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| Wherever you stand on the abortion issue you have to admire the success of the anti-choice movement. They have even controlled the language of the debate. How many of you think of the movement as the pro-life movement in stead of the antichoice movement? |
Through aggressive civil disobedience, the blockading of clinics, and with the use of intimidation, fear and violence they have consistently made it harder and harder for women to have access to an abortion in a safe medical clinic. This movement can now boast as being part of the Republican base and is successful in electing candidates to office who oppose abortion. You have to respect the ability of the anti-choice movement for doggedly organizing and pushing for their agenda. |
The anti-choice movement has been able to separate itself from the violence that it incites. While we hold Islamic leaders responsible for the violence their followers commit. we have not held the anti-choice movement responsible for the violence their chanting of death and murder have incited. Violent action does not grow out of mutually respectful discourse. Extremists are given permission and motivation out of the language of hate and the demonizing of the opposite side. |
The anti-choice movement has been successful in making it difficult for young physicians to get an education in abortion. Thus the formation of Med Students for Choice. But even if you manage to be trained to do abortions you graduate from med school with debt and go to work in a clinic or hospital that will not allow you to perform abortions. Why? Because they do not want to take the risk of conflict with the anti-choice movement and the potential risk to the bottom line that it may create. |
The anti-choice movement has claimed the moral high ground by claiming to be a religious movement guided by Jesus’ high moral convictions. However, absent from it are Jesus’ seminal teachings of non-violence, compassion, love, service and forgiveness. Christianity teaches the golden rule “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This teaching is also absent from the anti-choice movement. The efforts of the anti-choice movement have not decreased suffering in the world as is the goal of so many important Christianbased social organizations which serve so many. |
In the last year I have met several abortion providers. They are dedicated and courageous people. Many of them are children of the ’60s and ’70s, idealists who believed in serving other people and who witnessed an America without safe legal abortion. What most of these people have in common is that they are close to retirement. Without young medical students able to follow in their footsteps time is on the anti-choice side. Given the current situation in time we may see safe medical abortion increasingly hard to find, simply due to attrition. |
There has never been a more important time in the abortion debate for those who believe in choice to get involved and act. With an amendment to the healthcare bill that would restrict access to abortion, possibly one of the biggest successes of the anti-choice movement and with the natural attrition of abortion providers, women’s access to safe abortion is threatened more then it ever has been since Roe v. Wade. |
While the anti-choice movement may succeed in making safe legal abortion unavailable in this country, it will not make the need for abortion go away. This of course will not affect women of means. As in the past they will go to Canada, or Mexico, or even Europe. In some cases well paid OB-GYNs will perform abortions for their clients and call it a D&C. It will of course be the voiceless women trapped in poverty or abuse or both that will suffer. They will have that additional child they do not want, or they will risk the fear and possible consequence of death after seeking an illegal abortion. |
I am proud to be married to Susan Cahill, an abortion provider. Abortion is a small part of her practice, maybe 10 to 15 percent of her patient base. The rest of her practice is family medicine. Susan believes as did her mentor, Dr. Armstrong, that abortion services should be provided in a family practice setting in a respectful compassionate environment. Because of who my wife is, she has even provided abortion services for the families of people who have picketed her office with the same respect and caring she has for all patients. She is part of the solution not the problem. |
My wife will retire in the not-too-distant future, and in the current environment there may be no one to take her place. Abortion providers like my wife need your support. They need you to get involved in any way you can to support access to legal abortion. They need your supportive words. |
This support will not come from the medical community. They are not leaders but followers. It will have to come from women and men who want their mothers, daughters, sisters, and all the women in their lives that they love and respect to have choice. |
Martinez is a resident of Kalispell., MT |