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Dean of Law at Liberty University: Are you planning on condemning the murder of Dr. Tiller?

By Steve Lombardi

The murder of Dr. Tiller in Kansas is raising serious questions about those who sit quietly on the sidelines not condemning the act. The anti-abortion groups must condemn this murder if they are to have any legitimacy. To do otherwise shows the lawlessness of their motives. Today let's discuss the anti-abortion law school Liberty University School of Law.

A typical layperson's question to a lawyer goes something like this:

How can you defend a murderer you know is guilty?

Without getting into what's wrong with the question, let me say it's what we learn in law school that allows us to separate our personal beliefs from a higher principle by which we govern our professional lives .

Did you ever wonder what law students are taught about constitutional law and how it intersects with criminal law? Law students are taught that laws must be upheld, that as lawyers we swear to defend the laws of this country and the United States Constitution. At this time Roe vs. Wade remains the law of this country. Those who oppose abortion question the validity of this case, but the law being what it is, as lawyers we must support the law, even when it involves a conflict with our own personal beliefs.

A few years ago I interviewed a law student who had attended a religious boot camp teaching an interpretation of the U.S. Constitutional that is not taught in law schools and never will be, as far as I'm concerned. This boot camp essentially teaches law students with conservative religious beliefs how to advance their own religious and political views with judges, law firms that hire them and case law using a client's case. These young law students attending this boot camp are taught how to put their own beliefs ahead of the client's interests and to do it in such a way that it is difficult to detect. I had to wonder if this group was advocating attorneys being justified in deceiving the court system to advance the religious beliefs of the lawyer.

I've been looking for that resume because I can't recall the name of the organization that operates these boot camps for religious double agents. I do recall reading that the Southern Poverty Law Center had named this group to their watch list as a hate based organization.

Just recently Liberty University came onto my radar screen concerning the Democratic Club, a group of students who support the Democratic Party. Liberty University seemed to be embarrassed when it became public knowledge the University had taken away officially sanctioning and offering financial support to the Democratic Club because it would invite pro-choice candidates to speak. A few days after that story hit the news, the University met with students and tried to work out … well I'm not sure what they were trying to work out because nothing seemed to be resolved. They were still without funding and the message was clear, good students don't support abortion even when it's the law of the land. It comes as no surprise that Liberty University and its law school opposes abortion.

Liberty University is public about that which it finds repugnant. Liberty denied religious groups should be denounced as hate groups. And see Amicus brief filed in Gonzales vs. Carhart, No. 05-380, concerning Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003.

Today's story about the murder of Doctor George Tiller, a prominent abortion doctor hit the airwaves again bringing attention to the anti-abortion movement in this country. Knowing how Liberty University and it's founders think about abortion I checked Liberty University to see if they issued any kind of public statement condemning the murder of Dr. Tiller. Because after all, a law school has to first teach its law students that murder is wrong, even when the person meets your worst definition of evil incarnate; it even says that in the Bible.

The New Ten Commandments - Thou Shall Not Kill.*

* unless it somehow advances our agenda.

On the Liberty site there are several public statements made concerning Dr. Tiller that predate his murder. It's not surprising with Dr. Tiller being associated with late-term abortions none of the statements are in any way flattering or in support of his right to practice medicine according to the laws of this country.

Dr. Tiller is not well liked. Here Dr. Tiller is derogatorily referred to on the FOX News program as Tiller The Baby Killer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7bggxjwm54

The Liberty Counsel audio program hasn't been silent on its dislike for Dr. Tiller and these are available for your listening consideration. As much as there is discussion of Dr. Tiller being evil I could not find any condemnation of the murder of Dr. Tiller. Why is that? Am I missing it? If so please point it out for me.

What message is being sent to law students at Liberty University Law School?

The opposition has not been silent with protesting Dr. Tiller and his practice. There is a long history of violence surrounding the Tiller clinic and Dr. Tiller.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG3YtK7tB8c

All of this raises serious questions about the practice of law and how it is being taught at Liberty School of Law. Are students being taught a version of the law that allows them to push aside the client's interests for the lawyer's personal religious interests. If so the next question is whether the ABA can accredit a law school that condones murder when it advances the lawyer's personal political or religious beliefs.

