An Abortion Provider Reacts to the Murder of Dr. George Tiller

Most days my job feels like any other job. I get up, chug coffee, and ride public transit across the city to face my 8 hour work day. I counsel patients before their abortions; we go over their medical history and discuss birth control, their feelings about the abortion, the facts about the abortion procedure, and aftercare — medical and emotional. This work doesn’t seem heroic to me. It’s necessary. The days are hectic, intense, but they end, and I can go home and live my life without thinking about abortion. 
Dr. Tiller, one of the few providers of late-term abortions in the US,  never had that luxury. Because of his murder this morning, I realized that no abortion provider ever really does. It is a dangerous mistake for us to feel a false sense of security, even if we are, like my clinic, located on the seventh floor of a tall building in a large, mostly liberal city. But how can we provide quality healthcare to patients and simultaneously protect them and ourselves from anti-choice extremists? 
I’ve worked with Dr. Tiller before, and despite whatever political or personal threats he was facing at the time, I know he provided professional, compassionate care to every woman who walked into his clinic. I called my boss in desperation after hearing about his murder, hoping to hear that we would hire a private security company to escort each of us to work and home each day.Of course, that’s not what’s happening, and I realized after talking to her that my job is more important now than ever. I am in shock and disbelief over the events of today, but we cannot be paralyzed by the acts of terrorists. The reality is that we need volunteer escorts to help patients get inside clinics safely. We need health educators to give women and girls accurate information about abortion. Instead of being afraid, instead of being angry, talk to your local abortion clinic and ask them what they need. I’m not going to be afraid on my ride to work tomorrow. I’m going in with my head held high, proud that I work in the same field as heroes like Dr. George Tiller. What are you going to do?