Review of After Tiller (2013) by Thomas W — 09 Jul 2014

With difficult subject matter, I realize this is not a documentary for many; but I consider myself open-minded enough to watch and listen to others to try to understand a point of view I might not hold myself.

In After Tiller, some of this comes across and some of it doesn't. The documentary follows the remaining doctors willing to perform late-term abortions (a cringe-inducing term) after the 2009 death of Dr.

George Tiller in Wichita, Kansas at the hands of a man believing himself to be in the right -- you know: for killing a man ... for killing others. It defies logic. One doctor here admits to refusing to want to admit that a fetus is a person because when she does she becomes horrified at her own actions and therein lies the debate/argument that will never be agreed upon.

At what point is tissue a human being? It most likely will never be answered by us mere humans. As difficult as the doc is to watch, I appreciated hearing the testimony of some parents who have chosen this path with much difficulty.

There would be children born without anuses and other internal organs who wouldn't live more than a few hours. There are others who would be vegetative their entire lives -- which would be approximately two years of nothing but agony and torture to parents.

I am so very thankful that I will never be put in a situation to make such a decision ... and I will never judge another who has to. Granted, this doc also documents a few who say "I cannot afford" another baby and refuses adoption .

.. which is stomach-churning to me as that decision isn't a hopeless one. But perhaps that is me being unfair. This film isn't fully convincing like it most likely wants to be but it offers an audience some understanding of horrors many of us will NEVER know -- thank God for that.