So, do you think there will be large scale round-ups of poorly-shaven white men?
Man in clinic crash thought center was abortion clinic
A man accused of driving his car into a women’s health center and then setting the vehicle on fire thought the facility was an abortion clinic, Davenport police said today.
“He was using his car to torch the building,” detective Mike Bowers said.
David Robert McMenemy, 45, of Sterling Heights, Mich., is charged with second-degree arson. He is accused of driving his car into the Edgerton Women’s Health Center about 4:30 a.m. Monday.
McMenemy remains in the Scott County Jail.
The car has been impounded and officials are examining its contents, including whether any explosive-type materials are present.
The center does not perform abortions and does not provide abortion referrals, said Tom Fedje, the president of Edgerton. He said the center does advise pregnant women on the various options available to them.
Bowers said McMenemy has no ties to the Quad-City area and has been driving around the Midwest since August.
“He has admitted looking them (abortion clinics) up in phone books and online,” Bowers added. “I have no idea why Iowa.”
Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa is monitoring the incident, spokeswoman Kathi Di Nicola said. Planned Parenthood is the only agency to provide abortions in the Quad-Cities, performing the procedure at its women’s health clinic in Bettendorf.
Bowers said McMenemy apparently thought abortions were performed at the Edgerton center.
“He drove into the clinic and set his car on fire using an accelerant. He knew what he was doing. He planned it. It wasn’t an accident,” the detective added.
Of course not … because he’s trying to save the “BABIES”. Religiously or ideologically driven violence is not treated seriously in this country if it is directed at clinics that provide for women’s health. It’s NOT called by it’s proper name … TERRORISM.
Since the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal, there has been an organized campaign by anti-abortion extremists which has resulted in escalating levels of violence against women’s health care providers. In an attempt to stop abortion, anti-abortion extremists have chosen to take the law into their own hands.
What began as peaceful protests with picketing moved to harassing clinic staff and patients as they entered clinics and eventually escalated to blockading clinic entrances.
This foundation of harassment led to violence with the first reported clinic arson in 1976 and a series of bombings in 1978. Arsons and bombings have continued until this day. Anti-abortion extremists have also used chemicals to block women’s access to abortion employing butyric acid to vandalize clinics and sending anthrax threat letters to frighten clinic staff.
Tom Fedje, Edgerton Women’s Clinic, was quoted as saying:
“What I’d really like to do is have the opportunity to sit down and visit with this person and let him know how much he inconvenienced hundreds of pregnant women for obstetrical care. I’d like to let him know….I’d like to let him know hundreds of kids who need immunizations.”
Not that the bastard would care. No, what matters is HIS motivations. What children need, what WOMEN need … these considerations aren’t even on the radar of people like this. While we have no reports yet of his religious affiliation, one wonders what else might have motivated him.
While the FBI directs it’s attention toward so called “eco terrorists” (who attack what this government REALLY cares about, PROPERTY), the Republican party ramps up it’s adoption of the hateful rhetoric of the far right, people who are genuine dangers to the public are treated as common criminals at best, ignored at worst.
Like the white supremicists caught in Texas, an arrest all-but ignored by the media, and NOT trumpeted by the government, we can only call someone a “terrorist” if their attack, plot or violent fantasies encouraged by a government agent provocateur fits the narrative of scary brown people or muslims aching to blow up suburbanites and eat the flesh of their dead children’s corpses. Or who will steal their jobs … or burn up their SUVs. The “be afraid” story MUST be maintained and stoked.
Luckily, no one in Iowa was hurt physically by this latest domestic terrorist. It’s only a matter of time before someone is, while our politicians and law enforcement professionals continue to look the other way, too busy cashing in on fearful jingoism, prejudice and zealotry.
Hat tip to Moiv for bringing this to my attention, as the media certainly hadn’t.