I found nothing on the Liberty site as evidence the law school is distancing itself from the main university. Here is some of what is stated on the Liberty University site that ties the dean of the law school in with what has been going on in the State of Kansas:

Washington, DC – President Barack Obama's pick for Secretary of Health and Human Services continues to extend his radical abortion agenda. Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius has close ties with late-term abortionist George Tiller, who currently faces multiple criminal charges for late-term abortions. Sebelius honored Tiller and his entire abortion clinic staff at the Governor's mansion in April 2007. Tiller has contributed thousands of dollars to Sebelius and to her PAC, the Bluestem Fund. While receiving large contributions from Tiller, in 2003 Sebelius vetoed legislation designed to regulate the health and safety of abortion clinics, including Tiller's. The filthy abortion clinics continued to operate until 2005, when the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts revoked the medical license of Krishna Rajanna, a Kansas City abortionist who ran a rat-infested abortion mill.

Sebelius was vehemently opposed to then-Attorney General Phil Kline and handpicked Paul Morrison to run against him. Morrison promised to cease investigations into the abortion clinics and received soft campaign contributions from Tiller. Morrison had to later resign, when a sex and abortion corruption scandal became public. Morrison was having a sexual affair with an employee in the Johnson County DA's office, where Kline began working after he left the Attorney General's office. Morrison was trying to get the employee to impede the county's investigation into abortion clinic practices.

In 2007, Planned Parenthood threw a birthday party for Sebelius, during which the CEO, Peter Brownlee, led a conga-like dance in her honor. Brownlee's abortion clinic was later charged with 107 counts of illegal late-term abortions. Sebelius appointed militant abortion clinic 'escort' John Carmichael, who worked with Tiller's PAC, ProKanDo, to the Human Rights Commission. Ten months later he had to withdraw his name. Sebelius also appointed Howard Ellis to the State Board of Healing Arts after he had surrendered his license in Missouri rather than face disciplinary action. Two months later he resigned, after he was charged by the Board with attempting to persuade a physician to falsify medical records.

Roman Catholic Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann publically admonished Sebelius to refrain Holy Communion until she took 'the necessary steps for amendment of her life, which would include a public repudiation of her previous efforts and actions in support of laws and policies sanctioning abortion.'

Mathew D. Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law, commented: 'Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is unfit to serve as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. She is so blinded by her extreme commitment to abortion that she cannot be trusted to act in the best interest of those she should protect. Having her serve as the Secretary of Health and Human Services would be like the proverbial fox guarding the hen house.'

Here is my question to the Dean of Law at Liberty University School of Law: Are you planning on condemning the murder of Dr. Tiller? If not, how do you reconcile the murdering of a U.S. citizen who is following the law along with his rights under the United States Constitution? And what are you teaching law students concerning making a choice between supporting the laws of the United States, the state and federal constitutions and their own individual beliefs about religion?

I found nothing condemning the murder of Doctor Tiller at the Liberty Journal or on the news portal at Liberty University.

I must admit to being more than a little concerned if law students are being taught that murder is an acceptable form of advancing one's personal, political and religious beliefs. Failing to condemn the murder is a deafening kind of legal argument; one that doesn't bode well for the profession or the AMA's endorsement of this program. There are a lot of things I don't agree with politically, but as a lawyer I've agreed to support the laws of this country. If the lawyers graduating from Liberty have no intention of supporting the laws of this country, and instead promoting their own agenda, the Court system is in serious trouble fundamentally. I'm sure we can not have our own set of beliefs that override the oath of office we take as lawyers.

So I'll ask again Dean Staver, why so quiet?

The Liberty Talk Show

May 4 The Proposed Hate Crimes Legislation is a Threat to Freedom of Speech and Free
Exercise of Religion

April 13 Dr. Tiller May Have Escaped Criminal Conviction But He's Not off the Hook Yet

April 2 Dr. Death on Trial in Wichita Kansas

March 24 Southern Poverty Law Center Damages Credibility by Calling Christian Groups
"Hate" Groups

March 10 Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is Unfit to Serve as the Secretary of Health & Human Services

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Steve Lombardi

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on June 02, 2009 (boomark / email).