This editorial will appear in tomorrow's print edition.

The Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky was once warned that his rival Josef Stalin would not strike at his ideas, but “at his head” – which is precisely what Stalin did.

That’s the tactic of terrorists: Don’t argue, kill. An anti-government zealot, Scott Roeder, appears to have done just that by gunning down Wichita abortion provider George Tiller.

As one of a handful of American doctors specializing in late-term abortion, Tiller has been a flashpoint of bitter controversy for many years.

The polarization has been so intense that it is hard to determine what Tiller’s practice actually consists of. He and his supporters say he rescues women whose lives and health are gravely imperiled by pregnancies gone tragically awry. His critics say he also performs elective abortions of viable fetuses – a practice barred by Kansas law.

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This editorial will appear in Wednesday's print edition.


‘Outing’ petition signers could backfire

WhoSigned.Org is running a risk with plans to “out” those who sign petitions for Referendum 71, a proposed statewide ballot measure that seeks to overturn “everything but marriage” rights for same-sex domestic partners.

The group could do what the killer of Dr. George Tiller did for the anti-abortion movement: potentially create a backlash and inspire sympathy for the very people it opposes. That could happen if WhoSigned.Org’s actions result in even a few voters being harassed for exercising their constitutional right to petition the government.

WhoSigned.Org director Brian Murphy claims that it’s not his group’s goal to make it easier to harass potential signers. (He has yet to decide whether to publish signers’ street addresses or just their city and ZIP code.) He says the purpose of creating a searchable database for petition signers’ names is “to have a conversation.”

Sorry, but that doesn’t pass the smell test.

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The murder of a Kansas late-term abortion doctor – and the reaction to it – is a good illustration of the need for civility President Obama spoke of at Notre Dame.

The people behind WhoSigned.org aren't likely to help their cause by targeting individual citizens who want a referendum on domestic partnerships.

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I took advantage of a lovely Sunday morning to finally visit the "new" Hill Ward site at Fort Steilacoom Park. What a difference from the last time I was there a few years ago.

Most of the ugly, graffiti-covered ruins of the Western State Hospital building are gone. A paved walkway leads up to the site from the path that circles Lake Waughop – a local treasure that many locals don't seem to know about. Someone seems to have scattered wildflower seeds about, as splashes of color dotted the landscape.

It's interesting to read the historical information about the site and surrounding area that has been carved into the stone floor (pictured) of the building's ruins. The ward once housed Western State patients who worked on the hospital's farm – which is now part of the park. The farm's barns and many of the fruit trees are still there.

It cost the state, Pierce County and Lakewood $693,000 to tear down the dangerous old building and create the memorial to those who worked and lived there from the 1930s to the mid-'60s. It was worth the money, and a hike up the hill on a pretty day.

Here's the article by Brent Champaco that ran when the memorial was commemorated in mid-March.