By John Jalsevac
WASHINGTON, D.C., September 23, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Two Congressman yesterday introduced a resolution into the House of Representatives decrying the recent murder of long-time pro-life activist Jim Pouillon, and offering condolences to his family.
Pouillon, 63, was shot multiple times while holding a sign protesting abortion on the sidewalk outside Owosso High School in Michigan on September 11. He was well known in the community for his pro-life stance, having gained the nickname of “Jim the Sign Guy” after years of protesting abortion around Owosso.
His alleged killer, Harlan Drake, told police that he targeted Pouillon because he disagreed with the way the elderly man presented his pro-life message.
The resolution, H. Res. 759, was introduced by Reps. Dave Camp (R-MI) and Dale Kildee (D-MI).
It states that whereas “Jim Pouillon is mourned by his family, friends, community, and fellow defenders of the First Amendment and the unborn,” the House of Representatives “offers its condolences to Jim Pouillon's family” and “commits to the American principle that the suppression of thought by any means and by either government or individuals must always yield to the right of free speech and that violence is never an appropriate response to a difference in beliefs.”
In a letter to fellow legislators, Camp and Kildee urged the House to pass the resolution. “Jim was a fixture in the Owosso community and many knew him for his public displays opposing abortion,” wrote the pair. “As the House of Representatives has made clear many times before, the use of deadly violence is never an appropriate response to a difference in beliefs.”
In the aftermath of the murder of late-term abortionist George Tiller earlier this year, a resolution condemning the killing passed in the House of Representatives. In the senate a number of pro-abortion senators also introduced a resolution condemning the killing. That resolution was defeated, however, due to the fact that it used the opportunity to praise the “crucial services” offered by abortionists.
The House Resolution condemning Pouillon's murder takes a less controversial approach, simply observing that violence should not be used to suppress the opinions of anyone.
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Well-Known Local Pro-Life Activist Gunned Down in Michigan
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/sep/09091101.html
“Jim the Sign Guy”: Slain Pro-Lifer, Father of Two, Remembered by Friends as Cheerful, Peaceful Activist
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/sep/09091104.html
Senate Blocks Pro-Tiller Resolution Glorifying Abortion Industry
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jun/09062301.html