No Dignity For NBC

Michele Kort, Senior Editor of Ms. Magazine recently posted about the recent Law and Order episode "Dignity," based on Dr. Tiller. The original post is here


By Michele Kort, Senior Editor

Anyone who’s watched the long-running NBC series Law and Order—the original, not the spinoffs—knows that its stories are often “ripped from the headlines.” So it wasn’t all that surprising that the October 23 episode, entitled “Dignity,” was obviously inspired by the murder this past spring of Kansas abortion provider Dr. George Tiller in his church.

What was shocking, though, was how the screenwriters used Tiller’s assassination as a jumping-off point to debate whether it could be considered a “justifiable” homicide and whether Roe v. Wade has somehow become outmoded. Although the murderer of the fictional doctor is ultimately judged guilty, the final verdict of the teleplay is probably expressed best when one of the district attorneys says, “Roe v. Wade could stand another look.” Thus the whole legal doctrine, which serves as the basis in the U.S. for women’s rights to birth control as well as abortion, is thrown into question.

We expect that Law and Order will tackle controversy, and use its characters as mouthpieces for competing viewpoints. One cop takes a pro-choice line, the other an anti-abortion stance. A similar pro-con occurs in the district attorney’s office as they plan their prosecution. One nurse defends the doctor’s work, while another quits her job over a fictionalized late abortion case in which that fetus is born alive, then euthanized.

But we’re never allowed to develop any real understanding of the need for late abortion or the circumstances that confront women. While the screenwriters include exposition that explains the most common reasons for late abortion—catastrophic fetal anomalies, pregnancies as the result of rape of children, life-threatening conditions for the pregnant woman—they choose to focus on a case about a fetus with a serious but survivable skin condition. That serves to trivialize the preponderance of late abortion cases, where it’s far more likely that the brain or other vital organs are missing.

Indeed, the murdered doctor is branded a fanatic and a murderer himself, rather than a brave and compassionate human being. When a fellow doctor stands up for him vigorously in court testimony and says that abortion providers won’t be stopped from their work, the district attorney concludes, “So now we know there are fanatics in both camps.”

Anyone who knew George Tiller, as a friend or coworker or patient, must have been appalled by this second assassination, even if it was only of the character variety.

Perhaps most alarmingly, the judge in the case allows a “justifiable homicide” defense—which has never been allowed in a U.S. court—and so the extremist rhetoric that links abortion to murder is allowed to get quite an airing on the show. These arguments themselves are given “dignity” since they’re expressed by someone identified as not being an extremist fanatic. The screenwriters thus fail to recognize that such a rationale can be just the “license to kill” that extremists need to justify their murderous actions against abortion providers and their staff: Nine have been killed since 1993.

Yes, it was just television, constructed for maximum dramatic conflict. But this episode of Law and Order was not only insensitive to the recent grief over Dr. Tiller’s death and the reality of his compassionate treatment of his patients, but it was dangerous in offering such a large public platform to anti-abortion rhetoric and distortions of medical facts. By equating the arguments on both sides, the show has failed to understand how false but vehement arguments are a precursor to unrelenting harassment and even brutal violence.

If you want to express your displeasure over this episode, write to the executive producer of Law and Order, Rene Balcer, at 100 University City Plaza, University City, CA 91608.

And if you want to read the truth about the life, work and dignity of George Tiller, read an excerpt from “A Man who Trusted Women” in the Summer 2009 issue of Ms.

Photo Credit: Steve Rhodes from flickr.com

The very real anti-choice terrorist threat

There has been some debate in the wake of the Tiller assassination about free speech, and many are questioning whether the murderer was acting as a "lone wolf" or as a member of a larger terrorist network.

On The Rachel Maddow Show last week, GW constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley argued that Scott Roeder is not a terrorist but rather one crazy guy "at war with the world."



I strongly disagree with Turley's assessment of the situation. Roeder is not a loner, but an active member of the anti-choice movement. People underestimate the sophistication of the anti-choicers, evidenced by this astounding manual Amanda Marcotte of RH Reality Check brought to light last week. While four bumbling ex-cons who can't even tell they bought fake bombs are given the "terrorist" label (a categorization with which I agree) quickly and without question by law enforcement and the media, there is resistance to acknowledging the very real threat of the anti-choice movement.

