HomeTagged ‘Wichita’
Some fine Oklahoma hospitality
So Joe and Tom have returned from Oklahoma and unpacked our bags, after a very rewarding visit (at this point, Laura is too pregnant for travel.) Neither of us had ever been to Oklahoma before, and Steve Hunt and David Glover, the activists who got the ball rolling, made sure we had everything we needed. [...]
A refreshing breeze
The Oklahoman shows some appreciation for the evenhanded tone of our movie:
Joe Winston’s “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” explores how real people live, work, think and vote in Oklahoma’s neighbor to the north. While it addresses clearly the fractures in Kansas’ body politic, it is the rare political documentary in which no one is labeled [...]
Operation Rescue is out of money, may shut down
“We’re so broke, we can’t even pay attention,” quipped Troy Newman, head of Operation Rescue, speaking to the Associated Press. The Pro-Life activist group based in Wichita, KS is apparently on the brink of shutting down, for lack of funds. He’s just sent out a desperate letter to supporters, adding that he’s working without pay. [...]
Tiller’s murderer considering “justifiable homicide” defense
Scott Roeder, who’s accused of shooting Dr. George Tiller to death in his own church, is hiring lawyer Michael Hirsch to present a “justifiable homicide” defense, according to the Associated Press.
Why Kansas Matters
John K. Wilson’s review of “What’s the matter with Kansas?” appears in the current issue of In These Times, an unapologetically leftist Chicago-based newsweekly.
John brings up the always volatile issue of whether the movie respects its subjects.
Frank’s book and this movie are both vulnerable to accusations of condescending elitism, Frank for his thesis and [...]
Confessions of Tiller’s murderer
Scott Roeder, the man accused of shooting Dr. George Tiller, feels “relief and joy” that the doctor is dead, and expects to stay in prison a long time, according to an interview he gave the Kansas City Star. He showed no remorse in his testimony to the Star, calling the killing of abortion doctors “justifiable [...]
NY Times has more detail on Tiller and his murder
The New York Times today published a lengthy and detailed story about Dr. George Tiller’s career and reactions of Kansas Pro-Life activists to his murder. Its fascinating reading for anyone who hasn’t gotten enough of this strange and tragic story.
The most notable facet of Dr. Tiller’s story is that he performed the rarest and most [...]
Dr. Tiller’s controversial neighbor
We’ve posted a Youtube clip of a scene which never made it into “What’s the Matter with Kansas?“ This clip seems germane to the moment at hand, when the abortion issue is being hotly debated and linked to violence.
The video is a mini-portrait of Choices Medical clinic of Wichita – a Pro-Life medical clinic right [...]
Phill Kline’s awkwardly timed appeal
In his column in the Wall Street Journal this morning, Thomas Frank tells the story of how former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline appealed to his supporters for donations to help him cover his debts from his legal battles with the late Dr. George Tiller as Kline repeatedly attempted to prosecute him for performing illegal [...]
Dr. Tiller’s clinic to close permanently
As we suspected, Dr. George Tiller’s abortion clinic, Women’s Health Care Services of Wichita, will close permanently. Once there were four abortion clinics in Wichita, now there are none.
This is part of a national trend. As Frontline covered in a recent documentary, abortion clinics are disappearing across the country. Fewer doctors are entering the practice. [...]
Can’t we all just get along?
Two days after his well-attended but ultimately peaceful funeral in Wichita, an editorial in the Wichita Eagle gives a nod to our movie’s coverage while bemoaning the impact the conflict over abortion has had in Wichita. The cry of anguish reminds us of beaten convict Rodney King’s plea after the L.A. Riots, “can’t we all [...]