An Open Letter to the Wichita Shooter Who Killed Abortion Provider Dr. George Tiller

To the shooter:

If you are reading this, I know you feel justified in your act of entering a church with a loaded gun, and shooting a doctor to death in front of his family and friends. I know you felt righteous in your motives as you sped from the scene in your blue Ford Taurus, your head spinning with all the Pro-Life slogans and fund raising letters, expertly designed to induce such hate. You probably even thought Bill O'Reilly might call you a hero.

I can imagine your motivation, thinking the killing of this one man would save the lives of babies who have not yet even been conceived. But you are wrong. The murder you committed will not change women's minds, or their determination do what they know in their hearts is right. When a woman makes the decision to have an abortion, she does so with great reverence, forethought and clarity. Women have done this since the beginning of time, and will continue to do so regardless of your misplaced passions or judgment. Women like Julia, who spoke before the Texas legislature on the subject of late term abortion: Julia knew she needed an abortion to save her dear and much loved baby from needless suffering. The baby in her womb suffered from a condition known as arthrogryposis. In her testimony Julia explained:

The ultrasound showed that Thomas had clubbed hands and feet. His legs were fixed in a bent position and his arms were permanently flexed straight. He had a cleft palate and swelling on his skull -- a condition that would likely kill him in and of itself. Due to his inability to move, Thomas's muscles had deteriorated to 25% or their usual size, and his bones to 25% of their usual density.

My husband and I were sent home to grapple with the news and face an unwelcome decision: whether or not to continue with the pregnancy. By the time the amnio results came back, we had two days left to make a decision before hitting the 24 week mark -- after which, no doctor in Texas would terminate a pregnancy. The results were devastating. Our son had no chromosomal disorder. There was no explanation at all for his condition, and as such, no way to predict the scope of his suffering. We would have to make our decision based strictly on what the ultrasound had revealed.

My husband and I decided that we would have to use the golden rule. We would do for Thomas what we would want done for us in the same situation.

We tried to look at the evidence as honestly as we could. Even the best case scenario was abominable... Thomas would lead a very short life of only a few years at the very most. During those years he would be in constant pain from the ceaseless, charley-horse-type cramps that would rack his body. He would undergo numerous, largely ineffective surgeries, just to stay alive. He would never be able to walk or stand; never grasp anything, never be able to hold himself upright. He wouldn't even be able to suck his own thumb for comfort. And this was only if we were lucky. The more likely scenarios tended toward fetal death and serious health complications for me.

We made our decision with one day to go and left for Houston where we would end Thomas's suffering in one quick and painless moment. Though we wanted to stay at home that was no longer an option, as all of the hospitals were religiously-backed and there was no time to convene an ethics committee hearing.

In Houston, God graced us with some of the most compassionate people we'd ever met. The first was our maternal-fetal medicine specialist, who confirmed that the prognosis was even direr than originally thought. In a procedure very similar to an amniocentesis, Thomas's heart was stopped with a simple injection. In that moment, as I held my husband's hand, I met God and handed him my precious boy to care for, for all eternity.

Over the next 17 hours I labored to deliver Thomas's body. It was a painful experience, but the only option given to a woman at 24 weeks gestation. Thomas Stephen was born into this world just after 6:00 a.m. on November 27, 2002 -- the day before Thanksgiving.

The loving nurse who'd helped us through labor cleaned his fragile body and brought him to us. We held our boy for the next hour as we said goodbye. Our own eyes confirmed what our hearts had already come to know: that Thomas was not meant for this world. The hospital's pastor joined us and we christened Thomas in the baptism bonnet I'd worn as an infant.

Thomas's life and death have changed our lives in ways we will never fully comprehend I know he made me a better mother, a better friend, and a less judgmental, more compassionate human being. I know he is the reason I have the courage to stand in front of you today.

Through him, I've grown closer to God, who understands what it is to sacrifice your only begotten son in the name of mercy.

*The full transcript of Julia's story and related comments can be viewed at her blog: Uncommon Misconception.

