CA Senate Report Categorises Pro-lifers as Hate Criminals

09-03-2004, 10:34 AM

California State Senate Report Places Pro-Lifers in Same Category as
White Supremacists and Anti-Semites
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/aug/04082603.html
SACRAMENTO, August 26, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The California
Senate's Office of Research (SOR) recently issued a report entitled
"Protecting Californians from Hate Crimes: A Progress Report". In the
report's opening paragraph is a thinly veiled accusation that
pro-lifers are of the same mold as hate-filled and violent extremists.
The report describes several white supremacist, anti-Semitic, and
anti-government criminals as emblematic of the hate crime problem,
pointing out that one of the two killed abortion doctors.

California State Assemblyman Tim Leslie, expressing outrage and dismay
at the document, wrote to the SOR requesting a retraction and an
apology. In his August 24 letter, Leslie said of the report: "Its
evident bias against and demonization of people with pro-life views is
both naked and offensive."

Leslie points out that the report fails to acknowledge that the vast
majority of pro-life people are not anti-Semitic, white supremacist or
anti-government, and affirmed that when crimes are committed in the
name of pro-life, they are instantly condemned by the pro-life
movement at large.

In his letter to SOR director Donald B. Moulds, Leslie quoted a 2000
study done by Human Life International, which shows that in the
category of "Deadly and extreme crimes against persons" (murder,
manslaughter, attempted murder, kidnapping, torture and rape) there
are 121 pro-abortion incidents versus 25 committed by supposedly
pro-life persons. In the category of "Less serious crimes against
persons resulting in actual injury" (assault, sex crimes, reckless
endangerment, and violation of civil rights), the ratio is 651-112.

Assemblyman Leslie reminded Moulds that "most people who oppose
abortion do so because they love life and they love humanity. They are
not haters, and you cannot lump them into a category of hateful
people. If anything, they are more loving because they give up so much
and endure so much to save the lives of babies."

See the SOR report at http://www.sen.ca.gov/sor/REPORTS/REPORT
S_BY_SUBJ/PUBLIC_SAFETY_JUDICIARY_HATECR
IMEREPORT804.PDF