WICHITA, Kansas β The Scott Roeder trial has caused some considerable friction between both sides of the abortion issue and, surprisingly, division within the pro-life movement itself.
In the front of the Sedgwick County courthouse Randall Terry, the founder of Operation Rescue and one of the leaders of the Summer of Mercy, called out fellow pro-life leaders for their lack of support for Scott Roeder.
"Notice how few pro-life leaders are here, it's because some of them are horrified about what happened. But it's also because some of them are terrified to be consistent with their own logic and their own rhetoric," Terry told reporters.
But as Terry spoke passers by like Rex Morley couldn't help but yell back.
Morley says he's anti-abortion but calls those like Terry fringe lunatics.
"What a spiel, I can't believe that these people really believe that's its right to kill a man for doing what the law allows him to do," said Morley.
Within hours of Tiller's shooting David Gittrich of Kansans for Life condemned Roeder's actions and continues to distance himself now that Roeder's on trial.
"I think Scott Roeder thought he had an attachment to the pro-life movement, but the pro-life movement doesn't have an attachment to Scott Roeder."
That seems to be the same stand taken by Operation Rescue; the organization Terry founded but hasn't been affiliated with for 17 years.
Leaders with Operation Rescue have not only distanced themselves from Roeder but Terry as well, saying Terry's extremism has caused him to isolate himself from the pro-life community.
Terry counters their lack of conviction has caused a crack in the movement that will be difficult to repair.
"We are on a trajectory to being politically irreverent,β Terry said. βIt can be pulled out but we are in deep trouble as a movement."
Terry says he doesn't agree with what Roeder did but is at the courthouse to make sure Roeder receives a fair trial and jurors understand why Roeder felt he had to kill Dr. Tiller.
