Republicans have spent far more time trying to end women’s reproductive rights than they have spent on any other issue, since they gained control of the House. Their hate speech, especially that which justifies violence, has led to more than one death. It would have resulted in more death, had not the intended perpetrator acted with a Republican level of incompetence. As if that were not bad enough, Republicans are introducing legislation to give legal cover to such hate criminals.

A man has been arrested after traveling to Madison, Wis. with the alleged intention of killing abortion doctors. Ralph Lang, 63, was charged by federal prosecutors Thursday for attempting to injure or intimidate a person who provides reproductive health services. He traveled approximately 100 miles from Marshfield, Wis. to Madison on May 25. He is scheduled to appear in United States District Court on Friday. According to a Madison police incident report : A 63-year old man was arrested by Madison Police Wednesday night after he discharged a handgun inside his motel room. The round hit two doors, but there were no injuries. The man immediately told motel staff about the gunfire, saying it was an accident. He offered to pay for damages. According to federal prosecutors, Lang told Madison police that he had the gun "to lay out abortionists because they are killing babies." He was arrested at 9:51 pm at a Motel 6 just 1.2 miles away from Planned Parenthood: Madison East (CRHC)… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Huffington Post>

Admittedly, this man has to be at least somewhat deranged, but I cannot accept the argument that Republican misogyny is not responsible for setting off nut cases like Lang and Loughner. Planned Parenthood echoes my thinking.

The leader of Planned Parenthood Wisconsin responded on Friday to the arrest of an armed man who had come to Madison allegedly murder abortion providers at one of the group’s clinics. “Anti-abortion proponents and legislators who vilify the health care that Planned Parenthood provides truly embolden people who think it’s OK to take the law into their own hands,” said Teri Huyck, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. Speaking at a press conference at a police station on the east side of Madison, she said she was referring to legislators both statewide and national… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Progressive.org>

Rachel Maddow interviewed Teri and provided considerable detail to the story.

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As bad as this is, it is even worse that Republicans are trying to provide legal cover to hate criminals like Lang. I owe a big hat-tip to the Politics Plus Princess, Lisa G, who brought the Nebraska bill to my attention.

…Last week, South Dakota’s legislature shelved a bill, introduced by Republican state Rep. Phil Jensen, which would have allowed the use of the "justifiable homicide" defense for killings intended to prevent harm to a fetus. Now a nearly identical bill is being considered in neighboring Nebraska, where on Wednesday the state legislature held a hearing on the measure. The legislation, LB 232, was introduced by state Sen. Mark Christensen, a devout Christian and die-hard abortion foe who is opposed to the prodedure even in the case of rape. Unlike its South Dakota counterpart, which would have allowed only a pregnant woman, her husband, her parents, or her children to commit "justifiable homicide" in defense of her fetus, the Nebraska bill would apply to any third party. " In short, this bill authorizes and protects vigilantes, and that’s something that’s unprecedented in our society ," Melissa Grant of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland told the Nebraska legislature’s judiciary committee on Wednesday… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Mother Jones>

I disagree with with the author’s description of Christiansen as a “devout Christian”. Rather, his gospel of hate and violence identifies him as a Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christian, not a devout Christian.

Now, just in case this did not sink in, if this Republican bill passes, Nebraska residents will have the right to kill people who provide abortion services to women. This is RepubliCare for women.