"Trust women. It’s not a lot to ask."

[KansDem]

Today is the third anniversary of Dr. Tiller's assassination. I thought I'd post this article--

What Would George Tiller Do?

Jessica Valenti on May 31, 2012 - 10:26 AM ET

Today is the three year anniversary of Dr. George Tiller’s assassination. On May 31, 2009, Tiller was shot and killed by Scott Roeder while he served as an usher in his Wichita church. Tiller was one of the only abortion providers in the country to provide late term abortions. He often wore a button that said “Trust Women.”

I wonder, if Dr. Tiller were alive today, what he would think about the unwavering attack against women’s reproductive freedom and bodily integrity—if he could ever of imagined that American women would still not just be fighting for the right to abortion, but for birth control. Or that there would be a national debate on whether or not it’s appropriate to call a woman who wants contraception coverage a “prostitute.” I imagine that even for a man who had seen a lot of misogyny in his life, that the current climate against women would be shocking.

Since Tiller’s murder, the legislative agenda against reproductive justice—and common sense decency—has been staggering.

We’ve seen mandated ultrasound laws that not only put an undue financial burden on women seeking abortions but that also require patients to be penetrated against their wills in order to procure a legal medical procedure.

Last month, Arizona passed a handful of anti-choice legislation—including one that defines pregnancies as beginning two weeks before conception. In Ohio a fetus “testified” in favor of an anti-choice law. The useless piece of meat surrounding the testifying fetus—what some call “the woman”—was silent

--more--
http://www.thenation.com/blog/168157/what-would-george-tiller-do

[gratuitous]

1. We can't trust those silly billies to know what's in their own best interests!

Don't be absurd. It's up to old white men to tell women what's good for them. And while we can't be trusting those wanton sex-having women to make their own health choices, we are more than willing to saddle them with an unwanted child because maternal instinct, God's plan and so forth. What could go wrong? Oh, and they need to learn the dignity of work, but don't neglect the child. And if there are any problems, well, you're on your own, Toots, and you should have thought of every possible eventuality before you got yourself pregnant. Any special needs (like food, clothing, shelter, health care, or other luxury items) your child might have are your sole responsibility, and don't go looking for any help from the government; all our funds are tied up in buying more and better weaponry. For defense. So you can enjoy your freedom. Now get moving, you're late for work.

[Quantess]

2. K & R