A Call to Action for Reproductive Rights Advocates

Today, Tuesday, May 31, marks the two year anniversary of the day that Dr. George Tiller was senselessly murdered at a local church in Wichita, Kansas. Dr. Tiller provided reproductive health care services to women with complicated pregnancies. Even amidst protest and media slander, he did not stop helping his female patients and it eventually cost him his life. While it is a comfort to know that his murderer, Scott Roeder, was sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars, there is a large community of women who are left without a man who would have provided support and help to them in their time of need.

For me, the anniversary of the murder of Dr. Tiller brings into sharp relief the work that still needs to be done in the field of reproductive justice. On a national level, there have been even more threats to women’s health and reproductive rights than in past years. Leaders in the House were even willing to have the government shut down rather than allow Planned Parenthood to receive federal funding. But these fights do not only exist at the federal level; plenty of states have been trying to deny women access to reproductive health care too. In my home state of Virginia, the state legislature passed a law that would require abortion clinics to follow the same regulations as a hospital. Unfortunately, the costs associated with that would cause many clinics in the state to close their doors for business. Heated debates on the local level continue to wage on, spurred by the actions on the national level. Even at my own college, anti-choice students covered sidewalks and buildings with messages that only served to shame and harass women. While these actions may seem harmless, even small actions can enrage people and may ultimately lead to violent action.

With the battles that are occurring in Washington, D.C., at the state level, and even at the local level, it only makes me want to fight harder for reproductive justice and women’s rights. Dr. Tiller dedicated his life to helping women and that same dedication eventually cost him his life. I do not want his death to be in vain. It served as a wake up call to me to work even harder for my beliefs. The anniversary of his death should stand as a reminder of what we have done and what we still need to do to ensure reproductive justice for all.

Originally posted at Womenstake, the official blog of the National Women’s Law Center.