afunnyfeminist:

rabbleprochoice:

stfusexists:

Two years ago today, Dr. George Tiller, one of only three practitioners providing late term abortions in the US, was viciously gunned down in church in front of his wife and other parishioners who tried to stop the shooter. He was an incredible man, who never intended to carry on his father’s practice after his parents, brother, and sister-in-law were killed in an aircraft accident. But when he moved home to Wichita to take care of his one year-old nephew, he found that his father had left behind a community of desperate women who needed services free of judgment. After one of these women died from a botched illegal abortion, Tiller took over his father’s clinic in 1970, and ran it for 39 years (in which time he was fire-bombed in 1986, and shot in his car 5 times in 1993).

In this article, various patients remember Dr. Tiller and how he affected their lives. I truly defy anyone, anti-choice or not, to read these stories and still be incapable of feeling any empathy for Dr. Tiller or his patients. 

Here are some of the comments from the source:

My beautiful, angelic son, Nathan Jack. Seeing him was one of the hardest things I have ever done, not being able to watch him grow up, or call me “Mommy” is something I will always grieve over, but knowing that we protected and saved him from an existence of hospital stays was our responsibility as loving parents.

This one was really powerful, to me:

 I was terrified. The moment I met the doctor, all of that ended. He was a wonderful and loving man. I came in on Monday and gave birth to our baby girl on Friday. We were able to hold her after, and say our goodbyes. That doctor will always be in my heart.

As was this one:

Dr. Tiller is a true American hero. The nightmare of our decision and the aftermath was only made bearable by the warmth and compassion of Dr. Tiller and his remarkable staff. Dr. Tiller understood that this decision was the most difficult thing that a woman could ever decide and he took the time to educate us and guide us along with the other two couples who at the time were being forced to make the same decision after discovering that they too were carrying children impacted by horrible fetal anomalies.

Be sure to visit and read, in-full, those stories. 

Love,

Rabble

Pro-choice or anti-choice, the perspectives of Dr. Tiller’s patients and their families are the only ones that really matter. Anyone who can read these testimonials and still justify Tiller’s murder or bans on late-term abortion are heartless sociopaths.