Abortion Clinic Burns
January 1, 2012
An Escambia County abortion clinic burned early New Year’s Day morning, adding to the long history of abortion clinics in Pensacola.
Fire crews responded to the American Family Planning Clinic on 9th Avenue about 1 a.m. Sunday. The first firefighters on scene reported that fire was coming from under the building and extending up the rear to the attic. It took about an hour to bring the fire under control.
The fire is being called “suspicious” in nature and is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal and the Pensacola Fire Marshal.
There were no injuries reported.
Pensacola abortion clinics have a long history of violence. The clinic was bombed in June 1984. Four people were convicted of Christmas Day bombings at several abortion clinics back in 1984. Michael Griffin was convicted of shooting Dr. David Gunn in March 1993 at another Pensacola clinic. Another abortion doctor, John Britton and his security escort James Barrett were murdered at a clinic in July 1994. Barrett’s wife was also shot.
Comments
59 Responses to “Abortion Clinic Burns”
REGARDING:
“@walnut hill mom…your argument about a hypothetical rape doesn’t allow for a hypothetical adoption. ”
It doesn’t really matter, though.
If abortion is killing a person, only saving the life of another might even come close to justifying it.
If abortion is not killing a person, it’s nobody’s business but the woman asking for one.
Since the answer to that question is self-evident to both sides, there is no end to the argument. By self-evident I mean each one is certain he or she is right as to whether it is killing a person. They just don’t agree on the answer.
@walnut hill mom…your argument about a hypothetical rape doesn’t allow for a hypothetical adoption.
Recently in the news there was a story of a 100-year-old lady who was raped as a young girl. She gave up her child for adoption as soon as it was born.
She was recently reunited with her daughter, and found out that among her ‘new” grandchildren was an astronaut. Her other “new” grandchildren were equally accomplished. Adoption is a solution that respects life.
The child that is a product of a rape is still an innocent child and does not deserve to be punished for the sins of the father.
There are hundreds of thousands of families, perhaps more, that would love to be able to adopt a child. There are many that go to great lengths to adopt overseas, as the adoption industry collapsed after 1973.
There is a great deal of pain and anguish that childless families go through that could be eased if there were better alternatives to abortion. A great void could be filled and a great good for society at large. Witness the astronaut, what value to society does he have? No less so his brothers and sisters.
Abortions is killing a life-
Everyone that chooses to abort – should have to hold a new born baby for one hour
before the procedure.
They should be force to watch an abortion in process and see the results and where the results is discarded.
this would open up their mind to the truth.
I agree with the comments of those who said -no one on here even knows how the fire started- so basically a lot of you may be making mountains out of molehills and making accusations on a subject that isn’t even THE SUBJECT. It’s crazy how some people can turn a headline into “their own story” If you are that good at figuring out what or why this happened by reading the above article, then hats off to you, you are a genius and have solved a crime that our police department has yet to solve, so get off your computer and go join the FBI because your wasting your talent! As for me, I will check for updates on the article instead of trying to read the mind of the person responsible (if it is a person responsible)
—– sencerly sarcastic—– in case you modern day Sherlock Holmes wannabe’s didn’t catch that.
On another note, I’m very happy that none of the firefighters or police officers were injured! IF someone did intentionally start this fire I believe that person should have the book thrown at them for risking all the lives of those who serve and protect!
to selfish: If you really think there is but one life and it’s HERE, you have no hope and I’m sorry for you. True enough, the body can be temporarily distroyed,
but the soul lives forever in the environment you create for it in this one life.
Someday I’ll be a millionair and live in a mansion. All I have to do is have faith,
profess my faith, and accept the free gift of grace and mercy given me by my
creator. This is what is most valuable to me. To someone without hope, their
most treasured posession is their last breath. How sad!
Since Pro-Choice means that a mother has the choice to Abort or to Not abort, then answer one(1) question…. What choice does the baby/fetus have? Who speaks for the unborn, one of which might have a great solution to some of the world problems,. Oh, but we flushed him/her down the drain. What a pity!
