Case Study: John Britton
Paul Hill spent months protesting outside abortion clinics throughout Penascola with signs that promoted anti-abortion violence (Item 1). On July 29, 1994, the violence intensified as Paul Hill approached abortion provider John Britton outside the Pensacola abortion clinic, “Ladies Center,” with a shotgun, killing both Britton and his bodyguard, James Barrett. In court, Hill represented himself and pleaded “not guilty” to two counts of first-degree murder. Five months later, on December 6, 1994, Hill was found guilty of his charges and sentenced to death.
Paul Hill was inspired to act by David Gunn's murder. He wrote numerous position papers calling for “Defensive Action" to use "all action necessary to protect innocent life" (Item 2). Before Hill killed Britton and Barrett, he was excommunicated from his church for his extremist, violent, rhetoric. Hill studied at a Calvinist seminary and was briefly a Presbyterian minister. Hill was a member of the Presbyterian Church in America, a conservative Calvinist denomination of Presbyterianism, and later moved to the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, which is often considered more conservative than the PCA. "A Letter To Paul Hill by Gary North," included below, is a response of a religious leader to Hill's violence that condemns Hill to hell for his actions. Hill cited religious motivations for these murders on numerous occasions.
The New York Times reported on July 31, 1994 "Once again, Pensacola deals with the aftermath of violence linked to the abortion issue." (Item 3).
Abortion Shooting - Paul Hill
Paul Hill stands outside the judicial center of Pensacola, promoting the pro-life movement.
This foreshadowing photo of Paul Hill with a sign promoting anti-abortion violence was taken outside of the judicial center in Pensacola on February 28, 1994. Just five months later, Hill would go on to shoot and kill abortion provider John Britton and his bodyguard James Barrett.
In the months between Paul Hill’s arrest and trial, Gary North, one of the leading figures in the Christian Reconstructionist movement, detailed a public response to papers sent to him by Paul Hill regarding his opinion on abortion. Interestingly, North's involvement in the Reconstructionist movement, which has a history of promoting violence, seems to contradict the condemnation of Hill's actions.
North starts his article by highlighting Hill's previous communications. Following Gunn's murder, Hill sent North two position papers about the event. The first one was entitled "Was the Killing of Dr. Gunn Just? A Call to Defensive Action," while the second one was called "'Defensive Action' Is a Pro-Life Organization Proclaiming the Justice of Using All Action Necessary to Protect Innocent Life." The remainder of his article responds to these papers and Hill's actions. North condemns Hill to Hell, using judicial theology, the Biblical definition of murder, and the clarification of the fundamental issue.
This highlights how although some individuals act violently in the name of religion, not all religious leaders and affiliates of the pro-life movement support anti-abortion violence.
Suspect in Abortion Clinic Killings is Charged
In a New York Times article released July 31, 1994, Ronald Smothers describes the aftermath of the murders by Paul Hill. The article includes perspectives form pro-choice and pro-life individuals and also connects David Gunn to John Britton as victims of anti-abortion violence. Murders by Hill, a former minister, show how Pensacola was plagued by anti-abortion violence relating to religious ideals before and after the FACE Act.
New York Times article describes Hill's motivations and religions affiliations that led to the murder. The article highlights that Hill was a Presbyterian minister and that he was inspired by David Gunn's murder. Furthermore, after the implementation of the FACE Act, this article outlines how pro-choice individuals were surprised at local authorities' failure to call upon federal aid. In her frustration Ms. Smeal, the president of the Feminist Majority Foundation, asked "we constructed the law to give them jurisdiction, and why aren't they using it?" (Item 3). While pro-choice individuals craved more action from the federal government, pro-life individuals felt as though they were stereotyped for the sins of anti-abortion murderers. Regardless of the FACE Act as evidence of national change, this article shows how divided the country remained. Even though pro-life individuals did not feel accurately represented at this time, the amount of violence in Pensacola alone provides context and justification for the stereotyping these individuals underwent.
1. Foley, Mark. American Life League v. Reno. Pensacola: Associated Press, 1995. Middle Tennessee University. https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/6/american-life-league-v-reno-4th-cir (accessed March 29, 2023).
2. North, Gary. A Letter to Paul Hill by Gary North, 1994.
3. Smothers, Ronald. “Suspect in Abortion Clinic Killings is Charged.” The New York Times. July 31, 1994. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1994/07/31/022985.html?pageNumber=26 (accessed March 29, 2023).