Stop the Colonization of Women's Bodies
5 June 2009
by Warren J. Blumenfeld
On Sunday, May 31, a gunman entered a Lutheran church in Wichita, Kansas, shot, and killed Dr. George Tiller, a Kansas doctor, champion, and courageous advocate for women’s healthcare services and reproductive rights. Earlier this month, vandals seriously damaged his clinic, and in 1993, an anti-choice fanatic shot Dr. Tiller in both arms outside his clinic.
We are witnessing a resurgence of anti-choice violence following a string of past violent actions:
1993: Dr. David Gunn was murdered outside his clinic in Pensacola, Florida
1994: Dr. John Britton and his clinic escort James Barrett were murdered outside their clinic also in Pensacola, Florida
1994: Lee Ann Nichols and Shannon Lowney, receptionists at two separate clinics in Brookline, Massachusetts were murdered
1997: Eric Rudolph bombed a women’s clinic in Sandy Springs, Georgia
1998: Eric Rudolph bombed a women’s clinic in Birmingham, Alabama. He murdered Robert Sanderson, a security guard and critically injured Emily Lyons, a nurse.
1998: Dr. Barnett Slepian was shot and killed at his home in Buffalo, New York
According to the National Abortion Federation, since 1977, there have been 8 murders, 17 attempted murders, 41 bombings, 175 arsons, 96 attempted bombings or arsons, 390 invasions, 1400 cases of vandalism, 1993 cases of trespassing, 100 butyric acid attacks, 659 anthrax threats, 179 cases of assault and battery, 406 death threats, 4 kidnappings, 151 burglaries, and 525 cases of stalking specifically directed at women’s health clinics, their workers, or their volunteers in the United States and Canada.
That is approximately 6,100 incidents of reported fanatical, harassing, or violent actions taken by members of the so-called “pro-life” movement.
Now let’s be perfectly clear, these acts were not taken by holy warriors on a mission to defend a deeply-help principle. No. These are murderers, fanatics, terrorists who use intimidation, harassment, threats, fear, and violence as their tools.
What we are seeing is a form of colonization, to control women’s bodies and, therefore, to control women’s lives, in an attempt to foreclose women’s life choices and options, to marginalize women, and keep women in the service of men.
It is no coincidence that most of these acts of violence against the pro-choice movement occurred during pro-choice Democratic administrations. On the other hand, when anti-choice administrations are in office, anti-choice groups feel they have an advocate in the White House and, therefore, don’t feel as compelled to engage in these horrific actions.
We must speak out against the colonization, and to memorialize Dr. George Tiller and all the others lost to the senseless violence, and speak out in favor of women’s healthcare services and reproductive freedoms, for these are, indeed, everyone’s freedoms.