Thread by @Hegemommy

Ten years ago today Scott Roeder murdered abortion provider Dr. George Tiller while Tiller was serving as an usher at his church. I still remember the message @robinmarty sent me as soon as the news broke

I remember scrambling home to help cover the story. I was newish to legal journalism at the time and had about a year prior decided to devote most of my attention to conservative efforts to overturn Roe v Wade.

I could feel my heart thumping in my throat.

I grew up in Omaha Nebraska and remember very clearly Summer of Mercy protests. I knew Wichita.

All I could feel was this immense sadness and dread and worry about how bad it could get.

That was Ten. Years. Ago.

Friends will tell you I'm not necessarily an optimist. I joke that I like to prepare for the worst so as to be pleasantly surprised when it doesn't happen.

Ten years ago that dread ran deep but I never imagined attacks both on patients and providers would get this bad this fast

In 2016 I'd go to Wichita to cover the trial of Angel Dillard who was charged with threatening Dr. Mila Means.

Means was going to take over Tiller's clinic after his murder.

Dillard was a "spiritual adviser" to Scott Roeder while he was in prison

rewire.news/article/2016/0…

We currently have an Attorney General who is openly hostile to abortion rights. Former Operation Rescue attorneys like Jay Sukelow have significant influence. Matt Bowman will soon head over to the Office of Civil Rights at HHS. He's spent time harassing patients and providers

Republicans--not just Trump-- push the lie of "after birth abortion" and lawmakers are no longer shy about wanting to punish patients who need to terminate a pregnancy.

Ten years ago I wouldn't have thought ALL OF THESE THINGS would coalesce at once but here we are