Bill Clinton rips on pro-life students and misrepresents...

... the beliefs of the vast majority of pro-lifers. From LifeNews.com:

Former president Bill Clinton made a campaign stop for Hillary in Steubenville, Ohio on Sunday and found himself greeted by more than 100 pro-life students from nearby Steubenville University. According to eye witnesses accounts, Clinton lost histemper and lashed out at the pro-life students during the speech.

Clinton's heated response came after being questioned on his support of abortion-on-demand.

"I gave you the answer. We disagree with you," Clinton said about the position he and Hillary Clinton hold on abortion.

Clinton relied on the old argument that pr-life advocates want to put women in prison, even though abortion bans have never targeted women because they are a second victim in the abortion process.

"You want to criminalize women and their doctors and we disagree,” he said of the pro-life advocates.

“If you were really pro-life, if you were really pro-life, you would want to put every doctor and every mother as an accessory to murder in prison. And you won't say you want to do that because you know that because you know that you wouldn't have a lick of political support,”   he added.

So Bill Clinton is now a mind reader and a demagogue. Well, he always did have a tenuous relationship with facts and truth. Here is video of Clinton's outburst.

Dr. Francis Beckwith writes:

Certainly, the prolife students, who you can hear in the audio portion of this video, should not have heckled President Clinton. What the students did was disrespectful, and as a prolifer I condemn such conduct. Nevertheless, there's a way to deal with such hecklers without engaging in an ad hominem attack against prolifers in general, which is precisely what President Clinton did in his remarks. In fact, it seemed to me (and this could just be my own bias at work) that the President's harsh response revealed a deep and unhealthy bitterness that he harbors against prolife citizens. Sadly, instead of taking the high road and defending the permissibility of abortion by explaining why he believes the view of the students is mistaken (or at least should be tabled for a more appropriate venue), the former occupant of the White House chose the low road and attacked the intellectual integrity of every American citizen who holds the view.

Dr. Beckwith includes an excerpt from his book Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case Against Abortionexce, which addresses the "Argument from Pity for the Women Prosecuted, Convicted, and/or Sentenced for Murder if Abortion is Made Illegal." Read it here. Also, read my December 2007 interview with Dr. Beckwith about his book, Roe vs. Wade, and abortion.

Comments

[Jeff Miller]

In his little diatribe he also repeatedly said "Tell the truth." He did the same thing in Nevada when he had his little red face blow up there. I bet he was wagging his finger also.

The "imprison the mother" seems to be the latest talking point for pro-abortion types. They want to ignore history and what was the actual situation before Roe v. Wade where the law enforcement effort was totally on abortion doctors.

[Sleeping Beastly]

I don't know. I didn't find Dr. Beckwith's article terribly convincing. I hope that it isn't political expediency that's making pro-lifers talk about lighter (or no) sentences for women who procure abortions. I applaud any reasonable measure of mercy for criminals of all stripes, but I don't think the pro-life cause is served by diluting the nature of the crime. I'm not quite sure why a society that sentences a woman to fifteen years for selling heroin would give the same woman a slap on the wrist for procuring an abortion, assuming that society recognizes the humanity of her child.

[Justin]

"Franciscan!"

"What??"

"Throw your hands up..."

"Francisss...cann.... un...ni...veerrrr....ssiiiii...tteeeeeyyyeee"

(repeat)

I had a feeling that would happen there. Actually, I am surprised there was only 100 people. :)

[Laura]

I'm a student at Franciscan University, and just wanted to clarify that the man who heckled Bill Clinton during his speech (it was only one man, not a group of people) is NOT a Franciscan University student. The students who were at the event to protest were peaceful, quiet, and prayerful.

[Jackson]

I support imprisoning the mother in most cases, along with the doctor, the nurse, the receptionist, the security guard, and all other accessories to murder.

