EBay refuses benefit auction for Roeder

KansasCity.com ^ | Oct 27, 2009 | Judy L. Thomas

[GL of Sector 2814]

An eBay auction planned by abortion opponents to raise money for the man accused of killing Wichita abortion doctor George Tiller will not be permitted, company officials said Tuesday.

“Based on the details we know about the anticipated listings, we believe these would violate our policy regarding offensive material,” the company said in a statement to The Kansas City Star. “EBay will not permit the items in question to be posted to the eBay site, and they will be removed if they are posted.”

The announcement came the same day that Tiller’s family implored eBay to prevent the auction.

“These materials contain hate messages, glorify violence against abortion doctors who provide constitutionally protected medical services, and instruct on means of violence, including bombing, of abortion clinics,” said Lee Thompson, an attorney for the Tiller family, in a letter sent to eBay on Tuesday and approved by Tiller’s widow, Jeanne Tiller.

“We urge you to deny access to the resources of eBay for this reprehensible and vile ‘auction.’ ”

The auction was intended to raise money for the defense of Scott Roeder, who is charged with first-degree murder in Tiller’s death and is scheduled to go on trial in January. Currently, Roeder is being represented by public defenders.

Roeder’s supporters are encouraging him to use a “necessity defense,” saying that Tiller’s killing on May 31 was an act of justifiable homicide. Other anti-abortion activists charged with violent crimes have tried to use such a defense, but with little success.

Those working on the fundraiser said banning the auction was a violation of their rights.

“They’re not only chilling the First Amendment of the Constitution, they’re raping the whole Constitution,” said Regina Dinwiddie, a Kansas City abortion opponent and friend of Roeder.

[GL of Sector 2814]

While one can agree or disagree with the wisdom of a private company banning a particular auction it's hardly a violation of the First Amendment, let alone the rape of the Constitution.

[Gondring]

While one can agree or disagree with the wisdom of a private company banning a particular auction it's hardly a violation of the First Amendment, let alone the rape of the Constitution.

From my experience, few of these folks have even read the Constitution.

[guitarplayer1953]

what books were they going to sell with the information in it to make bombs and such? Or was this a fund raiser? If it simply was a fund raiser then who else had had them and what are their guide line for such fund raiser?

[aimhigh]

Why would anyone hold a benefit auction for a murderer? Although I’m anti-abortion, I won’t support murder in the name of anti-abortion.

[icwhatudo]

Yet the cop killer can sell his crap there:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Live-from-Death-Row,-Mumia-Abu-Jamal_W0QQitemZ350262842353QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20091009?IMSfp=TL091009161005r38706

[Mojave]

Is EBay the next GeoCities?

[Rome2000]

EBAY

Cop Killers OK, Baby killer killers not OK?

[guitarplayer1953]

I just went to ebay and looked at the categories and there is a adults only section by clicking on yes I'm 18 it takes to the ebay porn site. There is no logging in to verify your age so in my opinion it is a open porn site for any curious under aged person to look around with over 140,000 items to look at.

[GL of Sector 2814]

It should also be noted that Ebay allows auctions for the book, “The Anarchist Cookbook”. A bit hypocritical, that...

[GL of Sector 2814]

Ebay porn...meh, no big deal. While I’ll grant you that an underage person can see lots of naked people by going there, this is also the case with the entire internet. It’s simply part of modern life, and will be for the forseeable future.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Can’t be any worse than a “Free Mumia” fund.

[Tax Government]

They should re-purpose the auction to the legal defense of people, unnamed, accused of crimes related to any effort to eliminate abortion. E.g., create an Anti-Abortion Legal Defense Fund.

[guitarplayer1953]

the problem I have is that you can not pay for legal firearms with paypal but you can buy porn? Whats up with that and I have no problem with of age people looking at porn I use to back when I was much younger then it just become the old in and out.

[buccaneer81]

I’m with you.

[trumandogz]

“They’re not only chilling the First Amendment of the Constitution, they’re raping the whole Constitution,” said Regina Dinwiddie, a Kansas City abortion opponent and friend of Roeder.”

Either Ms. Dinwiddle is a moron, or I missed the eBay clause in the Constitution.

[GL of Sector 2814]

What's up with that is that PayPal (which is now owned by Ebay, BTW) doesn't like guns, but does like porn. Since they're a private company, that's their business. If you disapprove you can choose not to do business with them, which is just as it should be.

As for the availability of pornography, I'm afraid it's simply part of life now. I recall seeing a scene on tv in which the father wants to give "The Talk" to his adolescent son. The son stops him immediately, pointing out that since he has internet access, there's no point.

[Hildy]

I commend Ebay for this. To raise money to defend a man who murdered someone in cold blood is despicable and I want to know who hear defends this.

[Hildy]

The same people here would be in an UPROAR if Ebay held an auction to raise money for, let’s say, MUMIA. It’s the same thing. Oh, the screaming that would be going on here.

[HiTech RedNeck]

But eBay would not care in that case.

[Hildy]

I think they would if there was an outcry...yes, I do. First and foremost they are a business.

[HiTech RedNeck]

ONLY when an outcry happened.

[org.whodat]

Have there ever been benefit auctions on ebay!! Anyway, it is their business and they can run it as the wish.

[Hildy]

So what? This is such a non-story. Do you really support a man who murdered someone? I’m sorry..I don’t get it.

[org.whodat]

The seller is “Pacific Book Exchange”, do you have a problem reading.

[HiTech RedNeck]

You wouldn’t be calling it a non story if, in fact, it WAS a non story for you. I conclude it is a story for you.

[HiTech RedNeck]

And they are by no means immune from any reaction we choose to their hypocrisy. So there.

[org.whodat]

No one said you had to do business with them!!

[HiTech RedNeck]

I look for almost any other vendor before considering eBay.

[Gondring]

It should also be noted that Ebay allows auctions for the book, “The Anarchist Cookbook”. A bit hypocritical, that...

I don't know that the AC trumpets and celebrates the murder of a specific person. The family of the victim requested these items be taken down, and I can see why... Does anyone really think that the following is not offensive to a victim's family?

One drawing was of David and Goliath that depicted David holding the head of Goliath and the name “Tiller” on Goliath’s forehead. The words “child-murdering industry” were written on the corpse.

And Wesley Cook, aka Mumia, doesn't go around trumpeting and celebrating Officer Faulkner's death. He's disgusting and should be wormfood, but this issue is very different. A cold-blooded murder is being celebrated.

[GL of Sector 2814]

I don't know that the AC trumpets and celebrates the murder of a specific person.

I don't believe it does (I can't check because ironically I sold my copy on Ebay some years ago). When I said it was "a bit hypocritical" I was mistakenly attributing the statement about bombing to Ebay, when it was actually made by an attorney for the Tiller family.

(Note to self: Self, make sure you read what you copy & paste a bit more carefully in the future.)

I agree that it was wholly appropriate to remove the auction.

[BigSkyFreeper]

I look for almost any other vendor before considering eBay.

Welcome to America.

[guitarplayer1953]

I just find it hypocritical to say the least. sure they are a private company and can do what ever they want kind of like the ‘government is now they will stick it down our throats and then say stick it up your arse if we don’t like it. welcome to the USSA.

[guitarplayer1953]

Ask the children who tiller the killer killed if they thought their deaths were in cold blood.
To me this man is a hero the same as the people who strung up Mussolini and hunted down Nazis.

[Hildy]

Thank you for identifying yourself as the nut you are.

[guitarplayer1953]

Hopefully tiller went straight to hell and all the aborted children went straight to heaven and may all the women who killed their unborn children be tormented with nightmares the rest of their days. And never find grace with God.