Shame on the Press Republican for running the political cartoon of June 3, 2009 depicting a field of gravestones, each inscribed "aborted baby," with a newspaper page in the foreground announcing "late term abortion doctor killed-Pres. Obama 'shocked and outraged.'"

Shame on you for abdicating editorial responsibility by sensationalizing the murder of Dr. George Tiller and giving tacit approval for the use of murderous violence once again in the abortion wars. So much for your giving "equal weight to both sides," or even "steering clear of abortion," as you claim to do. You failed miserably at both efforts when you decided to run this cartoon.

Shame on you for not recognizing that you place every pro-choice reproductive health care provider in the country at even greater risk with the publication of this violent statement. While some anti-choice groups claim to be worried about being tied to this terrorist event, fearing it will somehow unfairly rub off on them, they have stood idly by while others in their movement have previously urged violence and murder of abortion providers, and now celebrate Dr. Tiller's death and call for further violence.

Shame on you for not understanding there is no such thing as providing information on "both sides" about abortion. There is no "other side." Abortion is legal in the United States. Legal abortion saves women's lives and improves their health and that of their families. That's what the data shows. Period.

Anti-choice rhetoric represents violence against women: It frightens women by painting false pictures of the dangers of abortion; it creates enormous barriers to abortion access; it infantilizes women by claiming they're incapable of knowing what's best for them and their families; it puts women "in their place" for their reproductive health decisions. Further, it chastises women for unplanned pregnancies and expects them to continue pregnancies that might have resulted out of violence, hate, or incest, or that endanger their health and welfare. Anti-choice activists even threaten and blame women for their use of contraceptives that would prevent unwanted pregnancies and abortions. Lifesaving technologies such as the birth control pill, condoms and intrauterine devices have saved millions of women's lives around the world.

Lastly, shame on you for your editorial of June 7, 2009, in which you claim "disappointment," "... that intelligent people on the pro-choice side have reacted with such hostility to the fact that that cartoon appeared in the newspaper." That's one of the best and saddest examples of "blame the victim" I've encountered for a while.

A doctor was murdered. This murder was the eighth murder of an abortion provider, escort or clinic staff and the 10th seriously injured since 1993 in the United States. Dr. Tiller was previously wounded by an anti-choice terrorist. Hundreds of acts of harassment against abortion providers and attacks on their facilities occur every year, largely unreported by the press. It's astounding that you expected your readers to believe that running this cartoon on your editorial page was akin to running an advertisement that some might not like.

Shame on you.

Kathie Wunderlich is a nurse practitioner and CEO of Northern Adirondack Planned Parenthood.