Today I am shocked by the news that abortion doctor George Tiller is killed (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-tiller1-2009jun01,0,7068875.story); He was one of the few American physicians who performed late-term abortions.
Not that I knew him. But..I had to think about my visit in 2007 to one of the most inspiring women in my life, Sarah Weddington (http://www.weddingtoncenter.com/). Then, I had a meeting with her in her office in Austin, Texas, to talk about women's rights in America. She is an American attorney and lecturer who gained world-wide fame with the Roe versus Wade case. Roe versus Wade is the historic Supreme Court decision overturning a Texas interpretation of abortion law and making abortion legal in the United States. The Roe v. Wade decision held that a woman, with her doctor, could choose abortion in earlier months of pregnancy without restriction, and with restrictions in later months, based on the right to privacy. With this case she was the youngest person to win a Supreme Court case (the highest court in the United States).
As a young female attorney, Sarah Weddington had to convince 11 male jury members of the Supreme Court that the most abortionlaws of the United States were unlawful because they were in contradiction with the constitution. She won the case, which was the beginning of the liberation of thousands of women in Texas and the United States to decide about their own body, life and future.
While I was in her office I had the privilege to speak with this wonderful woman, who has also been a succesfull politician and political advisor to Carter-registration (let me give you one detail: in the hallway she showed me her pictures, which one of them, dated on 1977, was very interesting: she stands next to president Carter with a very very young Bill and Hillary Clinton on the background).
Her office was full with papers and books and she talked in detail about this landmark decision about the abortionlaw. That she got letters from women around the US to thank her for the new law. But sadly, she also mentioned that some anti-abortion activists threatened her.. So, maybe now you understand, when I got the newsheadlines today on my Blackberry, I didn't dare to read the article. There was a possibility that it could be Sarah and I was terrified!
Having this said, the killing of doctor Tiller is not less terrifying.. Every form of terrorism should vanish forever. Every victim of terrorism could be you..
Sunday, May 31, 2009
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