them in action MANY times and you just can't get a better pro-life group, one that treats all people with dignity.
June 9, 2009 at 3:26 pm
This guy compares pro-lifers to Minutemen and says many pro-lifers are cool with going around and killing people and you don't see anything wrong with that?
If someone from Planned Parenthood had said the exact same quotes everyone would be mad as heck about it.
Like CMR said, the guy might be a great guy but he got rolled by the Times into saying some profoundly stupid things.
June 9, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Is your point the comments were wrong in the context they were said (being interviewed by a MSM news source)? Or that they're always wrong.
His first comment is a statement of fact. We believe one thing, but our emotions often tell us the opposite. It would be naive of us to pretend that there is no one in the pro-life community who isn't happy Tiller is dead.
As far as the second comment goes, the Church often uses military language. Heck, our purpose on earth to be Militant. I don't see anything wrong with those statements in and of themselves. It's letting the MSM get their hands on them that's bad.
June 9, 2009 at 6:45 pm
I will agree that Mr. Gietzen got rolled by the NYT… pretty much any pro-lifer would. But I think you're misunderstanding what I'm talking about with Minutemen. What do (and did) those Minutemen protect? Just because they were armed with firearms doesn't make them maniacs. If you don't try to read into it, you can see that Mr. Gietzen is trying to illustrate that the pro-lifers would be there fast to help protect those women and babies. What other group of people could he have used to illustrate his point without having to worry about idiotic political correctness? When I saw Minutemen, I did think of both historic and current groups of armed men trying to protect the people of this country. I guess because I'm armed, I just didn't see the analogy as a dangerous one that meant that all people that act as Minutemen are crazy, gun toting fools. I didn't see anywhere that Mr. Gietzen said that we think it's cool going around killing people either.
If PP said these quotes, yes, I'd be concerned because they've REPEATEDLY shown they don't give a hoot about life and would kill at a moment's notice.
June 9, 2009 at 9:08 pm
Where did you read the story that Tiller attempted to run someone over with a jeep?
June 9, 2009 at 9:21 pm
http://www.operationrescue.org/archives/tiller-sued-in-small-claims-tv%E2%80%99s-judge-judy-and-judge-brown-want-the-case/
June 10, 2009 at 1:13 am
I believe the point Patrick is trying to make is while anyone with two brain cells working in series aren't to be worried about the nutcases that will take a statement out of all rational context and misuse it to their advantage are to be kept in mind. THAT is what prolifers have to be especially aware of at this time.
All it take is one lie believed by too many people at the wrong time and the innocent suffer. An example that comes to mind is how Nero blamed the Christians for the burning of Rome. I'm sure we're all familiar with that one.
From all appearances Geitzen dropped the ball big time when it came to being discrete.
June 10, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Telling Geitzen to "shut up" because he was expressing THE TRUTH is cowardly and hypocritical. Geitzen is not only a great leader for the pro-life movement, he is also GENUINE (apparently the authors of this blog don't understand this concept). I work in the pro-life movement on two fronts myself, and I know MANY people who are anti-abortiion but believe killing "the guilty" is just a-OK. And others have expressed openly that they wish they had the "courage" to do what Roemer did. If you have never met someone like this then you are either deaf or a liar.
Maybe you should take your own advise and "shut up" about people who are far better than you will ever be in two lifetimes just because they obviously have a moral fiber to tell it like it is instead of hiding behind some image you think is inconvenient for the media.
June 11, 2009 at 8:30 pm
As someone who has been guilty many, many times of talking (or writing) without my gray matter engaged, I can sympathize with Mr. Gietzen. If he's read the NYT article with his own words, he may be slamming his head on the wall already. Who knows. I hope he keeps up the good work, though. I also hope CMR sticks around for a long, long time.
July 8, 2009 at 7:02 am
I have known Mark all my life–we are closely related–and I can tell you that while he may do good work in the pro-life movement, his morality in some other areas leaves something to be desired. This is not to judge or condemn, as we all have our moral failings, but to caution you about making statements as to his moral character based on his public actions. He may, or may not, have been misquoted. I certainly agree that anyone giving an interview to a publication such as the NY Times needs to weigh his words very carefully. (By the way, I really don't see how the name-calling in some of these posts is consistent with Christian principles: Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers. . .)