What if your mom had aborted you? Would the world be better off?
Yep..I am NOT pro-choice. Thanks mom for having ALL seven of us!
Abortion hurts us, as women. While I am against ANY act of violence — whether it is toward innocent babies, or an abortion facility — we DO NOT KNOW if this was an act of violence!
The amount of speculation is ridiculous. For all we know, this could have been caused by a firecracker…or a cigarette…or the abortionist himself, for insurance money!
People really jump to conclusions quickly, given that the last act of clinic violence was almost 20 years ago, I think this kind of wild grasping is crazy.
To mom, who wrote “those of you that believe in abortion have got the” me, me me its all about me” way of thinking.
LOL!!!!!!
So, you assume that if you DON’T believe in abortion, you don’t have the “it’s all about me” way of thinking? You crack me up! And ya know, everyone should have the “all about me” way of thinking. You have only one life here, and I, for one, want to that to be a happy life. Not saying I won’t offer help to others, but, I am for ME! I like me, and I am going to make me happy! Am I selfish? No. I have a family, who I CHOOSE to put before me. But, I do that because it make ME happy. After all, It’s all about me!!
In 2003 I found myself an unwed pregnant woman at the age of 36……I had known for a couple of weeks I was pregnant but ignored the symptoms for about 5 weeks before making a doctors appointment. Before the doctors appointment I called an abortion clinic in Alabama to see what choices they offered. I got the cost…..and knew the procedure I would use. But when it came time for me to decide what I wanted to do I could not call the clinic to make an appointment. Now 8 years later I have a beautiful 8 year old, and she is smart as can be. I am so glad my friends were there to help me thru this tough decision.
The one thing that helped was a friend told me about a young girl she knew and that girl had had an abortion but her parents did not find out until after she committed suicide and they found out from the autopsy. Now I am not saying that here decision to terminate her pregnancy led to her final decision…taking her life…..but it did help me not to have an abortion. I knew that if this happened to this girl and IF it was related to her previous medical decision then I would have a hard time too cause I am very tender hearted. So even though I don’t know her name nor her parents she still helped me and I thank her for that. If by chance her parents read this I want you to know I think of your daughter often.
what many do not know that family planning clinics perform more abortions each year throughout this country than any one else. in my opinion these clinics are providing women and girls an easy out from having responsibility for there own actions. it seems this country is more heartless and more selfish than ever. those of you that believe in abortion have got the” me, me me its all about me” way of thinking. abortion is wrong and its time people stand up and put an end to this abomination on the unborn!!!!!!!!
This is an act of terrorism, lets call a spade a spade. When its terror caused by religious ideas its no different from radical Islam!
As an adoptive parent I am so glad she did not have an abortion. I also think women have a right to choose. I personally would never have done it but then if I could have had a child I might never have gotten to adopt my son. I do not think that crazie’s should burn buildings or shoot at people. BUT until the fire marshall has confirmed that it was arson we should control our thoughts and send our prayers to the people who have been put out of a job because as we all know ‘Jobs are not easy to find these days” I pray that it was NOT arson. We do not need negative attention. We just got one bad situation under control and we surley do not need another one. I pray for everyone involved.
I agree that it should have been written up as a health clinic instead of abortion clinic. When will people realize this is terrorism! You can’t shoot people, burn down buildings and terrorize people and not call it terrorism. The law is the law. Prosecute these people as terrorists!
To Bama Lama Ding Dong
I had to chuckle when I read “Then you sir have a distorted sense of reality.”
Your perception that one with an opinion as expressed by me had to be male seems to me to show your own distorted sense of reality. To consider that only a male would not be for abortion displays your own misconception about the way things should be. lol
I am not for illegally committing a crime, but I am of the opinion that making it possible to kill innocent lives is not right except that the state says it’s okay. I hope the perpetrator is swiftly brought to justice, if indeed there is one.
Folks, all christians are hypocrites, just like everyone else, and there’s always room for more. WE ARE ALL SINNERS! None are worthy, no not even one! I am a christian and AM IN NO WAY better than anyone else.
