On Friday, July 20 a man walked into the Century 16 Movie Theater armed with body armor, four guns, and smoke bombs and began randomly shooting people. By the time he was finished, he had killed 12 people and wounded 58 more. Several of the wounded remain in critical care in a local hospitals. Since the evening of this tragedy, this news event has been the lead story on every news show. Discussions range from outrage, shock, and horror, trying to figure out why a man would act out in such a violent way. Now that the victims are being buried, the media is giving a great deal of attention to who these innocent victims were, and what they were planning to do with their lives. It is indeed, a tragic situation.

However, consider the following. If one would leave the Century 16 Movie Theater where the shooting took place, turn North on South Sable Blvd, and drive 2.2 miles (according to Google maps) they would arrive at the Mayfair Women’s Center. Here at this center, they perform 12-25 abortions a day.** But now, here’s my question: Where’s the national outrage about this daily slaughter? Where’s the news coverage? Where are the stories about the senseless murder of innocent lives? Where are the stories discussing the potential these individuals could have contributed to our society? What efforts are being taken to stop the perpetrators of such senseless violence? In both cases, innocent lives have been taken, but one is condoned while the other is condemned. In both cases, the victims were unwilling participants, but one is acceptable while the other is unacceptable. In both cases, the murder is perpetuated by a man, but one is called a “Doctor” while the other is called an evil lunatic.

I’m outraged by a man who would enter a theater and murder 12 innocent people. But I am every bit as outraged that one can leave that theater, drive 2.2 miles due north, and come to a building where 12 to 25 innocent babies are killed every day and such carnage is met with silence!

Will you be the voice for the innocent? “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow” (Isaiah 1:17).

**(My wife called the Mayfair Women’s Clinic to ask them how many abortions they averaged each day. They would not answer her question without certain credentials. However, Brad Harrub, who gave me the idea for this article, did call and these were the figures given to him).

Steve Higginbotham