[personal profile] moominmuppet
I'm finally home from work and able to get to LJ again. I've got a huge number of articles about Dr. Tiller and his work to post.

First of all, Caleb devoted a portion of his podcast to Dr. Tiller today and made me tear up all over again:

http://cdn2.libsyn.com/blacktiemartiniclub/George_Tiller.mp3

Secondly, I've heard confirmation about date and time for the Cleveland memorial for Dr. Tiller.

Pilgrim Church in Tremont, Wednesday evening, 7pm.

I don't have any other details right now, but I'll pass them along as I receive them.

Thirdly, I want to pass along this piece and project by friends of mine: http://www.hopeforchoice.blogspot.com/

I know all of them personally, I know their dedication, and I will swear on my honor that every penny will go where they say it will.

I don't know whether to use a mourning icon or a fighting icon for how I'm feeling right now...

I'm going with fighting. We're all in pain, but what I'm hearing over and over again is more people stepping up, recommitting to protecting each other, caring for each other, and standing on the front lines where we're needed. We have suffered a great loss, but it is not a zero sum game, and it is most certainly not a great gain for their movement as the extremists would hope. It's their own defeat, disguised. And we are stronger than their death threats and their violence.

I've scheduled to be at Preterm this Saturday (I was originally going to take Mushroom to the vet). I need to be there, and I need to look in the faces of those folks on our sidewalks that we've heard advocate "justifiable homicide" in both covert and overt ways. Escorting's a bit like Judo, from what I understand of the sport. We don't take action against them. We wouldn't even be out there if they weren't -- we'd be home, sleeping off hangovers or catching time with our partners, or what-have-you. And we don't verbally interact with them, regardless of the type of taunting, unless we need to warn them they're violating the law. It's purely reactive, but remarkably powerful, and it reminds me deeply of dealing with bullies when I was young. They hate nothing more than failing to get the reaction they're seeking. The terrorists are seeking fear and retreat. They fail. We will continue to care for the women and men who come to our clinics; we will protect their rights and ours, we will provide compassionate service when it's most needed. The extremists will not succeed in distracting us from that, nor in scaring us away. I have great strength, and I choose to use it in the service of protection, not aggression. All they've succeeded in doing is making me love all my marvelous, courageous, amazing friends and community more fiercely, and with renewed dedication.

I used my grief today to educate. I'm truly friends with a good number of my coworkers, enough that this is a subject they'd mention to me, or they'd notice I was upset. When we talked, it was a good feeling to share by explaining what kind of man he was, why late-term abortions are so desperately necessary, and how cruel the choices at that stage are. I talked about how he took care of his patients and their families; the baptism and cremation availability, the chaplain service, the grief counseling. With Dr. Tiller, there's nothing more powerful to combat the false common falsehoods and their implications, that to simply tell the truth of his work. To make people stop, and think, and empathize, both with the people in these hellish situations, and with the doctor who cared so much he risked his life every day to continue providing service. A couple thanked me for explaining what was going on, because they had been so uncomfortable with the whole "late-term" issue, so I feel like some small seeds have been planted.

And now I need a bit of an emotional break before I post any more about this. I'm going to spend some time with Grafton and our very cool couchsurfer.
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moominmuppet

October 2024

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