American Shrapnel — Chapter: "Justifiable Homicide"

Podcast by Alabama Media Group | Hosts: John Archibald & Becca Andrews | Release Date: August 20, 2025

Episode Overview

This chapter of American Shrapnel delves deep into the 1998 bombing of the New Woman All Women abortion clinic in Birmingham, Alabama, committed by Eric Robert Rudolph. The story intertwines personal recollections from survivors and clinic workers with a broader exploration of the rise in anti-abortion extremism across America from the 1970s through the 1990s. The hosts, John Archibald and Becca Andrews, investigate not just the traumatic events themselves, but the political, religious, and social factors—and the misogyny and racial animus—that created a climate ready to explode. The episode further discusses the ongoing repercussions of this violence, the controversial role of groups like the Army of God, and the chilling echoes these events have in contemporary America.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Scene in Birmingham (01:05–04:19)

• Diane Derzis' Immediate Reaction: Diane, the clinic owner, recounts the chaotic, guilt-ridden, and surreal aftermath as she rushed to Birmingham following the bombing.

  • Quote: "The sirens you hear are coming for us. They've blown up the clinic." — Diane Derzis (01:07)
  • Expresses profound guilt for not being present, believing her activism made her a target (02:38).

• Initial Suspicions and Shocking Realization: Diane assumed a longtime protester was responsible, revealing the persistent, menacing environment surrounding clinics in the South (04:19).

  • Quote: "I immediately assumed it was a local, someone that I had known for a long time." — Diane Derzis (04:45)

2. History and Climate of Anti-Abortion Violence (05:07–11:50)

• Birmingham’s Unique Role: Reporter Greg Garrison outlines the city’s history as one of the few Southern cities with abortion access pre-Roe v. Wade, fueling anti-abortion backlash.

  • Quote: “Birmingham was one of the few places in the south where you could go and get a legal abortion.” — Greg Garrison (06:53)

• Escalation of Protests and Operation Rescue: Rise of tactics like blockading clinics, spearheaded by Randall Terry and copied nationwide.

  • Quote: “They felt like they were rescuing the fetus if they were able to deter a patient from entering the clinic just by putting their body in front of it.” — Greg Garrison (08:15)
  • Legal system overwhelmed, but penalties minimal, allowing repeated harassment (10:00–10:35).

3. The Radicalization of Eric Rudolph (11:18–12:15)

• Rudolph described as isolated from the established anti-abortion movement, but his motives rooted in misogyny, racism, and resentment.
  • Quote: “He resented the women's movement and hated to salute female officers... He only wanted to take orders from men.” — John Archibald (11:50)
  • Notably, his opposition to abortion was coded in white supremacy: “...the majority of abortions...were performed on white women...I don't think he cared if a black woman went into an abortion clinic.” — Deborah Rudolph (12:15)

4. Violence and Its Toll on Clinics and Workers (12:49–21:13)

• Longstanding Threats Escalating to Murder: The killing of Dr. David Gunn, the first documented anti-abortion-related doctor murder (13:16).

  • Quote: “I still remember seeing his glasses laying in the dirt with blood on the lenses." — Diane Derzis (14:18)

• Congressional Response—The FACE Act: Providing federal penalties for violence and obstruction, but intensifying the resolve of hardcore activists.

  • Quote: “If abortion is murder, act like it.” — Operation Rescue slogan (16:10)

• Effects on Care Access and Staff: Persistent fear led to clinic closures and severe staff shortages; personal targeting escalated (20:13–22:14).

5. The Army of God & the Justification of Violence (16:29–34:41)

• Influence of Paul Hill & the Army of God:

  • Quote from Rudolph's manifesto: "Hill seemed like a perfect anomaly, a genuine American hero in an age of cowardice…" (17:00)

• The Army of God is described more as a decentralized "brand" and philosophy for violent extremism than a structured group (30:20–31:06).

