in honor of Dr. George Tiller
For every desperate woman he helped, for every child not consigned to a life of hell on earth, for every Kayla who didn't have to suffer, for every potential Adrian who didn't live in misery and kill another in the process, for every infant tortured to death by her parents, for every starved and ruined baby on this earth, Dr. Tiller was an angel of mercy. There will always be abortions, always, whether legal or not. Dr. Tiller saved lives and he terminated pregnancies and he was courageous enough to continue to help women, no matter the hatred directed his way.
Labels: abortion, child abuse, dead kids, Dr. George Tiller is dead
posted by BigAssBelle at 10:10 PM
37 Comments:
Thank you for this tribute. I feel beyond angry, shattered, furious, deeply saddened for Dr. Tiller, his family and all the people he helped.
If anyone knows of a website where one can leave condolences, please tell me.
I cannot fathom the evil that leads people to do what was done to Dr. Tiller.
You're kidding, right? I'm pro-choice, but this man did not need to be honored. He took abortion to such extremes it was disgusting. He certainly should not have been murdered, but nor should he be honored.
The hypocrisy and self-righteousness of the Right never fails to stun me. Regardless of beliefs, this was just wrong.
I won't lie - I have issues with late-term abortions.
BUT the man was murdered. How can anyone scream about the right to life, and then take someone else's?
I feel for Dr Tiller's family.
Also, I hadn't read the beaten baby story before. I had to go and squeeze my two year old while she wiped tears off of my face.
Anonymous,
Dr. Tiller aborted unviable fetuses who threatened the mental and physical health of the mother; fetuses who would be born without a brain; fetuses who would be born, only to live extremely short, painful lives.
He did the right thing.
You are a disgusting excuse for a human being.
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I knew of Dr. Tiller for years, but of course did not know him. What I keep coming back to is this: anyone facing a late term abortion would have to have a very, very, very good reason. Could I ever do it? I can't imagine it, but then I've never been in the position that those women have been, late pregnancy with the kinds of medical issues that cause women to seek out this help. I don't know what I would do, faced with that kind of decision.
But because I don't know what I would do, I would never presume to judge or make decisions for those who actually are in that spot.
In this no help, up by your bootstraps country, a family expecting a child who will have profound physical and mental defects is facing years of emotional distress, disruption to family life, huge medical costs, with little help available.
It sounds incredibly callous to break it down that way: can we afford a seriously ill child? but it's reality. The divorce rate for parents with a severely ill child is sky high. If there are other children, their lives have to be considered as well.
As I said, I can't imagine it for myself, but I've never been in that position, never will be. I am offended by those who would presume to make that decision for another woman, without regard to the circumstances of her life.
And I can't get past the hundreds and hundreds of children that I have dealt with who were unloved, unwanted, abused, tortured, destroyed. Again, the costs to society? Sky high. Can we afford it? I don't think so.
The country with the lowest rate of abortion ~ one of those Scandinavian sensible countries, can't remember which one ~ also has sex education beginning very early coupled with free access to birth control. Sensible attitudes toward the basic human function of sex, too, but that's a whole other can of worms.
Here? We just really don't want anyone fucking. An unwanted pregnancy is deemed just punishment for a loose woman. As a man said to me just last week, "I'm not against abortion when it comes to rape and incest, but if it's a shed 'em and spread 'em situation, she better have that baby."
Birth control is expensive. With all of the shaming surrounding normal sexual urges in this country, children mostly don't feel comfortable going to their parents. We speak abstinence, but we fuck like bunnies behind closed doors and we pretend no one else is going to want to do the same thing, especially teenagers. It's insanity. Until we stop the insanity, we will always need abortion. Sex education, free access to birth control, public funding for same = drastically lower abortion rate.
Lynette, I'm sure you've heard of this. When a severely mentally retarded baby is born that cannot live without medical interference the parents can choose to not give it food or liquid in the hospital. I find that so cruel. Why make it starve for days? A late term abortion does seem like a gift in that situation.
I don't understand the conservative stand point. They don't want women to have abortions but they don't want sex ed either. Wouldn't sex ed prevent some pregnancies? Sigh.
Thank you for writing so eloquently and passionately about these topics.
It's terrible. Tragic. Mostly, it's very sad for his family, who I hope will remember him as a man who stood up for what was right, and helped women in really dire straits. Anyone who feels any small measure of joy or vindication from this physician's violent and senseless murder is indeed a sick and scary bastard.
My anger hasn't left yet.
The folks that are Anti-Choice Terrorists are talking out of both sides of their mouth's.
As an update, one of the Doc's that worked in the clinic parttime will be taking over the running of it.
