Douthat & Linker, abortion & violence

In the wake of what the killings at a Planned Parenthood facility in Colorado Springs, two familiar arguments/charges have resurfaced and circulated widely:  The first is that those in the pro-life movement share responsibility for the killings (and other uses of violence against abortion providers) because of what is said to be the irresponsible use of inflammatory rhetoric (e.g., "baby parts").  The second is that those who claim to be pro-life do not really believe what they say they believe because, if they did, they would not condemn such violence but would instead regard it as justified (at least sometimes) and would support its use (at least in some cases).

It is, as I see, very important for those of us who are pro-life to speak to others, about others, and about what abortion is in a way that is truthful and at the same time worthy of the cause and in a way that makes it possible to hear and embrace the Gospel of Life.  This can, at least for me, be a challenge.  But, I reject the suggestion that, somehow, the killings in Colorado Springs can be blamed on those who have exposed and publicized the truth about what Planned Parenthood does.  As for the second resurfaced argument, this 2009 post, by Michael Scaperlanda, strikes as (still) a good response.  (And here's one by me, from about the same time.)    

With all that said, I recommend spending some time with this exchange between Damon Linker ("The Deeply Irresponsible Rhetoric of the Pro-Life Movement") and Ross Douthat.  I have had and appreciated some entirely civil and productive private e-mail conversations about this matter with Linker but, in my view, Douthat's position is the stronger one.