The Vigil for Dr. Tiller

[browngirl]

How do I sum up this experience?



I could write about the uplifting parts -- the full church, the singing of "We shall not be moved" as we paced out of the sanctuary, the wonderful things I learned about Dr. Tiller as a really nifty-sounding human being, about the reproductive rights movement, about how brave thespian is. "Trust women," Dr. Tiller said, and on hearing (and seeing) those words last night, as a woman I felt very affirmed in my sentience and humanity.

I could write about what made me cry -- did I mention Thespian's courage? How brave the woman was who told us about her coathanger abortion? Or the former pro-life activist who stood up, told us that, and pledged herself to protecting abortion providers? Or those providers, several of whom stood up to speak? (All of whom were gray-haired. Apparently, fewer and fewer medical schools teach the procedure of an aborton, which is profoundly chilling.)

I could write about religion -- how oddly familiar it felt to bend my head for the prayers, the little speech Rev. Katherine Ragsdale gave explaining the choice of "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God", the way I thought of telling my parents that after years away I've attended a church service, and why. I'm not cruel enough for that last, though.

Then there were the bits that were, well, fun. Thespian leaning on me and being saucy about dripping wax. ceo spotting people (Thespian when we were gathering, qwwrty across the street). drglam, hammercock, cthulhia, beowabbit. Before everything, Red Ted getting me on the way, Tigerlily giving me candles and plates and hugs. And after everything, apparently, we were shown on Fox News at 10 last night. I hope I wasn't scratching my forehead. Or that I haven't just gotten the school in lots of trouble. But I digress.

And then there were so many striking details. Even in progressive Massachusetts, there were women and girls who faced such difficulties obtaining the abortion they needed, or found out late enough that their pregnancies were not viable, that they had to cross the country to go see Dr. Tiller. There will be women and girls in these same difficulties who won't be able to go to him, now and what will happen to them? And this, from one of the letters that was read: "[Dr. Tiller] encouraged us to hold our babies." I'm putting my reaction to that in spoiler text because it's rather graphic: highlight to read. When aborting these unviable babies, he had the skill and took the effort to keep the fetus' bodies intact, in order to give their parents bodies to grieve over and say goodbye to. Hardly the act of a murderer slaughtering babies for kicks.

I could write about our shared rage, our reminders to each other to not be daunted, that this is an ongoing and important struggle, but, well, you can probably guess. I have never forgotten how important control of our reproductive lives is to women's freedom, no matter how many women want to abdicate that freedom for themselves in order to strip it from others, but I was reminded all over again.

I don't think I can sum up such kaleidoscopic impressions into a cohesive linear post. Besides, having jotted this down, I next want to look forward, to go figure out what I can do to protect and forward reproductive freedom. We've got a lot of work to do.

Comments

[kightp.livejournal.com]

Bless you for going, and everyone there for showing solidarity in this time of deep trouble.

[ailbhe]

Apparently, fewer and fewer medical schools teach the procedure of an aborton, which is profoundly chilling.

Fucking hell.

[purlewe.livejournal.com]

http://www.ms4c.org/

Most schools refuse to teach it as they don't want to be too controversal. But if they don't learn the procedure, they rarely perform it. We are creating a generation of doctors who will not know how to perform this medical procedure. It pains me.

Medical Students for Choice is a non-profit that helps train student doctors. I higly recommend looking them up.

[moondancerdrake.livejournal.com]

Let's hope that the people like him will not become too afriad to continue the work our sisters. mothers, and daughter need to protect them. He was an amazing man, respectful and kindhearted. May there be many more like him willing to stand for our rights to make choices about our own bodies. Yes, there is much work to be done and it's up to us to protect those putting themselves out there any ways we can.

[jilesa.livejournal.com]

Thank you for this-- for going and for documenting. It's important.

[cereta.livejournal.com]

Thank you for going, and for telling us about it.

[jenny_evergreen]

Mm. That highlighted bit got me...it's one of the things about miscarriages (and, so I gather, abortions) that only people who have been through appreciate...not being able to ever hold or see them.
I'm glad he understood about that.

I'm glad you went. I know I haven't said much, but it's not for lack of caring.

Trust the women...that really needs to be the pro-choice motto, in big huge letters.

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't worry about getting the school in trouble. You have a right to do what you want on your own time, and it's not as if you work for a Catholic institution.

[flabosib.livejournal.com]

I *knew* you'd stand tall last night!

I worry about what my daughter's future might look like....time to get more seriously involved. Not just for her sake, but for all our daughters and all their tomorrows!

HUGS!

[karadin.livejournal.com]

sigh, just today I saw on my flist a long rant from someone I've known for years, who begins ranting at women for 'not just keeping their legs shut' (shes in her twenties and a virgin, in her words, so she should know) and even in a case of rape, she'd keep the baby, which is a nice sentiment, for her, but obviously, unlike myself, she doesn't know anyone who has ever had an abortion, so it's easy for her to say 'I know most women have abortions like vaccinations'

And that's the mind set many will continue to have, until that rape, or mistake, or medical emergency happens to them, or a sister, or a daughter.

[gingicat]

Feel free to link her to my most recent entry.

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

Wow, it's nice for her that she's never been raped, or poor and desperate, or experienced a wanted pregnancy that wasn't viable, or experienced a pregnancy that threatened her physical and/or mental health or her very life. Too bad she can't see outside her own little world enough to see that her experience is far from universal.

[karadin.livejournal.com]

Yup.

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

yay. Thank you for going. I would have been there, but for work.

And yes, it can happen here, even in oh-so-liberal Massachusetts.

The laws banning abortion in Massachusetts are still on the books. They've never been repealed; as in many states, they're simply held in abeyance because of Roe v. Wade. I'm not entirely sure that they'd be repealed if Roe were ever substantially reversed, in no small part because of the influence the Catholic Church has on legislation and public life in Owah Fayuh Cawmmonnwealth. This state, progressive as it is, still has its share of social conservatives. (Think of the people who buy the Boston Herald.)

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you. *hugs*

[bearfairie.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

thank you for writing up your impressions of the vigil. I've been in so much shock around the whole thing I have't even had a reaction yet.

the highlighted bit made me cry a little. See, that's the part that I think folks on both sides miss - I think most women who choose to terminate pregnancies are perfectly aware of what a hard choice this is. And a doctor who valued the difficulty of the choice, and found ways to respectfully and compassionately hold that space of contradiction and ambivalence for women... his death is a huge loss.

*hugs you again*

[haddayr.livejournal.com]

THank you for sharing the information in white text about Dr. Tiller.

A friend of mine lost a child this way (she opted for inducing labor instead, but it's the same thing) and being able to hold her and say goodbye mattered so much. Dr. Tiller sounds like a wonderful doctor. Heartbreaking.

[juliansinger.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I had to work.

Thank you (and Chip, and Thespian, and everyone else) for going.

I have to actually look into volunteering.

[catalana.livejournal.com]

*hug* A very moving post.

[blythely.livejournal.com]

Thanks for talking about this. I had no idea about the lack of training in US medical schools.

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

Thank you for sharing. That's very disturbing that so few doctors are trained in abortions anymore (and probably many are afraid to take that on, given what happened to Dr. Tiller)...