Pro-life is a moral conviction. I believe in a babies right to live…yes, even the “what if” situation concerning rape.
To the person who wrote this below, I am truly sorry this is how you feel.
“People like that are the reason I don’t go to church and never have felt welcome in one yet. Before you say anything I have been saved and baptized”.
I wish you would give church another try. Remember it’s not just about the people that go there, their sinners too, it’s about worshipping a God who loves you!
i hate abortion when its used as a form of birth control. Just shows how immature some people are BUT i would NEVER burn down ANY abortion clinic in the name of ANYTHING
and until everyone finds out who actually did this i think we should stop grasping at whats not there.
Just because it “looks” suspicious doesn’t even mean it was someone against abortion
But if it was dont say everyone against abortion is happy it burnt down, some of us our actually Sane and even if we think something is a bad decision we arent going to jump to extremes and judge anyone for something they do or have done
he without sin cast the first stone is my motto
To educateyourself:
I was simply stating facts. I do not judge anyone as it is not my place nor would I want that ausome responsibility. Besides, people condem themselves
by their own actions therefore they judge themselves. If one is comfortable with
decisions they make, then they should be comfortable with the final results of
the decisions they make. However, if one is content with what one does, there
is no need to defend their opinions, or actions.
Arson is a violent and dangerous act. Those who commit such crimes are placing the lives of the firefighters and other first responders at risk. The toxins released from this fire will poison the air, soil, and water, which causes HARM!
This violence must STOP.
Let’s just say this article was titled “Pensacola medical clinic Burns” and then continued with the article. Would there be tons of comments on the never ending pro-life/ pro-choice debate or would we all read the article and say “that’s terrible, I hope no one was injured”?
Reply to notachoice. “I know I will probably get slammed, but God creates life and it is up to him when it ends.”
I have no intention to slamming you, but this statement is one that continually doesn’t make sense to me. I hear it often and I am pro-choice. But if you believe your statement, how do you know this isn’t the planned end?
Reply to curious. “People need to be “there” in order for a woman to feel like she has another option. People make a difference, not acts of destruction or violence or hold up a sign of an aborted fetus. Be emotionally available to people and you will see a difference.”
Thank you. While we might not agree with a women’s right to access safe abortion no matter the reason, I respect your thoughtful statements.
Here is a simple fact, abortion is legal, burning a building is not. What so hard to understand?
Anyone that performs, supports, or participates in abortions should be given the death penalty. And lets nuke Iran while we’re at it.
Oh my. where to begin! first, about the morning after pill…it is a CONTRACEPTIVE, NOT AN ABORTION PILL! If you are pregnant and take the pill, it will NOT terminate the pregnancy! I can’t believe people are so ignorant on subjects that they are so opposed to. How are you to get through to people when, you, yourself, are not educated enough on the subject?
And, responding to concerned who said: “When a woman walks in an abortion clinic and “PAYS” to have her pregnancy terminated, it is because it would not be convienent to her for that child to live”……
Yes, there are people who would find it convenient to end the pregnancy, but that doesn’t apply to every woman who chooses this option. There are bookoodles of reasons other than convenience, but for those against abortion, it matters not the reason, because “they” are against it, “they” will find some way to bash the woman for it. This controversy will never end. Even if clinics were shut down, there would then be those who would bash the woman for having a child at such a young age, or bashing the woman for resenting a child that came of rape, etc…
I say, make your own decisions and stop trying to make them for someone else. Live by your moral standards and stop trying to make others live by yours. “To each his own.” If you feel it’s wrong, DON’T GET ONE! But, don’t bash others for the choice they make for themselves. It does NOT affect you!
To huh:
I’ve already adopted three. I wanted, offered and begged to adopt two more that had abortions. God would make a way for those babies to be adopted. I don’t agree with the bombings, fires and shootings but I’m glad the clinic is not up and running. If they charged more for the abortions, people would probably think a lot longer before having unprotected sex. But lets not forget, God still loves these mothers and I hope one day they are TRULY repentant and turn to God and spend eternity with their babies.