Dr. Tiller was an expert in the medically difficult late term abortion procedures described in Julia's story. He was a rare and gifted specialist, who knew his calling, and was determined to do his duty, no matter how harsh the threats, or how dangerous the conditions. Dr. Tiller met women like Julia each and every day, and he knew he was their only hope.

Long time Ohio Women's Rights advocate Kelli Arthur-Hykes broke into tears when she heard the news of Dr. Tiller's murder:

"So many women call me. They find my crumpled business card and call me because they have no where else to turn. In situations of late term abortion, I send them to Dr. Tiller, because there is no one else who can do what he does. We send women all the way from here in Ohio to Kansas, because he is the only doctor in this part of the country who has the experience to handle these medically difficult situations of late term abortion. I send them to Dr. Tiller, because there is no one else who can do what he does. What will these women do now? On Monday morning they will be in his clinic. Where will they go now? Many of them could barely afford the trip to Wichita, and now they will have to find somewhere else to go, but I don't know of anyone with his experience or degree of medical expertise. This is a tragedy beyond belief. It is clear the movement has not just lost a real hero, but the women in our very own community have lost yet another choice.

After talking to Kelli I spoke with former Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Gloria Feldt who summed up the feelings of all the women I have talked to today:

"I want to hear massive outrage on the part of the community. I want to start with president Obama. I want to hear it from congress. I want to hear it from clergy. This must not be tolerated period."

The women of this country need to stand up right now, loud, unified and strong, and send a message we are in fact capable and qualified to make our own medical decisions, and we demand the right to do so under the law.

To the shooter, I can only hope judgment will cometh, and cometh right soon.

Comments

[rsaleh27]

I do want to add that I think that the murder of that doctor is horrible. It's sad when people turn to violence to show how they feel.

[rsaleh27]

I myself am an adult with arthrogryposis. I identify myself as being liberal, however, I am conflicted when it comes to abortion. I know that having a disability in general has its negatives, but I know that arthrogryposis is not a horrible disorder. I know the disorder can vary from child to child, but most people with arthrogryposis do lead normal lives, and I think normal life spans as well. My parents told me that I was twisted like a little chicken when I was born, and thankfully with physical therapy and surgeries, I was able to improve dramatically, and now I am living a wonderful life. I graduated from college, and am happily married. I believe that under extreme situations, abortion should be permitted, but I also believe that parents should learn more about the diagnosis that their fetus was given and definitely talk to families who have children with that condition, or people who have it themselves before making their final decision. To learn more about arthrogrposis, you can visit www.amcsupport.org.

[Raquel Vargas]

This is sooo true!! And i think that they should just make abortions illegal!! The women need to live up for their responsibi­lities..if they can't afford the child then they should have thought about that before..and there's always adoption..don't kill ur child.They deserve to have a life too..they deserve to breath...

[UncommonJulia]

I'm the Julia in this article.

I just wanted to point out that Thomas's form of arthrogryposis was one of the most rare, fatal forms. So rare that in the years since his birth and death, I learned more about the disease than most experts in this country.

In addition to what I mentioned in my testimony, we also learned that Thomas had calcification throughout his brain and he showed all of the clinical indicators of severe respiratory failure - which would have meant that had he survived the swelling of the brain, he would have been on a respirator until he died of his disease (as did 13 of the 13 infants mentioned in this study: http://books.google.com/books?id=53Csy-mr1bsC&pg=RA1-PA774&lpg=RA1-PA774&dq=necessary+termination+for+arthrogryposis&source=web&ots=W4LZ35BQs5&sig=AsCbCZWJ0oRyleHTeLbMJS7jwGs&hl=en#PRA1-PA769,M1 )

Furthermore, I wanted to say that we did EVERYTHING possible to learn about his disease during the two weeks we waited for his amnio results - including contacting the support group. Thomas's case is unlike anyone who is LIVING with the disease because, by definition, they're form is not fatal. His was.

