The reproductive rights movement was shocked and dismayed when Dr. George Tiller, a well known provider of safe abortions, was shot to death in his church in May 2009. He was known to have worn a button that said on it "Trust women," and this was the motto on which he based his morals as a doctor and human being -- that women are citizens who have the capacity to make their own decisions regarding their bodies especially in regards to reproductive health care.
Today, his murdered was convicted of first degree murder as well as two other assault charges and sentenced to life in prison, with possibility for parole after twenty five years. Considering the fact that the feminist blogosphere has already extensively covered Dr. Tiller's murder and its implications for the reproductive rights movement, I wanted to focus my blogging on a slightly less obvious but, in my opinion, equally socially important fact that Dr. Tiller's murder revealed about American society at large. Actually, I would specifically like to discuss how the coverage of Dr. Tiller's death in the mainstream media seemed to me well... disturbing.
It seemed to me that the man who killed Dr. Tiller (whose name I refuse to mention) should be classed as what he is -- a terrorist. A terrorist is someone who kills or commits acts of violence in order to further political or religious beliefs. Surely, the reason Dr. Tiller was targeted was because he was a prominent and outspoken abortion provider. However, when I see the CNN headline covering his conviction on my google homepage, I do not see the word "terrorist." No. I see "activist."
In my mind, the word "activist" does not promote the image of a violent murder in a church. It brings to mind peaceful people (whether or not I agree with their politics) exercising their first amendment right to free speech, a right central to the functioning of the United States as a democracy. I shudder to think that we think of mudering as behavior typical of an "activist."
It seems to me that in America, there is this strange idea of who can be a "terrorist" and who is simply an "extremist activist." Terrorists use bombs, terrorists are anti-American. Terrorists are Muslim, not "Christians" fighting for "right to life." I think some awareness needs to be brought to the fact that just because a terrorist's politics are more or less popular with the public does not make them any more or less of a terrorist. There needs to be a strict definition in our minds, and people must stick to it. Without this definition, we get to pick and choose who see as an evil murderer and who we see as passionate martyr because of how much we can sympathize with the cause the person supposedly represents. And when we do this, it seems to me we are compromising the values on which America stands. It seems to me that we will never truly acheive nonviolent conflict resolution until we decide that murder for a political or religious cause is never appropriate, never even slightly sympathetic. It is wrong. It sets the conversation back. It undermines our country's principles. Worst of all, it steals from the world people like Dr. Tiller who had vibrant lives, careers, and --most tragically -- families.