When a criminal walks in a place of business and robs and kills the clerk. He,
or she, is ending a human life because it probabally wouldn’t be convienient if that person lives.
When a woman walks in an abortion clinic and “PAYS” to have her pregnancy
terminated, it is because it would not be convienent to her for that child to live.
That child is her next -of-kin reguardless of the circumstances she became
pregnant.
Don’t worry tho, at some point in time she will indeed have an opportunity to
meet that child face to face and explain her “rights to her own body” to that
child as well as the creator standing next to the child.
>>@William, I thought this clinic closed a while back?
I’m told it closed in 2009 and reopened in April 2010.
@William, I thought this clinic closed a while back?
Like it or not women have the right to choose. You might not agree with it, but thats just your opinion.
All of you saying they “kill babies’ Why don’t you step up to the plate and offer to adopt then?
I know I will probably get slammed, but God creates life and it is up to him when it ends. There are too many people who are trying to play God. In the Bible it states that God knows EVERY person before they are conceived? I know there are circumstances, like rape, where the child may not be wanted, however, there are many people who would be great parents that cannot have them. It is not the childs fault and they deserve a chance to live a long life. These are times to be selfless and give nine months of your life to give someone the child they desperately want. I do not condone acts of violence toward clinics or the doctors because that is not how God would eant us to handle things. Violence begets more violence. I, however view abortion as extremely violent and have seen studies that have proved that the babies do scream out in the womb when abortions are done. As for partial birth abortions, I’ll never understand why anyone could ever think this is okay. LIFE BEGINS AT CONCEPTION, ACTUALLY BEFORE IF YOI REMEMBER THAT WE WERE KNOWN AND LOVED BY GOD BEFORE WE WERE CONCEIVED!
5 stars to ‘curious’ *****
I’m not calling people out for opposing abortion. It is a reasonable and sound thing to say that abortion is killing a baby. It is. It is wrong. Our bodies and souls are not designed to create a new life only to have it sucked out of existence. However, I don’t think burning down a building, either intentionally or unintentionally, is going to change the abortion issue. The clinic can move and be reopened this week and nothing has changed. My issue is with seeing that destruction going on and thinking ONLY of the abortion issue. What if it is suddenly OK to burn down any building where you disapprove of it’s owner. I would be very upset if my husband or son was injured because some wingnut set fire to a building.
Be mad, love your cause, but have a purpose. If you don’t want the abortions to happen, open your home, your checkbook and your heart to the woman who feels she has no other option. Most of the time, I would imagine these women have no support system that gives them options. You think women are callously aborting children? Rarely is it done to be spiteful or mean. It’s because they feel there is no other way of fixing the problem. This is a quick fix to an immediate problem. People need to be “there” in order for a woman to feel like she has another option. People make a difference, not acts of destruction or violence or hold up a sign of an aborted fetus. Be emotionally available to people and you will see a difference.
Abortion is murder
To jail with abortionist mothers
@Safebear It’s highly possible the fire was set intentionally. However, this is a strange world we live in with difficult economic strains as well. At this point, it’s just as plausible it was set by “someone else”. I won’t throw any accusations out there though.
My poi9nt is that a “suspicious fire” is just that. Meaning it can have the appearance of arson, but was a faulty electrical device that happened to ignite an accelerant, or it was started by ANYONE. That’s what investigations are for… gather evidence, then reach a conclusion based upon facts, rather than jumping to biased assumptions.
“..it seems to me that most abortions are no different than an terrorist who flies a plane into a building with the intention of killing hundreds of innocent people – or builds an IED with the intention of blowing up a soldier.”
Then you sir have a distorted sense of reality.
“A fetus’s heart beats at 17 days in utero and a beating heart in any one of GOD’s creatures substantiates life. The cause of the unwanted pregnancy is irrelevant, GOD put that life there for a reason, and it should not be man’s decision to take that life.”
I have a more distinct dilemma: at what point does that “life” have a soul? Because for me, that is the ten thousand dollar question. At conception? I don’t know, but I think not. I welcome any rational (meaning non-Biblical) opinions on this.