[Dan Deeny]

I agree with Dr. Beckwith and was glad to hear from Laura that the heckler was not a Franciscan U. student. The Administration at Franciscan should apologize to Mr. Clinton and assure him that Franciscan U. students engage in dialogue and apologetics, not heckling. I would add to Dr. Beckwith's idea of Mr. Clinton's "unhealthy bitterness" my own idea that perhaps Mr. Clinton is defending a right - "a woman's right to choose" - that he himself no longer believes in. The evidence from science is pretty strong. He may also now be aware of the racist background of the abortion business.

[joanne]

What's wrong with this phrase: "Sadly, instead of taking the high road and defending the permissibility of abortion..." ?
Hmmmm. The HIGH road? Only if he's referring to a drug trip.
And why is it that so many people cannot understand that the pro-lifers are asking for merciful measures towards the abortive parents, IF we're really pro-life, but get upset at the "heckling" of the protester? IF he is "really" pro-life, then he is using restraint by ONLY raising his voice. Is he spouting or promoting violence. No. He's BOTHERING someone who promotes the slaughter of children.
As far as I know, being pro-life mean believing and acting according to the truth that the life of each person, from conception to natural death, is to be respected and protected. Beyond that, pro-lifers come in many flavors.
I have noticed though, that the more time a pro-lifer spends on the sidewalk in front of an abortion clinic, the less she or he desires that abortive parents be punished. The act brings its own punishments. The abortive parents must answer to God, after all, and the mother is not entirely rational when she chooses. The child within her is God's but the woman IS dealing with a pregnancy she isn't prepared to accept. She needs help, not condemnation.

[Mary]

I support imprisoning the mother in most cases, along with the doctor, the nurse, the receptionist, the security guard, and all other accessories to murder.

blink

Err -- umm -- what if they don't try to abort the baby?

Yes, folks, read with care. "you would want to put every doctor and every mother as an accessory to murder in prison." Not every mother who has her child killed, not every doctor who kills the child, but every mother and every doctor.

[Joe]

Clinton is guilty of the same unhealthy disdain bordering on contempt or hatred that pro-lifers also hold for him. Both are a discredit to their sides in this case.

[Jackson]

"Err -- umm -- what if they don't try to abort the baby?"

Then there can be no murderer or accessories to murder.

[Kathryn]

I thought the rally took place at Steubenville High School, not the University. That's what I heard on another clip from a news station. sorry, I don't know how to link to the video.

[joanne]

"Clinton is guilty of the same unhealthy disdain bordering on contempt or hatred that pro-lifers also hold for him."
The disdain I hold is against his support of abortion and of Planned Parenthood's actions and "teachings". I don't think that's unhealthy. He is not relatively right on this issue; he's wrong, and he promotes his errors. Meanwhile, children die and parents suffer.

[Mary]

Then there can be no murderer or accessories to murder.

But we still want to throw both the mother and doctor into jail! Every mother and every doctor. . . .

[Boring]

A serial adulterer who enthusiastically supports a woman's right to choose could be considered a fox in charge of the hen house.

[Neil]

"The Administration at Franciscan should apologize to Mr. Clinton"

Why? He wasn't speaking at Franciscan University.

[Peter Nelson]

Once again, the press buries the lead. Here is the real headline: "President Clinton boasts he reduced abortions more than anyone else in politics today." Read this partial transcript of the youtube video...

"I reduced abortions. Tell the truth. Tell the truth. If you were really pro-life, if you were really pro-life, you would want to put every doctor and every mother, as an accessory to murder, in prison. And you won't say you want to do that because you know you wouldn't have a lick of political support. Now the issue is, the issue is, you can't name me anybody presently in politics that did more to introduce policies that reduced the number of real abortions instead of the hot air putting out to tear people up..."

A true pro-abortionist would not concede that fewer abortions is better than more abortions, any more than fewer haircuts is better than more haircuts. The follow-up heckle someone should have made is: "are you proud that you reduced the number of abortions?" If he answers no he undermines his boasting, but if he answers yes he opens himself up to reprimand by radical pro-abortionists in his party.

There is only one rational premise behind the conclusion fewer abortions is a good thing: that abortion is murder. Accept the conclusion and from there it is but a short step to becoming conscious of that premise. And when enough people realize that premise, the holocaust will end.