Trust Women

I can't stop thinking about the horrible murder of Dr. Tiller, the doctor in Wichita, Kansas, whose clinic provided services to women who needed a late term abortion. I went to a vigil/demonstration in center city right after he died. There were lots of women my age there and also lots of young women. I felt good about that. By and large, the older women were sad and weary. How many marches and demonstrations have we've gone on and how many more do we have to attend to make a difference.

In contrast, the younger women were angry and not afraid to show it. At first when I saw their slogan, "Abortion on demand and without apology!" I thought, uh oh wrong message for the public and the TV cameras. Better to be calm, be rational, talk about access, talk about choice, talk about women's health. But later I thought what's the point of being rational to irrational to people who are willing to kill, to murder to assassinate others who don't believe as they do.

What's even worse, their terrorist tactics have worked. Dr. Tiller is dead; his clinic permanently shuttered; doctors successfully discouraged from performing life-saving procedures; women in deadly danger and denied the necessary care.

That night I watched a TV commercial for Viagra or Cialis--basically an expensively and expertly produced presentation promising sex on demand and without apology to men. Need I say more.