WE'VE MOVED!


As part of our big, new redesign of the Alliance for Justice website, the Justice Watch blog has moved. To be sure you're getting all the latest news about the fight for a fairer America, visit us at www.afj.org/blog

Monday, June 1, 2009

Somber News

Yesterday, well-known reproductive rights advocate Dr. George Tiller was shot to death in his church while attending services. Dr. Tiller was one of the few practitioners in the U.S. supporting late-term abortion in instances related to rape, incest and the mother’s health and served as Medical Director of the Women's Health Care Services clinic in Wichita, Kansas.

We are deeply saddened by the killing of Dr. Tiller, who put his life on the line as an advocate and provider of vital services to women and families. He had lived through a previous assassination attempt, as well as multiple assaults and bombings on his clinic, but through those threats of violence he courageously continued his work. According to the New York Times,
Dr. Tiller’s death is the first such killing of an abortion provider in this
country since 1998, when Dr. Barnett
Slepian
was shot by a sniper in his home in the Buffalo area. Dr. Tiller was
the fourth doctor in the United States who performed abortions to be killed in
such circumstances since 1993, statistics
from abortion rights’ groups show
.

Alliance for Justice joins reproductive rights advocates around the nation in honoring Dr. Tiller and his commitment to social justice. If you would like to learn more about remembering Dr. Tiller and the contributions his work has made to advancing the rights of women every where, check out Feministing’s list of vigils happening around the country.

1 comment:

Bethie said...

The comments of Ms. Smith are appalling and frightening. I cannot understand how a follower of Jesus Christ can hold these vindictive and uncompassionate views. Such hatefulness is antithetical to the Christian Gospel. Religious extremism, whether in the middle east or in the United States of America, whether in the name of Jesus Christ or Allah, is dangerous to our communities, our nation and our world.

The Constitution of the US provides a legal framework for abortion rights and limitations. Judeo-Christian teaching provides guidance for individual conscience and moral decision making. I hope religious fanaticism will not be allowed to undermine either.