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George Tiller's Murder Was Terrorism

But despite her fear, abortion clinic worker vows to stand strong

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 3, 2009 7:59 AM CDT

(Newser) – Abortion clinic worker and activist Heather Corinna doesn’t support the Patriot Act, but the murder of Dr George Tiller appears to “fits squarely in its definition of domestic terrorism,” she writes for the Guardian. Abortion clinics have been dealing with this kind of violence and intimidation since the 1970s, and all of it—the clinic bombings, assaults on doctors, the outcries of war, and publication of providers’ home addresses—fit our government’s standard for terrorism.

These attacks aim to scare and intimidate the women who come to clinics and the doctors who serve them. And they do make staffing the clinics difficult. But they won’t succeed in cowing Corinna and her colleagues. “We stay because we know women need us to,” she writes. “We’re scared sometimes, but not scared enough to leave women without choices and without care.”

A memorial is seen outside Women's Health Care Services in Wichita, Kan., Tuesday, June 2, 2009. The clinic was owned by Dr. George Tiller, who was gunned down Sunday.
A memorial is seen outside Women's Health Care Services in Wichita, Kan., Tuesday, June 2, 2009. The clinic was owned by Dr. George Tiller, who was gunned down Sunday.   (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
John Pride, of Wichita, Kan., walks past a memorial outside Women's Health Care Services in Wichita, Kan., Tuesday, June 2, 2009.
John Pride, of Wichita, Kan., walks past a memorial outside Women's Health Care Services in Wichita, Kan., Tuesday, June 2, 2009.   (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Linda Hughes, of Wellington, Kan., places flowers on a memorial outside Women's Health Care Services in Wichita, Kan., June 2, 2009. The clinic was owned by Dr. George Tiller who was murdered Sunday.
Linda Hughes, of Wellington, Kan., places flowers on a memorial outside Women's Health Care Services in Wichita, Kan., June 2, 2009. The clinic was owned by Dr. George Tiller who was murdered Sunday.   (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
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We didn't become scared for the first time on Sunday. We've always been afraid; we have always had cause to be afraid. - Heather Corinna

Abortion is an issue of the heart. Until one understands the heart of a woman, nothing else about abortion makes any sense at all. - Dr. George Tiller

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 20 comments
rajanKazhmin
Jun 4, 2009 7:29 AM CDT
Christian terrorism.
Robert_Dada
Jun 3, 2009 9:13 AM CDT
His motivation was for a non-personal political/social cause he felt was worthy of his personal sacrifice. It was an act intended to punish the doctor as well as to scare those who act the same or support it: terrorism.
Robert_Dada
Jun 3, 2009 8:53 AM CDT
wwwonderer, what you are referring to is micro politics at the gang level. That's not what I'm referring to. I'm referring to an ideological belief that is rooted in religious, macro-economic or otherwise large social structure they believe requires radical change.

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