Like many activists on both sides of the abortion issue, I’ve been following the murder of the abortion doctor George Tiller.  Even as a pro-choice activist, I can still see the point of the pro-life side.  Now, however, I have a new take on the whole issue which is worth sharing.

Yes, Dr. Tiller was an abortion doctor who performed late-term abortions.  Some people see this as murder.  Some people believe murderers should be put to death (especially in light of the fact that these were ‘legal murders’ and not likely to stop).

Others view these late-term abortions as justifiable homicides.  Most states, including Dr. Tiller’s Kansas, have quite reasonable restrictions regarding late-term abortions.  Late-term abortions are legal if the fetus is found to have a disease which will prevent it from living, one that wasn’t caught earlier in the pregnancy.  For example, if the neural cavity doesn’t close properly and the brain is exposed, then it might be best to abort (because the chance of the baby surviving at all are very slim).

When it comes to the mother’s health, however, these situations are not so cut and dry.  Dr. Tiller was one of the few doctors who would perform late-term abortions for rape victims who simply couldn’t handle it.  In some cases, the mother would have died giving birth, such as the case where a 9-year-old was raped by her father.  In less clear decisions, the mother was deeply suicidal, such as the 14-year-old raped by her uncle and thrown out of her home.  Apparently, whenever the baby kicked she relived the rape, and she just couldn’t take it.  Late-term abortions, in almost every state, are for valid reasons only.  They are cannot be used as ‘contraception’ in the way early abortions can.  It is only the definition of what is or is not a valid reason that changes. 

My point is, who determines what is valid by law?  Our judicial system makes that determination, and our judicial system is governed by the will of the people.  The same people who determine that it is wrong to murder also made it legal to perform abortions.  This is the power of democracy, and one of the important things to remember about democracy is that sometimes you have to follow the rules of the majority even when you don’t personally believe in them.  That is how our society is able to function.  When Scott Roeder took the law into his own hands and assassinated Dr. Tiller, he not only acted illegally, but un-democratically and, in essence, un-patriotically.  You cannot protect the sanctity of the moral structure of a nation by going against the majority’s moral code, even if that code goes against your personal beliefs or values.

So whether or not you believe in abortion, that does not give you the right to be in defiance of the law.  Protest the law itself and work to change it if you feel it is wrong.  If you want to be a member of a democratic society, follow its rules.

REFERENCES:
Prustice Blog: Dr. Tiller’s Medical Reasons for Late-Term Abortions
Our Bodies, Ourselves: My Late Term Abortion
Warner Blogs NY Times: Tiller Rape Case
Hampton Roads: Vigil Held for Slain Doctor (another rape case)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Tiller