You might not know who Dr.
George Tiller is or understand why he was gunned down in church as he
served as an usher. You probably didn’t know that Dr. Tiller survived a previous assassination attempt over a decade ago and that various anti-abortion
organizations dubbed him a mass-murder and a baby killer.
Dr. George Tiller’s Wichita
practice was the site for daily protesters, who objected to Tiller’s
administering late-term abortions. His death by the hands of a rabid pro-life
supporter may have ended Tiller’s life but won’t do much in stopping women from
terminating their pregnancy. Which raises the question: Why attack a doctor who
is offering a service that women are demanding?
It’s estimated that 3,700 illegal
abortions are performed each day. That comes to about 1.37 million a year. Abortion was criminalized throughout the U.S.
between the late 1800s and 1973. But during that time, millions of women sought
and obtained abortions anyway. These “back alley” abortions were performed on
kitchen tables, back rooms, using coat hangers and no medicine to numb the
pain. Thousands of women lost their lives as the result of botched abortions or
infections caused by the amateur procedures.
We all know at least one woman
who has had an abortion, imagine her dying because she had to seek the services
of an unprofessional? Are we really trying to go back to those times?
It’s no secret, we live in a
hypocritical society. A society that is outraged by murder as along as the
victim isn’t someone we hate. We want to tell others what to do but don’t want
any restrictions placed on ourselves. Too often we forget that America
is a free country. Free meaning not imprisoned or enslaved; being at liberty.
Free meaning not controlled by obligation or the will of another.
In 1973 the Supreme Court ruled
on Roe v. Wade, making it legal
for a woman to abort her pregnancy for any reason, up until the
“point at which the fetus becomes viable.” Finally, women had the
freedom to decide what was best for their bodies.
For so long men who dominated
politics were left in charge to decide what was best for women and some
politicians are still trying implement laws regarding a woman’s right to
choose. Today, some of the most vocal anti-abortion supporters are men—Bill
O’Reilly, anti-abortion activist Randall Terry, director of the National Right
to Life Committee David N. O’Steen to name a few. You don’t see women telling the government to
enforce vasectomies for men. Lord knows this man needs one:
VIDEO:
Instead of feuding pro-life vs.
pro-choice, why aren’t folks demanding that the government make condoms or the
birth control pill free? Why aren’t people protesting outside of the chain drug
stores that lock
up condoms and force already embarrassed customers to ask for assistance?
(Have you noticed that this often happens in the hood?)
Before we get to abortion, there
are many safe sex options that should be promoted and de-stigmatized. For
example, there are still some women who are too embarrassed to demand a partner
use a condom. Some people truly can’t afford condoms or medical insurance to
cover the cost of birth control.
As a woman, no as independent
thinking human being, I want to exercise full control over my body. If the
government can’t tell me what faith to practice, job to have, where to live,
what to eat, why should they or anyone else holding a protest sign be allowed
to dictate what is right for my womb?
– CH
The X Fact(her) is a weekly column that appears on 99problems.org. Started on Inauguration Day 2009 by the League of Young Voter’s Education Fund, 99problems.org is
a non-profit initiative that aims to keep young people engaged in the
political process through activism and community involvement. Please
visit 99problems.org to find out how you can get involved right now! For more on Chloé A. Hilliard visit www.chloehilliard.com
