The suspect in the attack on the Grand Chute Planned Parenthood office, Francis Grady, explained to journalists at his court appearance today why he attacked the clinic.

A reporter asked why Grady attacked the clinic.

“Because they’re killing babies there,” he responded.

For the record, Planned Parenthood does not list its Grand Chute office among the affiliates that offer abortions (the nearby Appleton Planned Parenthood does provide abortions). They weren’t killing babies in there. They weren’t even ending pregnancies before fetuses became babies.

They were providing medical screenings and helping families prevent unwanted pregnancies from being conceived.

Update: I’ve been corrected. The “Grand Chute” location is actually the North Appleton location that does provide abortions. Thanks to RM for the correction.

Nevertheless, Grady chose to attack a medical clinic in such a way as to cause terror. He hasn’t been charged with a terror attack mind you, but what he did does constitute terrorism, as defined under law.

(5) the term “domestic terrorism” means activities that—

(A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State;

(B) appear to be intended—

(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;

(ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or

(iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and

(C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States.

Now, lucky for the police, Grady appears to have saved them an investigative hassle they were facing: confirming allegations that Grady had protested the clinic in the past.

The Grand Chute police chief said if Grady does have ties to the anti-abortion demonstrations, it would be a departure from what usually takes place.

“For the most part those demonstrations are very peaceful,” Peterson said. The protesters generally follow the rules and avoid blocking entrances or driveways.

But Peterson also said Grady’s views on abortion are going to play a key role as the case moves into the courts.

“Motive is going to be important at some point in this process,” he said. “Certainly if he’s been involved in the past, it’s going to help tell us why he might have done this.”

Grady was scheduled to make his first appearance Wednesday in federal court in Green Bay, Wis., where he was charged with arson of a building used in interstate commerce and intentionally damaging a facility that provides reproductive health services.

The local “Pro-Life” group has dismissed any connection, stating that “mainstream pro-life” people don’t have extensive criminal records, as Grady does.

Well, I guess we can dismiss that theory!

But here’s the dilemma. Here we have a known criminal–with drug convictions–alleged to have committed a terrorist attack. If Grady were Muslim, you can bet the FBI would be recruiting infiltrators to attend meetings and catalog participants. The FBI would ask phone companies for call and email records to learn who was part of the anti-choice community, just to know who might harbor such strong feelings that he or she might launch another terrorist attack. The FBI would develop training programs so agents understand–or just as likely, misunderstand–the culture of the anti-choice community.

I don’t condone that. That would be a gross violation of the anti-choice community’s First Amendment. But that is, in fact, how our country fights other suspected and imagined terrorists, Muslim ones.

The double standard sure does suggest our country condones terror targeted at women seeking medical screenings.