Step Off and Shut Up

Dr. George Tiller went to his church (Reformation Lutheran Church) this morning with his wife. As she got ready to sing with the rest of the choir, he began his duties as an usher. It was, by all appearances, a beautiful summer morning in America's heartland, and was a scene repeated probably in hundreds of churches this last morning in May. Except Dr. Tiller was killed while being an usher in his church, where presumably he and all the other congregants were getting ready to worship God and his son Jesus Christ.
Why? Was this some crazed Islamic terrorist? A Jewish terrorist? Now, I hate to speculate, but....I will anyway. No, this terrorist was a white male who had listened just once too often to the hate-filled diatribes of Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue (I would provide a link to this website, but for some reason it's just not available at the moment....hmmm). Mr. Terry, when not riling up his minions, provided updates to "Tiller Watch"--a part of the official Operation Rescue website. Since I can't access this part of the website at the moment (hmmm...), I will just have to speculate some more. I would imagine that "Tiller Watch" wasn't an innocuous little blog, with cutesy information such as what Dr. Tiller ate last Friday night at the church supper. No, I would fairly confidently guess that "Tiller Watch" was a dangerous part of a dangerous website--just as dangerous as those websites that can be linked to other terrorist organizations. I do not use the word "terrorist" flippantly. One definition of terrorist is "one who would cause fear and submission by frightening people". By this definition, Randall Terry is a terrorist leader, and this unnamed gunman is a terrorist. Their targets? Women and those who provide health care to women.
Dr. George Tiller provided health care to women. He died because he provided health care to women.
My heart goes out to the family and friends of this brave doctor, who was senselessly killed in the middle of America in his "mainstream protestant" church by a home-grown terrorist. The blood of Dr. Tiller is on the hands of members of Operation Rescue just as surely as it is on the terrorist who pulled the trigger. This was a hate crime, and Randall Terry is directly responsible. He knows it in his heart; why else would his website be closed tonight?
Randall Terry should do the rest of humanity a favor, and shut up.
What did Dr. Tiller do that was so horrible as to cause him to be wounded in another terrorist attack in 1993, and targeted today? Well, and again I'm speculating, it's probably because he provided the very rare procedure called "late term abortion". Basically, he very occasionally provided medical care to a woman who needed an abortion in the last trimester of a pregnancy. These abortions are done for no other reason than to save the life of the woman--in most cases, the fetus is already dead, or will die shortly after birth. They are not done for "convenience" or any other cockamamie reason you might have read. Without the abortion, the woman will die. Randall Terry, when faced with the choice "abortion or die".....oh wait--he will never have to face that choice. Randall Terry needs to shut up.
Which brings me to part two of this blog--the part where I explain "step off".
In the past few years (probably since I turned 40), I've found myself more "radical" in some of my beliefs. In my early years, I guess I was much more willing to see the shades of gray between the black and white. Now, on certain issues, I know there is no gray. I chalk it up to life experience.
One issue is abortion. This is my position: men need to "step off". This is not your issue, and never will be. Find something else, but the issue of abortion needs to be decided by women and women only. Why? Men cannot die in childbirth. When they can, they have every right to have a voice in the discussion. Until then, they need to step off.
You see, a few years ago, a friend of mine died after giving birth. Yes, in the 21st century, in a local hospital, a healthy 23 year old died of complications from childbirth. I miss her every day--she had such potential, had so much to give to this world. She made all of us laugh; she was smart and gifted, and she died from something no male ever will. Sorry guys, but this is our discussion, because it's about our lives.
Truly, the only role for men in this issue is to support --make sure abortions remain always safe, legal, and available. Because I've got news for you--no matter what legislation men pass, no matter how many doctors men kill, women will still find a way to have an abortion if they need one. Don't believe me? Go ask your mothers and grandmothers--they will tell you about the desperate sisters, aunts, friends they helped--helped to find "medicine", sympathetic "back alley" doctors, or emergency care when the coat hanger perforated the uterus.
Today I mourn for my friend, and I mourn for a doctor who cared about women. It makes me angry to know he was killed by a terrorist who was influenced by the hate speech of a man who had no right to voice an opinion, but did it anyway.
Rest in Peace, Dr. George Tiller.