Over the years, I've met and corresponded with several adults who are living with arthrogryposis, and some parents who have kids who have moderate cases. I am happy for all of these families that they aren't living our story. Every case is different.

[ann452012]

Julia what is the name of the rare form of the Arthrogryposis that Thomas had? Please use all necessary medical terminolgy to explain it, I am perfectly capable of looking up words I don't know the meaning of. It sounds as though Arthrogryposis was just a mere symptom not the name of the actual disorder/ syndrome that caused the combination of problems. If you have become an expert in the form of Arthrogryposis your son most likely would have died from of. You have a more specific diagnosis then just Arthrogryposis, right?

Arthrogryposis is not a disease, it a condition, a symptom! Arthrogryposis is an "umbrella" term meaning its a symptom of over 200+ diseases/ disorders &syndromes. Most people never receive the name of the disease/ disorder or syndome that is the underlying reason for the contractures &/ or other issues. I am a "limbs only" case of Arthrogryposis but I still have a diagnosis that explains the contractures. Its the most common form of the condition called Amyoplasia. Amyoplasia means lack of muscle development which in turns caused stiff joints.

For anyone who is interested in learning more about the condition of Arthrogryposis and other contracture syndromes I highly recommend the book The Arthrogryposis Text Atlas written by some of the worlds leading experts in the genetics of Arthrogryposis & affective approaches to the treatment of the joint contractures.

Here is a link to the book, in its entirety, free of charge:

tagonline.­org.uk/art­icles/Arth­rogryposis­TextAtlasB­ook.pdf its

[gayleg]

I am outraged, Gloria. Now what?

What do we do now?

[truthartbeauty]

It is no ones business but the womans....­..........­.period! this is sacred and MUST be maintained.

[LaurieAnn]

Absolutely! Woman are sovereign over our own bodies including the fruit of our wombs.

[onepotatotwopotato]

Good Shot!

[Tena]

Absolutely!

I have the same exact right to privacy in my own body that every man in America has - and that 's all there is to it.

[dan-o]

I am prochoice but I think there must be limits. Yes, late term abortions must be available if the mothers life is in danger or for some massive defect in the baby but late term abortions must not be available for no valid reason. As to the idea that you have final say over your body that is not true. There are plenty of limits placed by society on what you and I can do with our bodies. You cannot commit suicide (except for a few states for terminal illness), you cannot sell your body for financial gain(exception a few Nevada counties), you cannot get tatoos in certain cities and sexual activities are limited by age. So the idea that government cannot tell you what you can or cannot do with your body is false.

[Isis N]

However, regardless of what you think, women's wombs are NOT government property!

[rosiebond007]

It's the fanatics that make out that late term abortions happen for no particular reason.

I DOESN'T HAPPEN THAT WAY AT ALL.

Late-term abortions are quite rare and the facts bear this out - these fanatics just love the publicity and drama they can create.

Notice how many of the folks on the front line are MEN - WHAT DO THEY KNOW ???

PUT A LITTLE REASON INTO THIS DEBATE. - WE WOMEN ARE NOT STUPID NOR DO WE NEED OR REQUIRE MEN TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS FOR US.

GUYS - GO BACK TO WORK AND MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS.

[rwext]

you lose a lot by your line about Bill Oreilly.... With that being said ...My sincere question is when in the instance as described above , or when the mothers health is an issue , are there local avenues available in hospitals or OBGYN clinics ? And if not , why are not the pro choice people out there demanding ?

[Kelley Bell-Wenzlaff - Huffpost Blogger]

The reason I mentioned Bill O'Reilly is because he has rallied against Dr. Tiller on the air 27 times in recent months. -He is involved.

[Bobrobert]

What part of freedom of speech do we want to get rid of exactly???

Dr Tiller was killed by a wacko... do we want to shut up everyone who thinks abortion is wrong???

Do we want to dictate what kind of language is acceptable???

Where does reponsibility for personal statements become criminal...???

