I am going to deviate from my typical knitting theme on this blog and talk about the assassination of Dr. Tiller on Sunday. If you do not wish to read a political entry, do not agree with abortion, or are do not want to hear about what happened consider this your warning to stop reading.
On Sunday morning Dr. Tiller was shot down while ushering at his church. This is a man who dedicated his career to providing safe, medically accurate and legal health care to women around the country. One of three providers in the country to provide abortions past the 21st week of pregnancy he helped countless women through some very tough times in their life. Just a few months ago he was acquitted on charges of illegally performing late term abortions which angered the religious right anti-choice movement. This is a man who has been shot in both arms, has had his clinic bombed, his life threatened, his health center vandalized. He was forced to hire a personal security team and wear a bullet proof vest into work every day. No individual should have to go through that just to get to work! In fact the only time his security team wasn't with him was when he was at church, which means his actions were closely observed by another group. The murder of another human being is not pro-life or Christian, and doing it in a church is a further blaspheme.
Dr. Tillers assassination was pre-meditated and organized by an extreme ant-choice group. If this isn't the definition of domestic-terrorism what is?
Everyday abortion clinic workers walk past protesters, prayer groups, and graphic signs. These people endure death threats, violence, being screamed at and condemned to hell everyday. As many of you know I am among these people, working at a Planned Parenthood. It is mentally taxing and yes it is terrorism. It is terrorism that that people follow employees home, it is terrorism that I can not walk to the neighboring restaurant alone for lunch. It is terrorism that our cars get stopped as we enter the driveway, that we are told we are "bad people" and "hurt women" and are threatened with law suits (or worse). These groups, Operation Rescue and the Pro-Life Action League to name a few, aim to terrify us out of going to work. These people play on workers and patients mental health and wish to install a deep unseeded fear of the entering a clinic. For workers it is that we will be killed, for patients it is the threat of hell.
The time to stop this is now. It is time for women to stop being afraid and hiding in the shadows as if we have done something wrong. The time of the silent majority is over, it is time to stand tall and say yes I work in this field or yes I have had an abortion and I am not ashamed! If we hope to stop this violence and keep our freedom of choice we need to go on the offensive and take to the streets. We need to work in the courts but we also need rally in our cities and states and the time has come for another march on Washington. It is not just for women's lives anymore, it is for all health care providers lives.
I challenge you to organize in your community. Write a letter to the editor, your senator, congressman, and even the President. Get involved with your local clinics and organizations (I can help in the Chicago area).
I challenge the President to take a strong stance against this violence. If a racist preacher deserved it a murdered doctor certainly does!
I challenge the health care providers to continue going to work and doing their job!
I challenge all people who truly value life to denounce these extremists, contact them and tell them that they are hurting their cause. Let them know the only way to decrease abortion is to increase education and access to birth control.
What happened Sunday was a tragedy, but sadly it is not uncommon. We would all like to decrease the number of abortions and increase access to birth control and education. It makes me sad that it takes violence to wake America up the terrorism in their own backyard.
Please share your thoughts and stories on this blog if you would like.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I believe that the murder of this physician is a sin, and is as much a ticket to hell as anything. It is the worst thing anyone could do to advance their movement, regardless of the motives.
But I do not believe that abortion is a reasonable response to having regrets over previous choices, i.e. not paying attention to your fertility. I have problems with abortion being viewed as a method of birth control. I do not believe that abortion should be performed _ever_ on viable babies. If that fetus would be saved after an early birth as a viable baby, then it is truly murder, regardless of when you think personhood begins.
On the other hand, though, I don't agree with screaming and harangueing the clinic workers. As Americans we have the right to peaceful demonstration, not violent demonstration, which, yes, you are right, becomes domestic terrorism.
Here in Michigan, when Jennifer Granholm was running for governor, she took a pro-choice stand while still attending masses at my Roman Catholic church. We, the entire congregation, were subject to the yelling, the graphic displays, and the protestors on every edge of the property ever time we went to church for the entire run of the election. It is not a pretty, nor a pleasant experience.
So I guess I can say that I see both sides of the issue, but I am biased by my belief that small humans with no voice should not be killed out of convenience of the mother. It is a child, not a choice, to borrow a slogan you probably see every day going to work.
But I cannot condone the murder of a practitioner as a just or reasonable action or response. Killing as a response to killing never works - it just pushes the side further apart.
I love you, Mary, as I love Scott, but I think we'll have to agree to disagree on the basic premise, while I grieve with you for the death of a man. His family, friends, and coworkers, as well as his entire faith community must be devastated at this horrendous action taken by a zealot. I'm sorry for the loss.
Post a Comment