Dr. George Tiller: In Memoriam

I have to be sad. I have to bring up what happened today because it's not letting me go. When my mother told me on the phone I started sobbing, and I've been fairly miserable ever since. Every smile, every laugh comes with the sharp realization that something monumental happened in the arena of reproductive rights today. Dr. George Tiller, one of the only doctors in the country who performed abortions past 21 weeks, was shot dead while he stood as an usher in his Lutheran church.
Dr. Tiller was a controversial man who performed controversial work. Even many pro-choicers are iffy on third trimester abortions. But I have read first-person accounts from his patients, some who have had their beloved, wanted baby die inside of them and chose to D&E (often traveling hundreds of miles to reach Dr. Tiller) rather than wait, in agony, for labor to begin so they could deliver their stillborn child. From those who found out that giving birth would severely put their health at risk, so they chose to abort. From those who discovered this late in the game that their baby is most likely going to be affected with a serious illness or life-changing diagnosis. These women sent notes to Dr. Tiller, the one man in the area, if not the entire country, who was able and willing to help them terminate their pregnancies. They told him he saved their lives. And yet today, his life was taken as he stood handing out programs at church- a place where people are supposed to feel safe, comforted and at peace. It's sickening.
All I can hope for is that the pro-choice movement will galvanize, rally, make enough noise so that his death wont be in vain. If one person sitting on the fence of the abortion debate hears of this and says, "wow, the pro-life campaign is full of crazy nutjobs," he wont have died in vain. Even if pro-choicers hear of this tragedy and decide to donate their time and resources to Planned Parenthood or NARAL, his death wont be in vain. I'm choosing to look at this in the most positive light because I refuse to dwell on the vile element of society who are full of such hate and hipocrasy that they would perform such an action. They don't deserve our thoughts or our awe at 'how they can do this.' The best thing we can do is strengthen the pro-choice movement and constantly reflect on Dr. Tiller's good work and the many women and couples he's helped. His work will never be forgotten. It's up to us to advance the goals he held dear and work to keep reproductive freedom available to all women.
I have never in my life felt more devoted to the pro-choice movement than I do at this moment. I hope others feel the same way.