PK,
From you supposed high position I would have thought you might have posted some balance, facts and thought provoking comments.

The article is itself merely an opinion of disputable research and balance. It is formulated from a political bias and agenda. Says little of fact about Peter Costello but outlines the political bias of the writer.

Because the article is political bigitory it will engender the same type of comments. It will encourage the disidents of our way of life to side with him.

I don't quite get it, Philo. Are you defending bigots in general , or just their right to put bigoted posts on this site, or only do so when responding to an article they perceive as bigoted? I think, whatever, bigotry is boring. You are not a bigot yourself are you? If so, I doon't want to muddy myself wrestling you.

Denny - I am in a pedantic mood - Barnes may not have spelt out the attacks on abortion clinics by Chrisitians - an assertion that you refute - but these contributions are opinion pieces not PhD's -
however go read the National Abortion Federation Incidence of Violence and Disruprion Report Against Abortion Providers in the US and Canada; there you will find 16 yearsof data outlining Barnes' claim - It does happen - Murder (at least 5), Arson, Burglarly etc; the data I have includes years uup to 2004.

There would seem to be good and evil every where one turns

Alternatively google "Abortion Clinic Violence" and you will find a State by state (US) breakdown of these events dating back to 1977 - only 13 of the states have recorded no incidence of such attacks.

Dear Sneekeepete,
I guess you will think I am in a pedantic mood also when I draw your attention to the incidence of violence as associated with abortion clinics to which Online Opinion's Greg Barns referred in his last Opinion piece. That is the 1.5 million murders that occur inside American abortuaries every year. That is about 45 million dead babies in the last 30 odd years Sneekeepete. What was that number you quoted ? 5 dead abortionists in 16 years....I think the figures speak for themselves. Of course 5 abortionists should not have been murdered in 16 years ...there should not have been 5 murders in Melbourne in the last 5 days either. Sure, you are right, Online isn't designed for Phd contributions.That's why Barns can get away with such shallow shots. But as I said in my last posting, the "jig is up". Barns knows abortion is indefensible...that some issues are, as he once put it himself, "not negotiable" His line in the Brisbane Courier Mail 4.2.2005 that "99 percent of abortions occur at a point before the fetus has organised cortical brain activity, that is, before it can form the desire to live. In other words in exercising her right, a woman is not impacting negatively on another's rights" is pure nonsense. I am old enough Sneekeepete to recall Barns' own impending arrival into this world. There was all round joy and congratulations. No talk of whether or not the Barns baby had a desire to be born!! He's taking 'the mickey' out of us all in his Online Opinions. For all I care, he can do just that for as long as he likes...except when he sneers at those who defend the innocent and vulnerable babe in the womb, Sneekeepete. I also trained as a midwife and will always defend 'my patch'.... babies who cannot defend themselves. Come to think of it, that's what I thought lawyers like Greg Barns were supposed to do, defend the innocent! Nice talking you Sneekeepete. Denny

Barnes was less concerned about abortions or the murders of abortionists than he was about the narrow and divisive focus taken by Costello - he simply used that as an example of of how cynical politicians use the privilege of forums often preserved for them to contribute to their own self engrandisement rather than the public good - putting aside the evils or otherwise of abortion - abortion was not the point - he could have equally accused Costello of turning a blind eye to the evils perpertrated on children by people in religious orders for example - as my kids say, its no bigee; just a tool of argument

He certainly wasn't sneering at those who defend the unborn - he simply said there were those who resort to criminal behaviour in the name of their faith - in this instance acts Costello chooses to ignore.

And I have no idea what being a midwife has to do with anything - apart from it being a fine profession - I mean you will probably find that a whole bunch of Obstetrcians who also practice gyneacology dabble in abortions as well. I wish you many happy deliveries

Considering the fact that this world is so heavily overpopulated by humans, it seems to me pretty naive to be wanting to save every fetus that is created, because of the so called right to life syndrome.

Those that are so venomously against abortion always seem to be aligned with some religion, so you can't expect much more from that quarter. Barns, well you just have to see how he acts when sitting at Salamanca having his latte, to see where he's coming from and how he sees his position in life.

“That is about 45 million dead babies in the last 30 odd years”. Come on Denny, what about the continuing millions killed by monotheistic zeal and desperation for control . A well as the other ideologies that seem to get a kick out mass killing. Do you ever consider the billions of animals that are enslaved and murdered yearly so that you can indulge in your gluttony, but maybe they count as unimportant. Compared to breeding more mouths to consume more animals and continue to degrade the planet. Really intelligent reasoning

Froggie, its not western, thats the problem, its the ideology thats behind both east and west, it called religion. All 3 factions are the problem, as they will never concede that they may be wrong in how they approach life, the future and other life on earth.