Women must have the unconditional right to choose what they do with their own body. If they want to have a child they must have the ability to do this, that is they must have access to a good wage, a good job, affordable housing, affordable and good childcare at home and at work and one year maternity leave with pay. This must be part of the struggle for women's rights.
But at the same time women must have the unconditional right to have an abortion. And this must be their choice. They should have access to the fullest and best medical advice in making their choice but in the last analysis the choice must be theirs and theirs alone.
The anti abortion movement seeks to deny women their rights. Whether they are killers such as Roeder or picketers outside clinics they have this in common. Dr. Tiller was very clear on this, he was risking his life to give women the right to choose and control over their own bodies. The anti abortion movement, whether it is the wing who believe in murdering doctors or the wing who wants to whip up this issue to get votes for the Republicans are guilty of the murder of Dr Tiller. They all have blood on their hands. They all have to be condemned.
Sean.
2 comments:
I am posting a comment from a Union activist I have known for many years who, like me, was in AFSCME. He had difficulty signing in and sent me his comments personally.
Richard
Hi Richard,
I tried to post this note to the blog that you helpfully forwarded. I don't know if my attempt was successful, however. Here's what I'd written:
Frank
I knew Dr. Tiller for years, though not well.
I also know the anti-choice crazies, all too well. I've been personally, physically attacked by them and then they pressed charges against me as the supposed initiator of the attack. Fortunately, an acquaintance made a video of the incident, saving me from arrest. I'm 70 years old and quite disabled.
The "pro-lifers" from Operation Rescue West have driven their large bobtail "Truth Truck" to block a peace march just weeks prior to Bush's invasion of Iraq, loudly blowing a trumpet to drown out the voices of the marchers. When I attempted to block the truck by laying down in front of me, they swerved around me. I rode the bumper to the end of the march path in the next town.
They regularly verbally and sometimes physically assault both women whom they feel are seeking pregnancy termination and their often elderly escorts.
A Wichita "leader" of this crew is Cheryl Sullinger, convicted for her role in planning a clinic bombing in California.
These con artists raise huge amounts of money and pay themselves handsomely, calling them "gifts" rather than wages, so as to avoid payments of taxes. They buy luxurious properties for their "ministry" so their protesters can live rent free.
The Operation Rescue West tax status was revoked three years ago, but I'm sure they have a replacement scam up and running.
They also go around illegally demonstrating, deliberately provoking physical confrontations with police, then sue as the supposed "victims," getting huge nuisance settlements.
Many of them are quickly decrying the very violence which they've so assiduously fomented for years, acting as though they're only "peaceful" protesters.
One local nutcase "minister," Mark Holick, is said to have termed George's assassination, "a miracle."
I barely missed the Wichita vigil as I was returning from Tucson the evening of the murder. Topeka's Fred Phelps, the ORW bosom buddy and GI funeral protester, was packing up his "God Hates Fags" traveling show as I arrived.
George was an extraordinarily courageous individual. He will be much missed.
"Pro-life" what a crock! Anti-choice and pro-death is more like it. These are the same people who want to cut childcare, preschool. Once these children are born they want nothing to do with their care. That doctor was brave for what he did.
And the government defends them. How? Amazingly if you march down a street with a group that wants to end the war you may be considered a terrorst but be a white middle-class christian bomb planter and you're "pro-life".
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