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I feel sick right now. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8076253.stm
"A prominent US abortion doctor has been shot dead at a church in Wichita, in his home state of Kansas.
Sixty-seven year-old George Tiller was killed just after 1000 (1500 GMT) at the Reformation Lutheran Church. Police say the attacker, a white man, then fled in a car. Local media report that a suspect is now in custody.
Dr Tiller, one of the few US doctors who performed so-called late-term abortions, had been vilified by some anti-abortionists. His clinic had often been the site of demonstrations, and he was shot and wounded by an assailant 16 years ago. Dr Tiller's lawyer, Dan Monnat, said he was gunned down as he served as an usher during a morning service.
George Tiller had survived an attempt on his life 16 years ago.
The shooting comes two weeks after President Barack Obama made a major speech on abortion at one of the main Catholic universities in the US. Correspondents say the president is attempting to defuse the abortion issue - a highly emotive subject in US public life - by arguing that while it should remain legal, the government should do all it can to limit the number of unwanted pregnancies.
But members of the anti-abortion movement have been angered by the president's reversal of restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and for family-planning groups which carry out or facilitate abortions outside the US.
Dr Tiller's killing, however, was swiftly denounced by anti-abortionists. "We denounce vigilantism and the cowardly act that took place this morning," anti-abortion group Operation Rescue said on its website.
A late-term abortion is the termination of a foetus beyond the 20th week of gestation, when it is potentially old enough to survive outside the womb. "
"PRO-LIFE" MY FUCKING ASS. I want to break stuff right now.
The Ottawa Morgentaler Clinic has asked for letter-writing assistance in countering the anti-choice 40 Days for Life vigil, as well as the Mother's Day protest in front of their clinic.
The City of Ottawa has given the anti's a permit to protest there. Please send a copy of your letter to Police Services, because they have often failed to respond quickly and adequately to calls from the Clinic about protester harassment of patients (although apparently they have recently improved).
The problem is not that protesters want to protest, it's the location. One's freedom of speech should not infringe on another person's right to access a legal and required medical service. If they want to protest, they can do that anywhere, but they should not be allowed to interfere with women accessing services, especially at such a vulnerable time when women need privacy. Laws and court injunctions in other jurisdictions have recognized this. Further, patients' stress and fear caused by protesters increase the risk of surgical complications, and picketers outside clinics increase the risk of violence or vandalism against clinics.
Please ask the City to rescind the permits because clinic protests violate women's rights and endanger their health, and foster violence against the clinic and its staff.
Also if you can, please write Letters to the Editor: http://www2.canada.com/ottawacitizen/letters.html.
Get the word out that the CITY is failing women and is more afraid of pissing off anti-choicers than it is about protecting the safety of women.
Here are the addresses:
Patricia B, Permit Services
City of Ottawa City Operations, Public Works
Traffic and Parking Operations Branch
100 Constellation Cres, 5th Floor WestNepean, ON
K2G 6J8
Tel 1-613-580-2424, ext 28164
Fax: 1-613-560-1333
AND
Superintendant K. Roberts
Ottawa Police Service
Central Patrol Division
P.O Box 9634, Station "T"
Ottawa, ON
K1G 6H5
Fax: 1-613-760-8098
________________________________
If you have questions or need more information, please contact Julie Lalonde at jlalond7@connect.carleton.co
Thank you!!!
