The approximately 1,300 attendees converged on Fort Lauderdale from as far as California and Arizona to learn what they could do to bring their faith to bear on the social fabric of America.

"Those few abortionists were shot, or, depending on your point of view, had a procedure with a rifle performed on them. I'm not justifying it, but I do understand how it happened.... The number of deaths attributed to Roe v. Wade about 40 million aborted babies and seven abortion clinic workers; 40 million to seven is also a pretty good measure of how the political debate is going."

Coulter says that she isn't justifying violence -- but she is. She implies that seven deaths as against forty million means that the murders of doctors not only somehow rights the balance -- but are not nearly enough for anyone to make a fuss about.  It is a restatement of her comparing the abortion procedure to a "procedure with a rifle." Her meaning is clear, even as her practiced rhetoric leaves her room for denial.

Meanwhile, I have a different measure of "how the political debate is going" than Coulter.  

A few weeks ago, James Kopp, the convicted assassin of Dr. Barnett Slepian was convicted on further charges related to his crime. The Buffalo News reported:

U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara did not allow Kopp to use a justification defense, that what he did was justified to prevent more abortions. Arcara had ruled against that defense, saying basically that abortion is legal and murder is not.

The notion that the murder of abortion providers is "justifiable homicide," first made national news in 1993 when Michael Griffin murdered Dr. David Gunn in Pensacola, Florida.  (Although it has a history that precedes the killing.)

A statement claiming that Griffin's act was justifiable homicide was signed by several dozen people and promoted by Paul Hill and his publicist Gary McCullough, (who is currently a DC-based PR man for Christian right and other groups.)  The statement is a lay version of the "necessity defense" that Kopp unsucessfully sought to present in both of his trials. Paul Hill was later executed in Florida's electric chair for the murder of a doctor and his unarmed escort.  A "second" such statement was put forward by Hill's supporters and is posted on the web site of the Army of God.

The Second Defensive Action Statement was released by the Defenders of the Defenders of Life after Paul Hill shot the abortionist, John Bayard Britton, and his accomplices, Lt. Col. James Barrett, and Mrs. Barrett. It is modeled on the original Defensive Action Statement which was originally issued by Paul Hill We the undersigned, declare the justice of taking all godly action necessary, including the use of force, to defend innocent human life (born and unborn).

We proclaim that whatever force is legitimate to defend the
life of a born child is legitimate to defend the life of an unborn child.

We declare and affirm that if in fact Paul Hill did kill or wound abortionist John Britton, and accomplices James Barrett and Mrs. Barrett, his actions are morally justified if they were necessary for the purpose of defending innocent human life. Under these conditions, Paul Hill should be acquitted of all charges against him.

It was signed by a number of known members of the Army of God, including several convicted felons. Their crimes are celebrated by the Army of God as Heroes of the Faith, along with those of Jame Kopp and Paul Hill.

Of course, violence and threats of violence against those who exercise their right to receive and to provide abortions has