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“A dream you dream alone is only a dream; a dream you dream together is reality.” — Yoko Ono
Jun
5
Who Was Dr. George Tiller?
Filed Under abortion, anti-choice extremism, personal and self-promotion, reproductive justice, women’s health | Posted by Cara |
I have a post (my first!) up at Global Comment. It’s about Dr. George Tiller . . . a subject I’ve been silent on here since his death (though I did write a bit at Feministe). A taste:
Any doctor who chooses to provide abortions in America, where there is a pervasive and largely accepted climate of harassment and intimidation against those who do, is undoubtedly an immensely courageous person. Dr. George Tiller, murdered by an anti-choice assassin in his church this past Sunday, was in a league of bravery very much his own.
Dr. Tiller was famous for many years prior to his assassination, thanks not to a desire for the spotlight, but to his commitment to performing late abortions in the highly conservative and religious Bible Belt.
Extremist anti-choice activists responded by loudly and publicly dubbing him “Tiller the Killer.” Dr. Tiller aborted babies on their due dates! – they yelled. He performs these horrible abortions for any reason at all. He’s breaking the law. He’s in it for the money.
Since his death, you’ll have heard these assertions repeated over and over again, in the same breath that anti-choice leaders use to supposedly denounce his murder. But the true Dr. Tiller was a decidedly different man from the bogeyman anti-choicers portray.
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“Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less.” — Susan B. Anthony
A while ago I read an article on MSN.com which covered women who choose to carry their pregnancies to term even though the baby would die shortly after birth. One of the heart wrenching facts presented was that doctors, upon finding out the facts, would refuse to treat the pregnancy.
So women are damned if they saw Dr. Tiller and they’re damned if they choose to carry the pregnancy to term? The unfairness of the situation isn’t lost on me. And probably highlights the most that pro-life/anti-choice is about controlling women.
The religious right is effin crazy! No if’s, and’s, or but’s about it!
Awhile ago some of those wackko’s were at my school shoving pro-life propaganda down everyone’s throats. One of them angrily thrust some material towards me. I replied “No thank you, I’m pro-choice.” She said something like “Oh, you’re pro-murder? Pro killing babies?” I cooly replied (heavy on the sarcasm), “yes, as a matter of fact, that’s a hobby of mine.” I rolled my eyes and everyone around kinda laughed with me. At least most people on my campus didn’t seem to take them too seriously, thank goodness.
Wooo. I got a little off track there. But, It’s horrendous what they did to Dr. Tiller. How is it that they’re against terminating an embryo with an unformed brain, but will gladly eat animals with fully formed brains, and proclaim that it’s their god-given right? And will MURDER fully formed, adult humans like it’s nothing?! People with families, friends and lives? And it’s usually the same people who unquestioningly support the military and believe war (genocide) can solve everything!