They didn't win, those friggin Domestic Terrorists, the clinic will continue to serve woman's reproductive needs. God Bless Dr. Carhart for having the balls to stand up to these bastards that intimidate and kill doctors who are performing a legal medical procedure.
Decades ago my girlfriend told me she had gone to her doctor who told her she was pregnant. She was in the second trimester despite our having used birth control. Too far along to terminate. Until she listed off all the dope we were doing and how heavily and how often we drank.
Her doctor sent her from tiny Rolla, MO to Kansas City.
Abortion must remain safe, rare and legal.
But if you truly believe life begins at conception, he was a murderer in the same leagues as Hitler. There is another side to try and understand here.
Abortion must remain safe, rare and legal.Yes, and the only way to make it RARE is to provide free, easily available birth control to anyone who wants it, to provide sex education to every child. . . Why is that so hard?
Good question Lynette!
There is a universe of difference between a doctor who performs safe, legal abortions and the twisted world view that Hitler tried to impose.
I certainly don't know when life starts. Not every religion is as adamant that life begins at conception as the Catholic Church or evangelical Christians, who strangely remind me of the Taliban with crosses.
I know that personhood starts at birth. Again, strangely the evangelicals seem to completely turn their backs on babies born into the worst of circumstances and destined for tragedy. Fetuses--including fetuses without brains, or spinal cords or whatever--lose all their charm once born.
You scream about abortion and deny people sex education or birth control. Where's the logic in that?
Abortion: safe, rare and legal!
Uh, who's denying sex education and birth control? I'm all for both. Stop making assumptions based on your own narrow point of view.
A religious right fanatic entering a house of worship and murdering someone he could not reach at his place of employment!! Why am i not surprised? Appalled but not surprised.
Narrow point of view?
I'd say rare, legal and safe is about the broadest point of view possible.
You said it best Lynette...late-term abortions are usually for a medical reason, and most people don't get it because they don't want to.
I sat watching congressional hearings once, and heard the stories of women who had to make this devastating choice....not easy at all. And yet they were begging that this procedure be available for women who needed it. As a neo-natal nurse, I have seen the devastation a family goes through when one of these kids is born...doesn't matter WHEN you feel it, before or after, it's hard!!!
Rest in peace Dr. Tiller...God knows what you did! Thank you for the courage to help these families...
What would be broader? Not making assumptions about other people. The fact is, we agree on the issue. The difference is, you then made assumptions about my position on other matters like sex education. Guess what, honey? Everyone doesn't fall into the neat little paradigm you seem to want so desperately to believe in.
This murderer is a terrorist. This is a hate crime meant to instill fear into all those who do not agree and comply with fundamentalist ideology.
By the way folks, Jesus was an openly gay man who was crucified for being so. Prove otherwise.
anyone facing a late term abortion would have to have a very, very, very good reason. (...) I don't know what I would do, faced with that kind of decision.
But because I don't know what I would do, I would never presume to judge or make decisions for those who actually are in that spot.
I love you Lynette. If you weren't so attached to that hubby (and we weren't both straight) I might have proposed by now.
Of course, if the beliefs of those people villifying Dr. Tiller turn out to be true, they'll be in for a big surprise:
"Judge not, that ye be not judged.
For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."
Ewe, let's split our efforts. You write the exposé about Jesus* and I'll do the one on his hag Mary Magdalen.
* I've always had my suspicions about his meeting with John the Baptist and as for Peter denouncing him, clearly he was saving his own ass, but not for being Jesus' follower, but for being his lover...
Thank you SubtleKnife. There is more evidence that supports the fact the prophet Jesus was a gay man. It is preposterous that he is being used against us in our time. People should be reminde that the saviour they pray to for guidance and salvation is inside the heart and soul of a gay man. Makes perfect sense to me and there is not one shred of evidence he was heterosexual. I mention this here because people like this monster hide behind and distort who Jesus truly was just like the disgraceful church that profits off his name has for centuries.
You're kidding, right? I'm pro-choice, but this man did not need to be honored. He took abortion to such extremes it was disgusting. He certainly should not have been murdered, but nor should he be honored.
June 01, 2009 12:05 AM
Now, why do I NOT believe you're 'pro-choice'. "He took abortion to such extremes..."
I didn't know the man. As an provider of health services which included termination of a pregnancy after 24 weeks, he IS someone who you would want doing it. It's like having an orthopedic surgeon pin your hip fx rather than a dentist or pipefitter.
These were not women who just woke up one day and no longer wanted to be pregnant. There WAS a reason. It's just not one you or others were privy because it's none of your business. And, in attempting to define Dr. Tiller in whatever demeaning terms you decide, you devalue women's decisions as well.
