Study: Abortion doctors, clinics 'routinely targeted'

[babylonsister]

Study: Abortion doctors, clinics 'routinely targeted'

By David Goldstein | McClatchy Newspapers


WASHINGTON — An abortion-rights group said Wednesday that doctors and clinics that perform abortions in six states "are routinely targeted" for legal and physical harassment, including death threats, and called on the Justice Department to do more to protect clinic workers.

In a report, the Center for Reproductive Rights said that women seeking to terminate pregnancies in those states face a dwindling supply of providers as threats and intimidation take their toll.

Nancy Northup, the center's president, said the number of physicians and clinics providing abortions has fallen by 25 percent since the 1990s.

Two of the states, Mississippi and North Dakota, have only one abortion provider. The other studied states were Missouri, with three, Alabama, with seven, Pennsylvania, with about a dozen, and Texas, with about 40.

Even in states with multiple clinics, however, most are clustered in urban areas, leaving women in less populous regions to travel long distances for the service.

The center concluded the study before the killing in May of Dr. George Tiller, who ran a well-known abortion clinic in Wichita, Kan. An abortion opponent has been charged with shooting Tiller inside his church as Tiller was serving as an usher during Sunday services.

"Dr. Tiller's murder focused attention on this problem for a moment, but people don't realize that abortion providers operate under siege, legal and physical, every single day," Northup said.

more...

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/72320.html

[onehandle]

1. If we would send These Terrorists to Gitmo, I would support keeping it open. nt

[BlueIris]

2. How is violence against providers NOT considered domestic terrorism?

I've always wanted to know that.

[babylonsister]

3. No clue. I wonder how many murdered docs it will take

before 'the law' takes this seriously.