Anti-choice groups have realized that the right to choose is constitutionally sound and that it is difficult to overturn Roe v. Wade through legal means, as they have been trying to do for thirty-six years. Instead, they use terror to scare abortion providers and limit the procedure's availability to women. The news has reminded us time and time again this past week that Dr. Tiller was one of the few physicians in the country who performed late abortions. The implication is that low number is due to a moral choice, when in reality so few doctors are willing to put themselves in that risky position, a choice for which I do not blame them. Dr. Tiller faced an assassination attempt in the 90s, multiple threats against himself, his family, and staff, acts of vandalism at his clinic, and millions of dollars in legal fees before his tragic murder. Those working against him were not exercising their right to free speech--they were terrorizing him, his loved ones, staff, and the women he helped everyday.

We are not dealing with people carrying a couple of "choose life" placards and rosary beads. This article from the New York Times describes the typical scene at Dr. Tiller's clinic:

"trucks bearing enormous images of bloody fetuses, the signs offering the home addresses of clinic workers, the crowd of protesters yelling to women as they enter."

They are all gone now, as the clinic remains shuttered, its future uncertain. Sadly, the future of the thousands of women Dr. Tiller served is also uncertain. They are the other victims of this terrorist act.

Best of the Feminist Blogosphere

I've spent a good part of the day reading the many articles and essays about Dr. Tiller that are floating around the feminist blogosphere. Some of the most touching, thought-provoking, and well-written:

On George Tiller and the Profound Power of Language
Megan at Jezebel writes about the power of words and the environment that encouraged Dr. Tiller's assassin.

The Circle Continues
RH Reality Check covers Dr. Leroy Carhart, the heroic doctor who is temporarily taking over Dr. Tiller's clinic.

Where will women go now?
Broadsheet at Salon addresses the remarkable scope of Dr. Tiller's good work, and wonders what will happen to all the women he would have helped in the future.

The Murder of Dr. Tiller, a Foreshadowing
Cristina Page points out the patterns of clinic violence and worries that there is more to come, at Huffington Post.

Patients Remember Dr. Tiller
Jill at Feministe compiled the recollections of the many men and women Dr. Tiller helped, some of whom would not be alive today without him. A must read for anyone who has ever had doubts of the need for late-term abortions.

More on Dr. George Tiller

We are all still in shock here, but we are trying to both mourn Dr. George Tiller and guarantee that clinics and providers around the country are adequately protected.

Here are some links while we try to sort everything out:

From Feministing: A list of vigils honoring Tiller. Some of the campus team will be attending the vigil at the White House at 6:30 tonight.

Important reading from Gloria Feldt at Salon: George Tiller Needs More than Candlelight Vigils.

Learn more about FMF's National Clinic Access Project. Since 1989, NCAP has mobilized volunteers and law enforcement agencies to protect reproductive health clinics, while working with legislators to enact stricter legislation against violent anti-choice forces. If you work at an abortion clinic and worry that you may be in danger, call 703-522-2214 and ask for Margie Moore, director of the NCAP.

Murder of Dr. George Tiller – Statement of Eleanor Smeal, President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 31, 2009
Contact: Alice Cohan 703-522-2214 | Susie Gilligan 310-556-2500

Murder of Dr. George Tiller – Statement of Eleanor Smeal, President

The Feminist Majority Foundation is deeply saddened and outraged by the assassination of Dr. George Tiller at his church in Wichita, Kansas, this morning. We have worked closely with Dr. Tiller for many years in the hopes of preventing such a tragedy.

The tragic news of his murder, unfortunately, does not come as a complete surprise. Dr. Tiller has long been the target of anti-abortion extremists, surviving a previous assassination attempt in 1994 by an Army of God follower.

Dr. Tiller, who I knew for more than twenty years, was an extraordinarily courageous and dedicated women's health physician. Dr. Tiller was fully aware of the danger he faced, but was determined to ensure that women nationwide with troubled pregnancies had access to the best medical care that could be provided. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family and his dedicated clinic staff and medical personnel.

Dr. Tiller’s murder is not an isolated event. Dr. Tiller was harassed, threatened, shot five times (in 1994), his clinic was bombed in 1986, and most recently this month was maliciously damaged by anti-abortion extremists. We are concerned about the safety and lives of other dedicated personnel and doctors—not only in Kansas, but several other states. The Feminist Majority Foundation is working with clinics and law enforcement to ensure the security of reproductive healthcare physicians and staff during this period of heightened concern.

###

Since 1989, the Feminist Majority Foundation has run the National Clinic Access Project (NCAP), the nation’s oldest and largest clinic defense program. NCAP works with local law enforcement to ensure safe access to women’s reproductive health clinics, to increase safety for women’s healthcare workers and physicians, and to bring perpetrators of anti-abortion violence to justice.

Press Release here: http://www.feminist.org/pdfs/Tiller%20Press%20Release%205-31-09.pdf