Anti Abortion Terrorist Kills Women’s Health Care Provider

On May 31, 2009, Dr. George Tiller, one of the nation's few providers of late-term abortions was shot and killed while at church. This is one in a long line of women’s health care providers, that were murdered including Barnett Slepian in Buffalo in 1998 or shot including unnamed physician that was shot at in his home in October of 1998 in Rochester, NY. <!--break--> Although, rarely covered in the news the anti abortion terrorists have continued their crusade against women’s health care clinics, providers, workers and patients. The definition of terrorism in the American Heritage Dictionary is &quot;The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons&quot; Since the early 1970’s antiabortion terrorists have used a variety of tactics including, but not limited to, murders, bombings, anthrax threats, assaults and stalking in an attempt to terrorize providers and close women's health care clinics . James Kopp, who was convicted of murdering Dr. Slepian , did not elude capture for years and escape to another country on his own. There was an organized network to assist him. In an article for FAIR in 1995, Laura Flanders, host of GRIT TV, wrote an article titled “Far-Right Militias and Anti-Abortion Violence: When Will Media See the Connection?”, used the word terrorists back then. Acts of violence has continued against providers, clinics, workers of women's health clinics, as well as their patients. According to the 2008 Feminist Majority National Clinic Violence Survey, 20% of clinics reported severe violence with blockades, invasions and stalking as the most reported acts. Patients are also experiencing harassment and intimidation including, blocking access to clinics, noise disturbances, ie. verbally harassing, photographing and videotaping patients and recording license plate numbers. So as we mourn the lost of a dedicated provider of women’s health care, we can hope that the government and corporate media will finally label this murder for what it is, an act of terrorism. I won’t hold my breath though. You can click on the links below to see the sites that were used for this article and to read Laura Flander’s article. http://www.fair.org/extra/9507/militias-anti-abortion.html http://www.prochoice.org/about_abortion/violence/violence_statistics.html http://www.feminist.org/rrights/clinicsurvey.html

<p>On May 31, 2009, Dr. George Tiller, one of the nation's few providers of late-term abortions was shot and killed while at church. This is one in a long line of women’s health care providers, that were murdered including Barnett Slepian in Buffalo in 1998 or shot including unnamed physician that was shot at in his home in October of 1998 in Rochester, NY.</p> <!--break--><p>Although, rarely covered in the news the anti abortion terrorists have continued their crusade against women’s health care clinics, providers, workers and patients. The definition of terrorism in the American Heritage Dictionary is "The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons" Since the early 1970’s antiabortion terrorists have used a variety of tactics including, but not limited to, murders, bombings, anthrax threats, assaults and stalking in an attempt to terrorize providers and close women's health care clinics . James Kopp, who was convicted of murdering Dr. Slepian , did not elude capture for years and escape to another country on his own. There was an organized network to assist him. In an article for FAIR in 1995, Laura Flanders, host of GRIT TV, wrote an article titled “Far-Right Militias and Anti-Abortion Violence: When Will Media See the Connection?”, used the word terrorists back then. </p> <p>Acts of violence has continued against providers, clinics, workers of women's health clinics, as well as their patients. According to the 2008 Feminist Majority National Clinic Violence Survey, 20% of clinics reported severe violence with blockades, invasions and stalking as the most reported acts. Patients are also experiencing harassment and intimidation including, blocking access to clinics, noise disturbances, ie. verbally harassing, photographing and videotaping patients and recording license plate numbers.</p> <p>So as we mourn the lost of a dedicated provider of women’s health care, we can hope that the government and corporate media will finally label this murder for what it is, an act of terrorism. I won’t hold my breath though.</p> <p>You can click on the links below to see the sites that were used for this article and to read Laura Flander’s article.</p> <p><a href="http://www.fair.org/extra/9507/militias-anti-abortion.html">http://www.fair.org/extra/9507/militias-anti-abortion.html</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.prochoice.org/about_abortion/violence/violence_statistics.html">http://www.prochoice.org/about_abortion/violence/violence_statistics.html</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.feminist.org/rrights/clinicsurvey.html">http://www.feminist.org/rrights/clinicsurvey.html</a></p>