The Activist Doctor
Dr. O's radical roots run deep. Liberal grassroots activism was instilled by her mother, but Dr. O preferred to make her mark by practicing medicine rather than demonstrating at rallies. "I love what I do, it allows my political activism to be my day-to-day life."
The values of feminism gave shape to her identity. "To have a woman have the right to have her life be as it is, with the same rights that a man would have, is so paramount to who I am and what I believe, that for me to be able to hand a woman her life back in five minutes is really an honor and a gift and I love what I do."
Describing a twisted empathy towards her patients, she explains "they come in vulnerable... and they are willing to discuss anything...it is a privilege to be a part of." What she likes about owning her own practice, is the autonomy it affords her: "I can do it the way I want without someone else telling me how to do it and our goal is to normalize this. Over one-third of women will have at least one abortion, why are we not talking about it? Why are we acting like it's something bad?"
Her first job after residency was at Planned Parenthood where she received specialized training. Since then, she has not looked back. In her mind, there is "no other part of medicine that is more gratifying."
"Bringing up children in the 90's as an abortion provider was interesting," said Dr. O, "it was a lot easier in Seattle than elsewhere..."
One night, she was tucking her young daughter and a friend into bed. They were discussing children and babies, and her daughter's 8-year-old friend said: "you know, some people kill their babies before they're born." Dr. O's daughter innocently piped in, "Oh, that's what my mom does!" Laughter rippled through the audience.
Dr. O reflected on the recent murder of Dr. George Tiller a late-term abortionist renowned for his specialty in performing partial-birth and labor-induced abortions up to 25 weeks. He was the first doctor she knew personally, and described him as a "lovely, unassuming man" whose positive impact on society "was really quite remarkable". She felt that President Barack Obama's initial reaction did not go far enough in condemning the act of violence. "Murder is murder, no matter what", she declared, "this is a time to say 'this is murder, pure and simple, this will not be tolerated..."
My lesson
At the close of discussion, the room filled with applause and expressions of gratitude directed towards Dr. O and the two other abortion workers who joined her on the "Day in the Life of an Abortion Provider" panel. The day continued on with other lectures and discussions relating to the theme of "reproductive justice".
I hadn't known what to expect entering in to such a foreign environment. Would I be able to stomach it? I am embarrassed to say, the answer was "yes". Despite the horror of the actual words being spoken, a sense of hollow decency and seductive deception hung in the air like a smokescreen. I had immersed myself amongst the "enemy", and they looked a lot like me.
Instead of anger or disgust, I felt sadness and vulnerability. But more importantly I felt gratitude, that by the grace of God, I had been spared from the same deadly deception, and that the God I serve loves not only the little ones He fashions in the womb, but the very doctors who seek to destroy them.