In your humble opinion O'Reilly is involved... in my humble opinion O'Reilly is not involved.

Do we really want the court to decide what can and cannot be said because some wacko may or may not do something stupid???

Does my saying that abortion places children ( things, fetuses, whatever the word choice may be) into the trash receptacle incite someone to terroristic acts???

Give me a break already.

[Wolfie79]

I live in the south, so I can tell you that, around here at least, it can be very difficult for POOR women to access clinics that will perform abortions. Just checking out the planned parenthood list of abortion providers available in my state (Tennessee), it appears that there are exactly 5 - yes that's right 5 - clinics that provide abortions.

Tennessee is a HUGE state, and 3 of the 5 clinics are in Knoxville, which is at the east end of our VERY LONG state. There is one clinic in Nashville (our state capital, and what we call 'Middle Tennessee') and one in Memphis (at the far west end of the state).

Now I happen to have the resources to drive to a major city if I ever decided to have an abortion, but what of all of the poor rural women who don't even own cars, much less have the resources necessary to make a cross-state journey? The procedure is already going to put a poor family in debt (though not as much as an unplanned pregnancy resulting in a child that one doesn't have the resources to support), so it's a shame that the cost of the gas money alone might be too much for a poor woman to afford.

[katielady]

here is my question to you.. rwext; why aren't the anti-right to health choice for women out there getting the molesters and rapists off the street? Why aren't y'all working for sex education in schools?
In answer to the ? you posed, many hospitals claim religious grounds though the reality is that they are afraid of the violence the anti-women protesters bring.

[UncommonJulia]

That is a legitimate question. The answer, sadly, is no. The options for women late in the second trimester are highly, highly restricted and have become increasingly limited by recent legislation passed at the state level, and at the national level during the Bush administration. There are almost no options at all, whatsoever for women in their third trimester. And now that Dr. Tiller has been murdered, there are even fewer.

We prochoice people are out there pushing and demanding something be done. Check out NARAL, NOW, and Planned Parenthood to see how.

[isadora]

Randall Terry also has given at least one speech (to a group of his adoring, Christian followers) charging right-to-lifers to to "Whatever is necessary to stop the 'killing.." People are judged conditionally and often harshly. "Innocent life" is all that matters. I wonder how much of these attitudes have the real intent of procuring grade A healthy white newborn infants for adoption by people like them. I think that the drive to reach common ground (preventing unintended pregnancies) is not desired by the trigger happy 'right to life' gang. I believe that among such judge, jury, and executioner minded moralists there is a wish FOR such pregnancies to occur in order to provide acceptable babies for the worthy. Watch out. These folks will kill a man on their hit list in order to get their way--and their infant commodities.

[jayhuff2086 052609]

Dear Mrs. Bell-Wenzlaff:

I cannot even begin to imagine the overwhelming magnitude of the pain and suffering your family are walking through.

Words seem wholly inadequate at times like these. All I can say is that my kindest thoughts and sincerest prayers are with you and your loved ones. Be strong.

Jay

[LeftRight]

I'm still trying to understand the logic of someone going vigilante to end a person's life in the 200th or so trimester, when they have trouble with women getting abortions in the 1st trimester....

[Marefur]

Logic?

[meko]

The only life that matters to them is a 10-week-old fetus. Anyone who might disagree with them is no longer innocent.

[Wolfie79]

From the movie "The Birdcage":

Albert: [discussing abortion] Oh, I know what you're going to say. "If you kill the mother, the fetus dies too." But the fetus is going to be aborted anyway, so why not let it go down with the ship?"

I guess that the right wingnuts agree with this Jonathan Swiftian logic?

[LMPE]

I want Scott Roeder prosecuted to the full extent.

[rwext]

yes we all do.....

[dan-o]

He's being charged with first degree murder- you can't get prosecuted to the full extent more than that.

[ThinkCreeps]

Well, that's one step down from the most serious charge that could be filled: capital murder.

[meko]

They won't prosecute as a capital crime. First-degree murder is the next step down.