The New Abortion Providers

The New York Times ^ | 7-12-10 | Emily Bazelon

[mlizzy]

On a clear and mild March day in 1993, the Operation Rescue leader Randall Terry spoke at a rally in southern Florida against abortion. “We’ve found the weak link is the doctor,” he told the crowd. “We’re going to expose them. We’re going to humiliate them.” A few days later, Dr. David Gunn, an abortion provider, was shot and killed outside his clinic in Pensacola, Fla., about 500 miles away. It was the first of eight such murders, the extreme edge of what has become an anti-abortion strategy of confrontation.

Terry understood that focusing on abortion providers was possible because they had become increasingly isolated from mainstream medicine. That was not what physicians themselves anticipated after the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade. An open letter signed by 100 professors of obstetrics and gynecology predicted that free-standing clinics would be unnecessary if half of the 20,000 obstetricians in the country would do abortions for their patients, and if hospitals would handle “their proportionate share.” OB-GYNs at the time emphasized that abortion was a surgical procedure and fell under their purview.

But then most of the OB-GYNs left the stage. After Roe, the shadow of the greedy, butchering “abortionist” continued to hover, and many doctors didn’t want to stand in it. As mainstream medicine backed away, feminist activists stepped in. They set up stand-alone clinics to care for women in their moments of crisis ... Instead of a sterile and expensive hospital operating room, patients could go to a low-cost clinic with pastel walls and sympathetic staff members. At a Planned Parenthood I visited recently in Rochester, while women were having abortions, they could look at photos of a Caribbean beach, taped above them on the ceiling.

[mlizzy]

Caption of above photo: Dr. Rachael Phelps (left), an alumna of the Family Planning Fellowship. Dr. Emily Godfrey (right), whose specialty is family medicine, with a patient undergoing a routine checkup.

By taking jobs on university faculties, the young doctors avoid walking to work through a scrum of screaming demonstrators. “Some people like to live on the edge — I don’t,” said Emily Godfrey, a 40-year-old doctor who practices at a primary-care clinic at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she also does abortions. “I’m a Catholic girl from the suburbs. I’m a yoga student. I like calm and serenity.”

These women HAVE to know that abortion kills a baby. What they probably don't know completely is that they are wounding their mothers for a lifetime. No woman is bettered by abortion, only battered. Shame on these "doctors" who have allowed Satan to enter their hearts and work through their hands ... woe to all of them ...

[kalee]

Emily Godfrey, a 40-year-old doctor who practices at a primary-care clinic at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she also does abortions. “I’m a Catholic girl from the suburbs.

Catholic “girls” do not provide abortions.

[mlizzy]

Correct! Satan is after the Catholic Church 24-7. He’s been somewhat successful (certainly with the pedophile issue), but he’s not happy with that anymore ... he’s using his “baby,” abortion, to destroy at every curve ...

[muawiyah]

Just thinking she’s a “usttabea Catholic” ~ how sad.

[kalee]

Wonder how frequently she is in line for Communion on Sunday?

[RachelFaith]

Pictures of the Caribbean Ocean above them...

And the hot fires of HELL waiting for them below!

[mlizzy]

Exactly ... but the Eucharist is of no value to her ... which, of course, is how the devil can keep on keepin’ on ... oh, the prayers these “providers” require ...

[Irisshlass]

the young doctors avoid walking to work through a scrum of screaming demonstrators.

She lies..it is the pro-abortion clinic workers that scream and use violence.

[eleni121]

young doctors avoid walking to work through a scrum of screaming demonstrators

---

the only screaming happening is the universal existential “scream” of innocent souls being butchered - those “young doctors” - mengeles among them - had better pray hard.

[mlizzy]

Hey Irisshlass! Howdy! And you’re right. It *is* the pro-aborts that scream like crazy. Such anguish, pain ...

I’ve never been to a march where the pro-lifers yelled.

[mlizzy]

the only screaming happening is the universal existential “scream” of innocent souls being butchered - those “young doctors” - mengeles among them - had better pray hard.

You are correct! Link (graphic video of a late-term abortion).

[Irisshlass]

Howdy!!! With all the cameras today, the pro-lifers need to use them. I remember this time, (we were a nonconfrontational group, just prayed the rosary, 10 feet apart on our knees or we would be arrested) this guy walks out of the clinic with his girlfriend. Dyed red hair standing straight up on his head with crosses all his leather black jacket, crosses in his ears, nose, tattos etc. and he walks up to me and says, What would Jesus say about what you are doing, repeatedly and screaming. I said, What would Jesus say if he looked at you. Unbelieveable.

[mlizzy]

And did he have an answer for you other than the middle finger or “f” word ...

[Irisshlass]

I can’t remember what he said, but he kept shouting as he got in his car and speed off. It was probably more guilt, we pinged his conscience.

[Irisshlass]

I read this many years, I don't have the exact quotes or remember who the woman was that wrote the piece. But I found it true. Basically she stated that...

Abortion was for men and that it liberated men sexually.

Same old song and dance of abandonment. And that most women didn't want an abortion but were forced into them.

Men that think they are cool will say I can't tell a woman what to do with her body. She said, until they want her to do otherwise sexually.

Abortion doesn't liberate a woman sexually, only the man.

It is a man's thing.

The other is whether they know it or not, that abortion will affect them spiritually the rest of their lives (my words) unless they ask for forgiveness. I know people that have had abortions and they have all kinds of problems in their lives, depression, loneliness, isolation etc and don't have a clue it all goes back to that abortion.

[mlizzy]

Yes, I agree Irisshlass. Women find themselves in a situation they hadn’t planned for and the men won’t help them (even when begged!), except to drive them to the “clinic” possibly and kick in a few bucks.

[as1001]

regardless of your stance... you’re essentially stating that women have no ability to make decisions for themselves. that they’re weak and defenseless against the whim of a man. women are more than capable of taking care of a child on their own (of course, there are many services available to help with this). i highly disagree w/your gender stereotypes.

also, don’t make the mistake of thinking that there aren’t women who decide to have an abortion w/o male input.

[mlizzy]

A women who is pregnant (unplanned!!) is anxious, nervous, depressed (thus weak!) ... she needs all the help she can get ...

[as1001]

You realize that you can’t save people from themselves, right? Furthermore, you shouldn’t try to.

[mlizzy]

You realize that you can’t save people from themselves, right? Furthermore, you shouldn’t try to.

I would say that all pro-lifers try to save people from making decisions they'd later regret. And, of course, all pro-lifers want to save the lives of babies. Otherwise, they wouldn't march, protest, donate, and so on.