  • Quote: “The people who identified as Army of God could commit violent acts and no one else…would be held accountable for it.” — Prof. Carol Mason (30:20)
  • The Army of God's manual provided both moral justification and technical instruction for violent acts (33:36).

• Merchandise and Martyrdom: Selling "Run Rudolph, Run" memorabilia and featuring Rudolph's writings, romanticizing violence (32:15–32:29).

6. The Human Cost—First-Person Accounts (23:35–29:17, 35:28–37:19)

• Emily Lyons' Ordeal: Severely injured nurse, describes fragmented memories of the bombing and grueling recovery.

  • Quote: “Four weeks later, I remember getting out of the burn unit and going to a private room...My youngest one cried. She couldn't stay in the room with me.” — Emily Lyons (23:52)
  • Received both touching support and vicious hate mail: “You should have been killed like Sandy.” — Emily Lyons (25:33)

• Physical and Emotional Scars: Emily continues to live with shrapnel in her body but refuses to be cowed.

  • Quote: “With so much metal in my legs, I have a very strong magnet...You can feel it most of the time.” — Emily Lyons (35:33)
  • “You took enough from me that day. I’m not going to let it control the rest of my life.” — Emily Lyons (36:31)

• Diane Derzis’ Resilience and Reflection: Despite the danger, Diane is unwavering in her purpose.

  • Quote: “I really do believe…that’s what I was put here to do. You know, I’m nasty...but I can’t stop.” — Diane Derzis (36:51)

7. Ongoing Threats and Modern Parallels (34:13–35:28)

• The episode draws a chilling line from 90s violence to modern-day political shifts, referencing recent attacks and governmental rollbacks on protections (President Trump’s pardons and DOJ orders against FACE Act prosecutions) (34:13).

  • Quote: “The violence hasn't stopped.” — John Archibald (34:41)

• Justifiable Homicide: Discussion on the rhetorical shift by extremists—using terms like "justifiable homicide" instead of "murder"—and the lasting power of these ideologies (35:11).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “When you looked at where those threads went, they were designed to kill women sitting in that waiting room.” — Diane Derzis, recalling the shrapnel pathways after the bombing (26:37)
• “He saved a lot of lives that day, because he did.” — Diane Derzis, on security guard Sandy Sanderson, who died in the attack (27:26)
• “The last word, retribution, was heavily underlined.” — John Archibald, quoting Eric Rudolph’s chilling Army of God letter (29:28)
• “There are some good people with the movement. … She was truly what love and Christianity was supposed to be about. But, no, it's not generally like that.” — Diane Derzis, on unlikely friendships across the protest line (23:00)
• “It's scary stuff, especially since one of the first things Donald Trump did in his second term was send a message to anti abortion activists.” — Becca Andrews (34:13)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Diane Derzis’ first reaction to the bombing: 01:05–03:42
• History of Birmingham’s abortion clinics & anti-abortion protests: 06:40–10:00
• The rise of Operation Rescue & escalation of tactics: 08:15–10:35
• Eric Rudolph's personal motivations and misogyny/racism: 11:50–12:35
• The FACE Act and its impacts: 14:48–16:00
• Rudolph and the Army of God; justification for lethal force: 16:29–17:32, 30:20–34:13
• Emily Lyons' account of the bombing and aftermath: 23:35–25:33, 35:28–36:31
• Modern attacks and rollback of abortion protections: 34:13–34:41

Conclusion & Tone

The episode blends investigative journalism with deeply personal testimony, painting a harrowing, unflinching portrait of the lethal intersection between extremism, misogyny, and America's ongoing abortion debate. The tone is direct, empathetic to survivors and workers, and sharply critical of the political structures that have enabled and perpetuated violence.

Both Diane Derzis and Emily Lyons, scarred but unbroken, provide the episode’s moral center—testaments to endurance in the face of terror, and a warning that the rage fueling this violence has not abated. The show closes, unresolved and urgent, with a promise to continue tracking the hunt for Rudolph and the shadow he—and those like him—still cast on America.

For more in-depth exploration, listen to the next episode of American Shrapnel.