By now you’ve most likely heard about the assassination of Dr. George Tiller in Wichita, KS this weekend. There has been quite a bit of media attention on this shooting because of who Dr. Tiller was and the choices he opted to make with his medical license — that is, he was one of the few practitioners in the United States who would perform late-term abortions. He was shot and killed while attending services at his church this past Sunday.
Most of you have been very respectful regarding this issue. And I thank you for that. I know that the topic of abortion is quite a passionate one, and it certainly takes some self-control to keep one’s own personal opinions out of the mix when such a tragedy has occurred.
But there are some of you who simply see this as a chance to further your agenda. And that just pisses me off.
First of all, there are a few of you — very few — who have the fucking gall to take this senseless crime and pin it upon your own sleeve. As if this is something which specifically harmed you. Yes, abortion rights is an issue close to us all. But unless you are a family or friend of Dr. Tiller or a patient in his practice — his murder is not yours to own. He was a man — someone who stood for his own convictions, but a man with a family and a community. They are the ones in pain. They are the ones grieving here. It’s certainly okay to be sad here, but this is not your loss. It’s theirs.
And there are many who are understandably outraged at the shooting, but some of you who are declaring this to be the beginning of a war — the rabid right attacking our way of life. I call bullshit. Scott Roeder, the alleged shooter, is one guy. One guy. True, there are a handful of “one guys” out there who feel that this action was justifiable, but they are, by far, the minority here. They are the fringe right. Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority of anti-abortion organizations have released statements making it abundantly clear that they condemn the murder of Dr. Tiller which took place. To think that the majority of those who oppose abortion rights actually agree with this killing is simply misguided at best.
There are even those who are pointing fingers at Bill O’Reilly — saying that his depiction of “Tiller the Baby Killer” repeatedly on his television show prompted Roeder to (allegedly) move forward with this murder. Roeder’s history with criminal actions and anti-abortion zealotry pre-dates even O’Reilly’s Inside Edition days. Roeder’s actions were pre-meditated and pre-conceived without the assistance of a FOX News show. And The O’Reilly Factor, although a show in poor taste (what other show would have its producer accost Tiller’s widow the day after her husband’s murder?) it does not have the coercive power to make people kill.
Some of you have used this — and other displays of anti-abortion sentiment — as an excuse to bash Christianity and organized religion, stating that the roots of this hatred against those who support reproductive rights for women is fueled by church dogma. Yes, there are those who are fanatics in many religious offerings who preach hate. Howeverm as I must stress again, these are the fanatics. The Fundamentalists. And certainly not the majority. If you’d rather not follow an organized religion, so be it. But rejecting others’ choice to practice spirituality through religious practice as unequivocally divisive and extremist is simply not seeing the full picture. Not all who are anti-abortion are Christian. And certainly not all Christians are anti-abortion.
And if you’re one who is expressing fear of “retaliation” from the anti-abortion camp because Dr. Tiller’s legacy, Women’s Health Care Services of Wichita, is re-opening despite the shooting? Come on. Look — there have been demonstrations and picketing for a very long time. It often can get annoying and burdensome. But there will be no “stepping up” of action here. The horrible murder of Dr. Tiller was not a “call to action” of the entire movement to pick off more supporters. Some of you may be crying out because one of the last practitioners of late-term abortions is no longer, endangering this legal (in Kansas, at least) procedure for those who choose it. Please keep in mind that it’s a tough choice for anyone and everyone. And that if there are physicians who decide to perform late-term abortions, they will. The emphasis is “choice.”
Look — as I mentioned before, the overwhelming majority of you are playing it cool. I appreciate that. It’s only a few of you who are spoiling it for everyone else. But it’s those on the fringe who make us all look like total nutcases. Keep doing what you’re doing — making your voice heard on the issue. Just keep in mind that, as passionate as you are, there are those with other opinions just as passionate as you. And as much as you think that they feel no concern for the rights of women to make their own choices, they, too, consist of women who are making their own choices. And who are concerned about the rights of others. I’m not asking you to agree with them, but rather to listen to what they have to say.
I think it’s wonderful that we live in a nation where people of all opinions can express themselves. All I ask is that you do it with tact. Do it peacefully. Don’t intimidate people with depictions of back-alley abortions performed with coathangers; that’s not going to convince them of anything new. Be vocal. But be classy.
Because if you don’t, you’re not any better than the single-minded, fundamentalist dittoheads.
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