Today George Tiller, a Kansas abortion provider, was murdered as he served as an usher at his church. It has been more than 10 years since the last deadly clinic violence, though arson and vandalism of providers' offices are a near monthly occurrences. The general public may forget the risk that abortion providers incur to provide care for women. But I work at a family planning clinic that also provides abortions. Our protesters are tame but when new ones show up we are very aware of their presence. We take security very seriously, but our staff has to treat patients, and they must go out into the world at the end of the day.

Dr. Tiller was famous because he performed late-term abortions. By doing so, he literally saved the lives of many, many women over the years. Many of patients faced heartbreaking outcomes of wanted pregnancies. Others were victims of successful anti-choice efforts to throw obstacles up in the path to abortion access. Because of the procedures he did he was a very large target for anti-choice zealots. He had survived a previous attempt on his life. He was harassed by Phill Kline, the former Kansas Attorney General, who seemed to be suing Tiller every chance other week. Operation Rescue had a "Tiller Watch" on their website. And yet. And yet he continued to be Doctor Tiller for his patients. For the women of Kansas and beyond.

I could be scared. Maybe I am a little scared. But I am also outraged. And I am channeling that outrage. Tomorrow I will be in the office. I will be working on the project I had already planned for the morning: writing an appeal for our Choice Fund, which helps women with no other resources pay for their abortions.

But tonight, I am thinking of Dr. Tiller, and praying for the safety of the abortion providers I know personally, and for the ones I don't.