Home
News
In Focus
Business
Metro
Nation
World
Sports
Feature
Opinion
View more »Opinion Columns
Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
Restaurants get off to a quick start thanks to game-changing policies
High service charges on event ticket refunds call for further regulation
Sunday
- Subscribe
Related News
Anti-abortion extremists unleash 'reign of terror'
Source: Agencies |
June 15, 2009, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE patients are gone and so are the protesters. Once the site of daily anti-abortion picketing, the Kansas clinic in the United States, run by murdered doctor George Tiller is busy only with workers shutting down the facility.
But as an uneasy peace settles over Wichita, abortion rights supporters say the fatal gunshot that closed Tiller's clinic is part of a wave of attacks threatening to and, in some cases, succeeding in stopping women's access to abortion.
Tiller's murder on May 31 was one of more than 60 threats and incidents of violence so far this year, according to the National Abortion Federation, an association of North American abortion providers.
"It's a reign of terror against abortion providers," said Vicki Saporta, the federation's chief executive.
Saporta is part of a coalition of abortion rights leaders who met last week with Justice Department officials to plead for more protection for abortion clinics. In recent years, US clinics have been bombed, set on fire, threatened with anthrax and acid, and physicians have been stalked and patients harassed.
During the first half of 2009, along with 67 burglaries, assaults and other violent incidents, there have been 1,400 reports of hate mail and harassing phone calls received by clinics, the highest level in a decade.
Debate over abortion intensified this spring when Tiller was prosecuted on charges he illegally performed some late-term abortions, in the third trimester of pregnancy.
Opponents hoped Tiller would be convicted and his clinic closed, but he was acquitted in March.
Tiller was shot dead while attending church, and an anti-abortion activist was charged for the murder.
Last Wednesday, a Memphis women's clinic was evacuated because of a bomb threat. That same day, two men were convicted of fire-bombing an Albuquerque abortion clinic.
But as an uneasy peace settles over Wichita, abortion rights supporters say the fatal gunshot that closed Tiller's clinic is part of a wave of attacks threatening to and, in some cases, succeeding in stopping women's access to abortion.
Tiller's murder on May 31 was one of more than 60 threats and incidents of violence so far this year, according to the National Abortion Federation, an association of North American abortion providers.
"It's a reign of terror against abortion providers," said Vicki Saporta, the federation's chief executive.
Saporta is part of a coalition of abortion rights leaders who met last week with Justice Department officials to plead for more protection for abortion clinics. In recent years, US clinics have been bombed, set on fire, threatened with anthrax and acid, and physicians have been stalked and patients harassed.
During the first half of 2009, along with 67 burglaries, assaults and other violent incidents, there have been 1,400 reports of hate mail and harassing phone calls received by clinics, the highest level in a decade.
Debate over abortion intensified this spring when Tiller was prosecuted on charges he illegally performed some late-term abortions, in the third trimester of pregnancy.
Opponents hoped Tiller would be convicted and his clinic closed, but he was acquitted in March.
Tiller was shot dead while attending church, and an anti-abortion activist was charged for the murder.
Last Wednesday, a Memphis women's clinic was evacuated because of a bomb threat. That same day, two men were convicted of fire-bombing an Albuquerque abortion clinic.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
