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Tag: robert l dear
Suspect In Deadly Planned Parenthood Attack Declares Self Guilty

Suspect In Deadly Planned Parenthood Attack Declares Self Guilty

By Keith Coffman

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Reuters) — The man accused of shooting three people to death and wounding nine others at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado last month declared himself guilty and a “warrior for the babies” during an outburst in court on Wednesday.

The disturbance, as prosecutors formally presented murder and other charges against Robert Lewis Dear, 57, bolstered assertions by Planned Parenthood executives that the attack on the Colorado Springs clinic was motivated by anti-abortion sentiments.

Dear has been held without bond since surrendering to police at the end of a five-hour siege on Nov. 27 that authorities said began when he opened fire with a rifle in front of the clinic, then stormed inside.

It was the first deadly assault on a U.S. abortion provider in six years – since the 2009 assassination of a doctor at a Kansas church. Three people, including a police officer, were fatally shot and nine were wounded; no Planned Parenthood staff were killed or injured in the rampage.

Dear’s outburst took place at the start of his hearing in El Paso County court on Wednesday. He was not scheduled to formally enter a plea during the day’s proceedings.

“I’m guilty, there’s no trial. I’m a warrior for the babies,” Dear blurted out in a loud voice while seated beside his lawyers in front of the judge.

Addressing the judge, defense attorney Dan King raised the issue of Dear’s mental competency to stand trial, saying, “I think the problem is obvious.”

A search warrant accompanying police affidavits filed in the case has been placed under court seal, and authorities have yet to publicly disclose a motive for the shooting.

Several media outlets, citing law enforcement sources, have reported that Dear uttered the phrase “no more baby parts” in statements to investigators following his arrest.

Dear, a native of South Carolina who once earned a living as a self-employed art salesman, appeared at Wednesday’s hearing in shackles wearing turquoise-colored jail garb.

At one point, during a discussion between the judge and attorneys about the sealing of documents in the case, Dear spoke out again.

“Seal the truth, huh? Kill the babies, that’s what Planned Parenthood does,” Dear said.

(Writing by Alex Dubuzinskis; Editing by Steve Gorman, Jeffrey Benkoe and Leslie Adler)

Photo: Robert Lewis Dear, 57, accused of shooting three people to death and wounding nine others at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado last month, attends his hearing to face 179 counts of various criminal charges at an El Paso County court in Colorado Springs, Colorado December 9, 2015. REUTERS/Andy Cross/Pool

Late Night Roundup: Too Much Crazy Juice

Late Night Roundup: Too Much Crazy Juice

Larry Wilmore examined the link between anti-Planned Parenthood scare campaigns, which have falsely accused the group of selling baby parts, and the accused killer in Friday’s attack on the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs — who reportedly declared, “No more baby parts.”

Larry also examined the responses from Republican politicians — like Ted Cruz trying to falsely blame the attack on transgender people, or Carly Fiorina complaining about Black Lives Matter. And then Larry showed what happens when you add some crazy Kool-Aid to a country that’s already overflowing with crazy juice to begin with.

Over at The Daily Show, Jordan Klepper made an appeal on the political rhetoric in the wake of the Colorado attack. “America, these are frightening times. We’re all understandably on edge. But it’s in these very moments that we must remember our nation’s core values. And that is why tonight, I say to you: Please, don’t discriminate against white men.”

Trevor Noah narrated through Donald Trump’s latest outrageous controversy, with his possible mocking of reporter Serge Kovaleski’s disability.

Conan O’Brien landed this joke about Trump: “Donald Trump’s popular ‘Make America Great Again’ hats are actually made, it turns out, at a California factory that employs Mexican immigrants. Even more embarrassing for Trump — his hair is made by Syrian refugees.”

Fox News Brushes Off Accused Colorado Killer’s ‘Rantings’ About Abortion, Politics

Fox News Brushes Off Accused Colorado Killer’s ‘Rantings’ About Abortion, Politics

This segment Monday from Fox News is perhaps the single most succinct example of media obfuscation over the shooting at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs.

Robert Lewis Dear, the suspect accused of killing three people, including one police officer, and wounding nine others, was reported to have said “no more baby parts,” upon being arrested. Planned Parenthood drew a connection between Dear’s actions and the violent rhetoric used by Republicans in Congress and on the campaign trail.

“Politicizing a tragedy,” said Fox News host Heather Childers. “Planned Parenthood blaming GOP rhetoric for the deadly shooting — and now Republican presidential candidates are firing back.”

“Firing back” — an unfortunate turn of phrase.

At the end of the segment, Fox News reporter James Rosen noted: “Published reports say that Robert Lewis Dear’s comment about ‘baby parts’ occurred amid a longer set of remarks about President Obama and politics in general — that police reportedly described as ‘rantings.'”

The Fox segment also showed clips of GOP presidential candidates including Carly Fiorina, who said: “What I would say to anyone who tries to link this terrible tragedy to anyone who opposes abortion or opposes the sale of body parts, is this is typical left-wing tactics.

And from Mike Huckabee: “To blame people who have a strong philosophical disagreement with the dismembering of human babies, and with the selling of body parts — to say that we would like to retaliate by sending some madman into a clinic to kill people — God knows that’s not what anybody would want.”

We are not saying that all people who oppose abortion are directly responsible for the shootings at abortion clinics. But when an accused killer has reportedly declared to police that he did it in order to ensure “no more baby parts,” and also made comments opposed to President Obama — a report that so far has not been disputed — how exactly can anyone in the media even try to cloud the discussion over that individual’s own motives?

Screengrab via Fox News

Obama Says U.S. Has To ‘Do Something’ About Guns After Colorado Shooting

Obama Says U.S. Has To ‘Do Something’ About Guns After Colorado Shooting

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — President Barack Obama said on Saturday the United States needs to “do something” to make it harder for criminals to get guns after a shooting in Colorado Springs on Friday left three dead and nine injured.

“We have to do something about the easy accessibility of weapons of war on our streets to people who have no business wielding them. Period,” Obama said in a statement. “Enough is enough.”

(Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Frances Kerry)

Photo: U.S. President Barack Obama addresses a joint news conference with French President Francois Hollande in the East Room of the White House in Washington November 24, 2015. REUTERS/Carlos Barria