And trust me - this entire fiasco is SO ALL about women and controlling their sexuality and reproductive choices, as well as health options.
Just like the guy who drives around the panel trunk in Wichita with grotesque pics of 'aborted fetuses' who beats his wife. Rabid fucks. As with the last presidential election, this incident in Wichita has been the "tipping point" for many who will start pushing back.
Bravo Wordsmith..well said! Thanks ;)
Wow, you all have been carrying on with a great discussion. Thanks for all of your thoughts and your input here. I am grateful that I am not the only one who feels an enormous sense of loss with Dr. Tiller´s death. Again, I didn´t know him, but I know first hand what it is to be pregnant and unable to have a child.
I can´t imagine the indifference one must feel to tell a woman whose child has died in the 7th month that she must carry it to term. My mother experienced the death in utero of six babies before my next older sister was born. All were boys, obviously some genetic abnormality, but she was forced to carry those fetuses to term and to give birth as if there would be a living child at the end of that pain.
There were other reasons people sought out Dr. Tiller, of course. But I simply don´t understand the refusal of the anti-woman, anti-choice people to put themselves in that woman´s shoes. It is a lack of imagination as much as a lack of compassion and empathy that seems to inform the views of those radical zealots.
And brave Anonymous, while you in your anonymity express the view that you are anti-abortion and pro-birth control, and you may well be, that is certainly unusual for wingers of your type. And you profess not to be a winger, but all of your views expressed here are common to those who inhabit outer wingnuttia.
So now rant on, my dear. It seems to have been my post on abortion long ago that brought you here and keeps you turning up here to show yourself for whatever reason. It would be delightful if you had the courage of your convictions to the point that you would reveal yourself and own your statements with some honesty. But whatever. Carry on. Fun to be brave you, eh?
I am anti-abortion, but I am not for making abortion illegal. I think it should be legal, I just don't think we should promote it as desirable, or honor those who do it as though it is some act of bravery to not have a child. In fact, it is the women who choose to have the children and give them the best lives possible that we should be honoring. Of course it's understandable in some circumstances, such as when the mother's life is in danger, but Tiller performed abortions for women who didn't want the child because of its gender or because it would be disabled. I think that's selfish and morally reprehensible.
I'd also like to honor Sgt. Long, who was murdered the same week by a Muslim terrorist. It would be nice, Lynette, if every once in a while- just every once in while- you'd actually show some consistency in your condemnations.
I'd also like to honor the fallen security guard at the Holocaust museum, killed by a LEFT WING EXTREMIST. Yes, LEFT WING. Reports are now shoing that the gunman railed against Bush, O'Reilly and Zionists and was also planning to shoot at the offices of the Weekly Standard, a conservative publication. Sick violence is not restricted to any extremist ideology, unfortunately.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0609/Weekly_Standard_may_have_been_shooter_target.html#comments
Well what's stopping you, anonymous, from getting your own blog and shouting out all the honors you want? Why do it here?
Besides, you tool, he's hardly a left winger. Learn to read.
And what about condemning Letterman for his sexist remarks about Palin's daughter? Even NOW has called on him to apologize . As a fierce proponent of women's rights, Lynette, I'd htink you'd do the same. Or does that not fit into your narrow socio-political agenda?
P.S. The shooter railed against Bush, O'reilly, and conservative news outlets. The same things MSNBC rails against. When everyone thought he was only railing against the left wing they blamed Fox. Now that we know he was railing more against the right wing, shouldn't we blame MSNBC? Or is there a double standard in your agenda as well? It just would be nice to get some consistency and to know where you stand: are you for human rights, or are you for left wing propaganda- whatever it may be or evolve into?
Anonymous: This pathetic publicity stunt of Palins is exactly the way she treats those who oppose her in Alaska. They do not have the notoriety of David Letterman. This is the totalitarian scorn she would behave with she was a US president. Fortunately that will not ever happen. David Letterman did nothing wrong and he already told his audience that her daughter is a legal adult of 18 and she did indeed get knocked up. It backfired for Palin as usual and that is because she is a sad example for young girls. She plays a victim very well.
good grief, anonymous. you really are insane. i suggest medication and counseling. it's far more effective than either one alone.
Hypocrisy, Lynette. Look it up.
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I'm saddened by the polarization in this country that seems to have been kicked into overdrive the past 8 years.
As for looking up hypocrisy ... how about killing a man in church -- to show how important life is, behind religious ideals?
Lynette, your first comment, above, makes so many good points. We could learn so much from other countries ... just look at the stats. Why are people so scared to learn from systems that have been here longer and are working better?
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