The Last Abortion Doctor

[ccharles000]

For thirty-six years, Warren Hern has been one of the few doctors in America to specialize in late abortions. George Tiller was another. And when Dr. Tiller was murdered that Sunday in church, Warren Hern became the only one left.

The young couple flew into Wichita bearing, in the lovely swell of the wife's belly, a burden of grief. They came from a religious tradition where large families are celebrated, and they wanted this baby, and it was very late in her pregnancy. But the doctors recommended abortion. They said that with her complications, there were only two men skilled enough to pull it off. One was George Tiller, a Wichita doctor who specialized in late abortions.

They arrived in Wichita on Sunday, May 31. As they drove to their hotel, a Holiday Inn just two blocks from the Reformation Lutheran Church, they saw television cameras. They wondered what was going on, a passing curiosity quickly forgotten.

But when they got to their room, the phone was ringing. Her father was on the line. "There was some doctor who was shot who does abortions," he said.

They turned on CNN. Dr. Tiller had just been killed, shot in the head as he passed out church leaflets. In their shock, they mixed up the clinic and the church: We were supposed to be there. What if it had happened while we were there? What if he couldn't complete the procedure?

Now there is only one doctor left.

http://www.esquire.com/features/abortion-doctor-warren-hern-0909

[villager]

1. was glad to see our Democratic administration's swift use of RICO afterwards, to prevent any further

.... oh wait.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

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[villager]

11. So you're defining "obnoxious disruptor" as "people I disagree with?"

typical.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[villager]

14. you mean like the heightened rhetoric of your last post? No that was you, not me

I'm merely pointing out here that the reason "the last abortion doctor" is now in increased jeopardy, is because of previously ineffective responses to earlier bouts of rightwing terrorism -- Republican administrations encourage it, and Democratic administrations (the previous one, and so far, alas, this one) seem merely to look the other way....

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. His point is very valid

I live in Kansas and can report the FBI has done absolutely nothing to make any abortion providers or clinics safer since Dr Tiller was murdered. The Operation Rescue folks have tripled their numbers in front of our few remaining clinics. One clinic was vandalized, the manager called 911 and the police refused to come take a report.

This is indeed a very real and valid concern.

[ccharles000]

2. kick

[ccharles000]

3. one last kick

[JHB]

4. kicko

:kick:

[PDJane]

5. Another kick.........

Because it's a really important topic.

[Horse with no Name]

6. Powerful piece.

I have never heard of ANYONE getting a late abortion recreationally and I have never heard of ANY physician performing one for less than a good reason.
It is a necessary procedure and because of the zealots, it is probably one of the most dangerous jobs in this country.

Abortions are a constitutionally protected medical procedure.

I have to wonder how those who feel that it is okay to murder people who are doing legal jobs would feel if someone came in and murdered their family members for nothing more than just doing their job.

K&R

[Solly Mack]

7. K&R

"People don't get it, he says. After eight murders, seventeen attempted murders, 406 death threats, 179 assaults, and four kidnappings, people are still in denial. They say, Well, this was just some wingnut guy who just decided to go blow up somebody. Wrong. This was a cold-blooded, brutal, political assassination that is the logical consequence of thirty-five years of hate speech and incitement to violence by people from the highest levels of American society, including but in no way limited to George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Jesse Helms, Bill O'Reilly, Jerry Falwell, and Pat Robertson. Reagan may not have been a fascist, but he was a tool of the fascists. George W. Bush was most certainly a tool of the fascists. They use this issue to get power. They seem civilized but underneath you have this seething mass of angry, rabid anger and hatred of freedom that is really frightening, and they support people like the guy who shot George — they're all pretending to be upset, issuing statements about how much they deplore violence, but it's just bullshit. This is exactly what they wanted to happen."

[MountainLaurel]

9. Great piece

And such a vital topic.

[csziggy]

10. K&R

[TheWraith]

13. Kicking and recommending...

I hope like hell that in coming years Tiller's death isn't going to be seen as the first of many.

[Eyerish]

16. K&R nt