Responding to the Murders of Abortion Providers Nationwide
by Refuse & Resist!
We all know why the KKK doesn't dare to march in Harlem. The question is, why do the Christian fascists not face the same response when they come to murder abortion providers?
Look at what has happened: December 30, 1994, clinic workers Shannon Lowney and Leanne Nichols are shot to death, 5 others wounded. August 19, 1993, Dr. George Tiller is shot and wounded. August 21, 1993, Dr. George Patterson is shot to death. July 29, 1994, Dr. John Britton and James Barrett are shot to death and June Barrett is wounded. March 10, 1993, Dr. David Gunn is shot to death. In addition there have been attempted murders, kidnappings, bombings, arsons, and countless threats.
How long would the Klan be able to shoot down people in Harlem? There are some things that the people in their wisdom simply do not allow to go down.
Paul Hill, the assassin of Dr. Britton and Mr. Barrett, authored a statement that was signed by at least 25 other antiabortion activists that publicly called for the murder of doctors who provide abortion services. All this was well known to the police and FBI before the latest murders. Doesn't that tell us something?
If we are serious about protecting the lives of women and clinic staff, two principles must guide our work in assuring safe access to abortion for all women who want and need them.
First, we must create a climate in which it is impossible for the Christian fascists to wage their attacks. Large numbers of women and men must step up to the front line to defend their clinics, their doctors, and each other.
Second, we know we cannot rely on federal marshalls and police forces. relying on Big Daddy has the effect of demobilizing our own forces, and simply getting more women and doctors killed. We ourselves are the ones who have to create a situation where the anti-woman goons are the ones afraid to show up at women's clinics.
We must uphold women's right of self-defense against armed attacks by these thugs. At this point it would be criminal to demand of those women who are ready to defend themselves and their doctors that they must remain passive in the face of armed attacks. We are not the ones creating this violence. And we reject as insulting the idea that the women who defends herself against violent assault is somehow just the same as the misogynist conducting the assault.
One effect of the mounting violence against abortion providers is just what its perpetrators intend: to intimidate both providers and defenders. USA Today quotes one clinic official as saying, "In good conscience, it will be hard to ask volunteers to be out there on the sidewalks without protection." The other effect is the growth of those who refuse to be intimidated and who strengthen the defense of staff and clients.
We need to build our movement in the way that makes us stronger, not weaker and dependent. Some in our movement will disagree with self-defense and will help to protect the clinics in other ways. We will respect their stance as we know they will respect ours, because we need everyone. But doctors who continue to provide abortion services put their lives on the line every day for us. We cannot allow them to go on being killed.
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