He claimed that Nathanson's "propaganda turned the mentally deranged loose." Simpson asked Baird to stop his comments.
Baird's remarks were so contentious that some audience members booed at one point.
Serring M. Foster, president of Feminists for Life of America, countered Baird, saying "only with anti-abortion do they hold the movement responsible for the actions of the criminally ill."
During almost two hours of debate, the speakers touched such diverse topics as the rights of the fetus, eugenics, the history of feminism and free will and morality.
As the event went on, Simpson's interruptions and cautions to the participants increased. During one argument between Baird and Nathanson, he advised them to "get on with it or do it in another forum."