In a blog post at Counter Cultured, Anna Maria Hoffman, a pro-life intern working at the Family Research Council last summer, said Friday the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) put her life in danger when it labeled the Christian organization a "hate group."
Last August, Floyd Lee Corkins II entered the Washington, D.C. office of the FRC intending to kill as many people as he could. Earlier this week, he admitted selecting the FRC as a target "after finding it listed as an anti-gay group on the website of the Southern Poverty Law Center," CNN reported.
Corkins shot and wounded the building manager who also worked as a guard, but was taken down before he could shoot anyone else.
Hoffman said she was one of Corkins' potential victims.
"I was on the 6th floor of the FRC building working on my pro-life internship assignments," she wrote. "I could have lost my life. My dear friend Rosa and everyone else in the building, including my boss Jeanne Monahan, now president of March for Life, could have lost their lives."
Hoffman called Leo Johnson, the man who stopped Corkins despite being wounded, a "real hero that I will continue to thank for the rest of my life."
Instead of expressing anger, Hoffman wrote that she was saddened someone like Corkins would resort to physical violence over a political disagreement, "especially on the topic of gay marriage."
Even though Corkins admitted pulling the trigger, Hoffman blamed the SPLC.
"It breaks my heart that Southern Poverty Law Center facilitated his intent to commit such a horrific act of violence by labeling FRC as a 'hate group,'" she added.
In 2010, the SPLC listed the FRC as a "hate group" along with several other Christian organizations.
But Hoffman says the organization is "far from hateful."
"Its staff members are the most delightful, friendly, sweet, loving, caring, and Christ-like people you will ever meet," she said, adding that the organization became a "home away from home" during her summer internship.
She also characterized the FRC as a "safe haven in the middle of our nation's morally corrupt capital."
"It is time to stop Southern Poverty Law Center labeling FRC, and other organizations that just want to make society a better place, as 'hate groups,'" she added.
Rather than demand retribution against the SPLC and other left wing groups, Hoffman expressed hope that people would learn that "wrongful labels and violence" are not the ways to solve political disagreements.
"Let's stop the hate to prevent acts of violence like this shooting from occurring again," she wrote.
Corkins, who volunteered at a D.C. area center for gay, lesbian and transgender people, pleaded guilty to one federal count of crossing state lines with guns and ammunition. He also pleaded guilty to one count of intent to kill while armed and one count of committing an act of terrorism with the intent to kill, the Associated Press reported.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 29, and faces a maximum of ten years on the first count and up to 15 years on the two other counts, for a total of 40 years.
Related:
- Southern Poverty Law Center targets Christian organizations as 'hate groups'
- Gunman opens fire on Christian-based Family Research Council, guard shot
- Family Research Council shooting suspect identified as LGBT volunteer
- Family Research Council: SPLC created environment that led to shooting
- Is liberal rhetoric responsible for Family Research Council shooting?
- Family Research Council shooter used SPLC hate map, media silent
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