I am a Christian who hates abortion. Felt the same way before I was a Christian. I do not break laws and destroy clinics. Found the guilty and stop blaming Christians.
Michelle,
I believe you, among countless others, have been misinformed. The “morning after pill” is not an abortion pill. It does stop pregnancy from happening because, pregnancy is not instant. It takes awhile for the egg to be fertilized. This pill makes the eggs release so they can not be fertilized.
Sorry to hear about this fire happening. So glad the firefighters were safe, and no one was harmed. It’s a real shame that this happened. I hope the people who did this are brought to justice, because there is no telling how out of control the fire could have gotten, or how many people could of been injured/killed.
Just for the record. There are MILLIONS of anti-abortion people who are not Christians.
I just don’t understand how anyone thinks burning down a clinc is going to help their cause. They have insurance, they will just rebuild a bigger and better clinic..
I as some others have a strong personal opinion on this subject. Some times there are “accidents” and the woman finds she is going to have a child. There are sexual battery case and on and on. If the woman or a child herself (in some cases as young as 12) finds she is going to have a child do we punish her by making her give birth? Not a good choose in far to many cases. If there is not a clinic available some will try the old coat hanger way and some times die. As far as “some one will give the child a good home”–guess again. There are many children who need a home and no one will adopt them. There are so many who want NO birth control information given out, such as information on the morning after pill. And as some else said some times it’s to late for that pill.Some of us can remember the “JUST SAY NO’ drive–it didn’t work very well. There are only three people who can make this kind of judgement–the woman’s doctor/ the woman and her God as she see him.
Imagine if a Muslim had done this how people would respond and maybe blame it all on Islam. Sad.
Glad firefighters and everyone else was safe.
Seems like they used the heavy fog as a cover for this heinous act.
The morning after pill “is not an abortion pill, but a contraceptive pill, to stop a pregnacy from happing” Quote from the commercial in the compaines own words.
If it’s not an abortion pill, then how can it stop a pregnancy from happing? Apparently it doesn’t work unless CONCEPTION has been achieved first!!
Which DOES make it an Abortion PILL. Disguse with all the pretty words you like, so you can easy your conscience. but it’s still the Death of a child!!
These clinics, are going to be the target of ridicule as long as they are in operation. This clinic, should not be rebuilt, and any other abortion clinic should be shut down. Abortion is legal in the State of Florida but it is not a good idea for one to be operating in a town that obviously does not want it.
A fetus’s heart beats at 17 days in utero and a beating heart in any one of GOD’s creatures substantiates life. The cause of the unwanted pregnancy is irrelevant, GOD put that life there for a reason, and it should not be man’s decision to take that life.
Well, here I go…. I am a Christian conservative myself. No, I do not condone bombing, shooting or burning of the clinic or it’s workers. It’s sad when people do things like this. As far as the rape of a young girl, they make the morning after pill, which is not always fool proof, but very close. Also partial birth abortion is NEVER necessary!! Not even for the mother’s life. The baby can be delivered through Cesarean section just as easily and quickly, and have a fighting chance at survival itself. If you can deliver a baby dead, after jabbing scissors in it’s brain and sucking them out causing the skull to collapse, then he/she could be delivered alive! Adoption for the unwanted pregnancies!!! Morning after pill for rape! Murdering a human being, not matter how small, is ever right! My husband is medical and we both agree on this fact!
@ Keith – I was a firefighter long enough to know that when they say “suspicious” it’s usually not an accident.
I was a personal friend of Dr. Gunn – The man hated doing abortions worse than anything but he told me he would try to talk some of them out of it and then give the baby up for adoption if they didn’t want to keep it. He said that there were those that came in and would even talk, just wanted it done. He did it because he knew he could do it right whereas some of these girls would try the old coat hangers and some even tried chemical to flush the baby out – the horror stories he would tell sometimes.
Please don’t judge a doctor by what he does. There are doctors that do this just to make money and they are truly abortion mills, not clinics.
