Dr. George Tiller Speaks: Reproductive Freedom, Women's Right to Decide, and a Vision for a Better World

"We have given war, pestilence, hate, greed, judgment, ego, self-sufficiency a good try, and have failed. We need a new paradigm that consists of kindness, courtesy, justice, love, and respect in all our relationships." - Dr. George Tiller, March 2008

The last few weeks have been rough for a lot of us in the progressive movement. Violence, hatred, and anger seem to abound in the world, and it is easy to get frustrated amid the fray.

As a student in March 2008, I attended the National Young Women's Leadership Conference sponsored by FMF. At the conference Dr. Tiller spoke about his experiences as a late abortion provider, his hopes for the future, and reproductive freedoms.

We've uploaded some clips from his speech below:

This man worked tirelessly to provide women in impossible situations with options. He suffered through legal and physical attacks, and risked his life every day to keep coming back. If anyone had reason to get frustrated and angry, he did. What is most poignant to me is that he didn't succumb to that hatred; instead, he kept alive a vision of a better world, and worked toward that world each and every day.

I think we all could learn a lesson from Dr. Tiller's words - I know I have.