Federal Charges Filed in Bombing of Planned Parenthood Clinic in Wisconsin

This from "FireDogLake" -- please follow link to original.
------------------------------------------------------------------

Federal Charges Filed in Bombing of Planned Parenthood Clinic in Wisconsin
By: David Dayen Wednesday April 4, 2012 10:55 am

The arrest made in the bombing of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Wisconsin has led to federal charges against the suspect.

Francis Gerald Grady was charged on Tuesday with arson of a building used in interstate commerce and intentionally damaging a facility that provides reproductive health services, according to a news release from the FBI in Milwaukee.

Grady has a significant criminal record and a possible history of anti-abortion protests, according to local authorities. He may have participated in demonstrations against this particular Planned Parenthood office. His prior arrests are unrelated to any anti-abortion activity.

I should put in a note here about the utterly unsurprising nature of this arrest. You don’t have to look too far to find other violent anti-abortion activity. You don’t have to look too far to find it in Wisconsin. You don’t have to look too far to find it in Wisconsin in the past week:

A Marshfield man who allegedly plotted to kill a Madison Planned Parenthood doctor now faces federal charges.

The Wisconsin State Journal (http://bit.ly/HhcB98) reports federal charges were filed Wednesday against 63-year-old Ralph Lang.

Lang already was charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide in Dane County.
He now also faces federal charges of attempting to injure, to intimidate and to interfere with persons participating in a program and activity receiving federal financial assistance. An indictment alleges that his acts included the attempted use of a dangerous weapon – specifically a firearm – and an attempt to kill.

Simply put, there’s a long rap sheet of violent acts or attempted acts by anti-abortion zealots against abortion providers and facilities, and it doesn’t end with these or with George Tiller’s murder. This is a 30-year crime wave we’re talking about here. And the so-called “right to life” groups, who held rallies throughout Wisconsin just last week, are a powerful spur that does help to incite this activity. Some recognition of that would be in order.