Awash: the death of Dr. Tiller.

[sinsense]

If you haven't heard yet: Dr. George Tiller, a doctor known for helping women with late-term pre-natal complications, was shot and killed at his church.

zoje_george has spoken poignantly about her experience with Dr. Tiller here, and excerpts a letter from Charlotte Taft about the terrorist action of anti-abortion members here. At the bottom of that post

Comments

[secrethappiness]

One of my science blogs wrote about this today and someone commented with an excerpt from Tiller's bio that I found extremely compelling. The full excerpt is here.

Here's a bit from it that brought me to tears -

"After I had been there for a little while, patients in the practice began to ask me if I was going to do abortions like my father did. I was outraged. Why would these nice people say that he was a scumbag kind of a physician?...I think it may have been something like 200 over a period of about 20 years, but I don’t know for sure. The women in my father’s practice for whom he did abortions educated me and taught me that abortion is about women’s hopes, dreams, potential, the rest of their lives. Abortion is a matter of survival for women."

[sinsense]

Just in case other people are taking a look at that link -- which is well worth clicking on -- you might want to avoid the other comments on the post.

That's such a beautiful excerpt.

[secrethappiness]

Sorry, I should have mentioned the other commenters were not all as good as that one.

I don't know that I can say anything else that other people haven't said better except that he seemed to be an all-around good man.

Instead, I will congratulate you on your citation worksheet.

[pescana]

I am pleased to be linked! My intent wasn't to call out Obama, it's just that his statement after all Heather said really jumped out at me and reinforced how much we need to take control of the language used to frame this or at least make sure we pay attention to the words we're using.

There was another piece somewhere I've lost about how when you say "reduce the number of abortions" the crazies hear it as "make abortion illegal" and/or "demonize women who have abortions" and neither of those are things I support. At all!

(Sorry, I'm really tired.)

[zoje_george]

That was at Maha's place.

[pescana]

I had a feeling you'd know!

[sinsense]

I didn't think you came off as calling him out, but I think that's a really good clarifying phrase: how much we need to take control of the language used to frame this or at least make sure we pay attention to the words we're using. It's funny, I've been pro-choice since I was very wee (I was the kid in elementary school with a slashed-out coathanger button) but I think I've been due for a reeducation on the subject. Posts like yours are good for making me think, and fantastic to link. Thanks.

[zoje_george]

Thank you for including me.

[sinsense]

You were the reason why I wanted to put up this post, actually; your two responses (and your most recent one, actually) really hit home for me. I'm inarticulate on the subject -- as Tangle found out yesterday when we tried to talk about it -- and it's so good to have someone articulate things well, so I can point and go there, that.

Anyway: thank you.

[zoje_george]

No, no, no, thank you.

You're welcome.

[rilee16]

Ugh, I'm just so sick about his murder I can't even make myself click on any of the news links, especially if it's a place that allows comments. I feel so horribly, am so sad for his family, and every female-bodied person who will need his help and will desperately search for another person brave enough to help them.

[sinsense]

It was a nice, solid post to refer to, so I'm hoping people go to it, and I'm glad that I could be part of the passing on of links. It's such a violently depressing situation, and this is such a stark reminder of how bad it is.