Dr. George Tiller

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As the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade approaches, Ipas is following the murder trial of Scott Roeder, charged with first-degree murder for the killing of abortion-provider Dr. George Tiller last May. Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health has released two new videos of Dr. Tiller in commemoration of the 37th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. 

The murder case of Scott Roeder, the man charged with the first-degree murder of abortion-provider Dr. George Tiller in Wichita last May, started in earnest this week, beginning with motions hearings and jury-selection. Roeder is charged with the shooting of Tiller as the doctor was serving as an usher in the foyer of his church on May 31, 2009. Tiller was one of only a handful of doctors in the United States willing to perform abortions later in pregnancy, and he was a target for anti-choice threats and harassment throughout his career. 

In order to commemorate Tiller's life, as well as the anniversary of the legalization of abortion thirty-seven years ago, Ipas partner Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health has released two new videos of Dr. Tiller. These videos, recorded in 2001, show Dr. Tiller explaining why he became an abortion provider and continued to provide needed services to many women despite so many repeated threats on his life. "For women, abortion is a matter of survival," Dr. Tiller explains. “I would prefer personally to have a challenging, stimulating, emotionally and spiritually rewarding career that is short, rather than have a long one that is filled with ho-hum, mundane mediocrity, feeling as if you don’t make any difference to people.”

As we celebrate Roe vs. Wade, we pause and reflect on the words of those on the front lines in the fight for reproductive rights, including those we have lost. While it is important to recognize how far women have come, it is also necessary to recognize the ongoing threats to women’s reproductive health and freedom, both in the United States and around the world. Sometimes, the struggle for safe, legal abortion is deadly. No one knew this better than Tiller, who stayed in the fight until his death because of his deep conviction that he was providing a lifesaving service for women. As Tiller says in his 2001 interview, “Abortion services are a heart issue. It’s a heart issue.”

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