May God bless Michelle and help her realize that she does not judge anyone, there is a much higher power that does that.
As has already been stated, 2 wrongs don’t make a right.
No civilized society permits one human to intentionally harm or take the life of another human without punishment.
Therefore, it seems to me that most abortions are no different than an terrorist who flies a plane into a building with the intention of killing hundreds of innocent people – or builds an IED with the intention of blowing up a soldier.
The root of this problem is one’s attitude toward the taking of human life, it seems to me, not whether it’s morally justified to burn a building.
So now – am I going to be terrorized and condemned like Michelle for expressing my opinion?
Keith, you are correct. I’m rushing to judgment. I think it was intentionally set. I am thankful (even if I’m wrong) that none of our underpaid firefighters, law enforcement or others were hurt.
Paul Hill shot the last doctor. The State cancelled him, like a stamp, back in 2003.
Really folks…..? This stuff again. This is nothing but fuel for the pro-choice fire [no pun inteneded].
Hey Elmer, there have been two abortion doctors killed in Pensacola as I recall. I believe Paul Hill murdered the second one.
i thought it was paul hill that shot the doctor
Hey curious,
Way to rush to judgement there. The investigation just started for God’s sake! Hold your accusations until there’s evidence of foul play.
@Michelle look at it this way if your daughter got raped and prego wouldnt you want her to be able to live her life the right way with out the attachment of a child she didnt want…well if all the abortion center get burned down then what…guess there will be more teenage mothers who dont need kids and more crack heards that dont need kids and just plain out mean hatefull people that dont need kids. THINK ABOUT THAT!
I’m curious how “little lives” will be saved by a building being burned down in the middle of the night. The clinic will most likely open elsewhere. At the most, someone who represents a moral standard has damaged their message with a violent and useless act that breaks the law and could have caused injury to firefighters, policemen or bystanders. How does that fit with the “life is precious” message? Hate, whether it’s from the left or right is still hate.
Here we go!! The hypocritical “Christians” are gonna start thumping their bibles at us. I’m sure God does not want anybody to be a terrorist. That’s what this act can be classified as. Whether you agree with abortion or not, does not give anybody the right to be a terrorist. I’m sure you will judge me for my comments but I’m used to it. People like that are the reason I don’t go to church and never have felt welcome in one yet. Before you say anything I have been saved and baptized. I hope this clinic gets back to operating soon. It does more then just abortions.
i am often willing to help a person in distress do things i find unpalatable. in their pursuit of what they believe is in their best interests. this may in fact make me a criminal. i am often inclined to pursuade some people against taking actions i believe are unpalatable to me and harmful to them. what i am not willing to do is commit a certain crime against a third party in the interests of pursuading others to avoid actions they may consider.
i personally am grateful i will never have to make the choices that women often make. and i’m glad that some women i have known have had children in the face of great hardship.
but when it comes to abortion, i will always choose only for myself the only sure and clear moral choice available to me. i will not have one.
and i will not condemn anyone who makes a choice contrary to mine to my judgements of their actions.
while the debate rages on over this issue one thing stands clear by any standard.
this is a crime. and by definition, is terrorism.
Michelle,
Just because your moral standards don’t coincide with abortion doesn’t make it
a. wrong
b. immoral
c. deserving of being burned down, shot at or anything else
You have no authority to decide what is right and wrong for ANYBODY BUT YOURSELF. That is the problem with abortion dissenters… they want EVERYBODY to live by THEIR moral authority.
The nerve!
Two wrongs do not make a right!
I’m sure whoever is doing all of this is doing it “in the name of Christ.” People are SO STUPID!! I really hope they have enough evidence/leads to convict the person/people for this crime. A shame that people think that burning down a structure will change anything.
At least some little lives will be saved since the clinic is out of commission.
Of course these clinics have a long history of violence….they KILL BABIES!!!
And if any one say’s it’s to save the mother’s life. Then there should be an investigation in to why thousands of women our having such a problem.
At least some little lives will be saved with this clinic out of commission for awhile..