Appalling

When author Ann Coulter appeared on Bill O'Reilly's television program this week to discuss the murder of late-term abortionist Dr. George Tiller, she stated:

"I don't really like to think of it as a murder. It was terminating Tiller in the 203rd trimester."

As usual, people were all over the media discussing how this statement was appalling and disgusting. In their eyes, the statement is disgusting but terminating viable babies in the third trimester is commendable. Data from 2003 show that 6.2% of abortions were conducted during 13 to 15 weeks of gestation, 4.2% from 16 to 20 weeks, and 1.4% at or after 21 weeks. In 1997, the Guttmacher Institute estimated that, in the United States, the number of abortions performed past 24 weeks of gestation to be approximately 1,032 per year. Apparently, killing babies is okay but making a statement comparing the killing of babies to the killing of a baby killer is appalling.