Dr. Carhart, who briefly took over Dr. Tiller’s practice after Dr. Tiller was murdered in May, is now taking his place as primary target of abortion protester harassment.
Until Dr. Tiller’s murder, I shared the common misconception that a late-term abortion was the result of a late-term change of plans – after six or eight months of pregnancy, the parent-to-be simply changed their mind. After reading lots of stories from people who’d undergone a late-term abortion, I realized that a late-term abortion is typically pursued after the discovery of devastating fetal deformities, and the loss deeply mourned.
One comment (which I can’t find now) described watching Dr. Tiller get out of his armored car, flanked by body guards, in front of his clinic stepping into a mob of protesters shouting about murder. That image, more than any of the tear-jerking stories from people who had to end much-wanted pregnancies, solidified my enormous respect for Dr. Tiller. The courage it must have taken him to face that mob and risk his life every day, after decades of threats and actual violence, makes him a hero.
They say Dr. Tiller was considered a saint within reproductive health circles, and based on what I’ve read, I’m inclined to agree. I don’t doubt that Dr. Carhart is just as exceptional. As one of two late-term abortion providers in the United States, Dr. Carhart no doubt faces all the same threats and takes the same precautions.
I’m sure each doctors knew that he could switch to a less controversial specialty and simplify his life a great deal. But at the same time, I suspect they can’t. I don’t think a person can dedicate so much of their lives so passionately to something and then just walk away. Although should Dr. Carhart chose to do precisely that, I wouldn’t blame him in the least. He’s doing important work at huge cost to his personal liberty and sense of safety, I don’t think anyone could fault him for trying to claim some of that back.
Tags: abortion
