A Message from the President & CEO

Dear Friend of Personal PAC, I had the honor of meeting and speaking with Dr. George Tiller over the past 20 years.  His murder at the hands of a self-proclaimed anti-abortion activist is a chilling reminder of the extremes to which some anti-abortion/anti-birth control advocates will go to stop women from making private medical decisions.  Dr. Tiller cared so deeply about women’s health, that despite the threats he received over the years and the shootings in both arms he endured, George Tiller refused to turn his back on those women who needed his compassion for their desperate medical situations.  These two quotes by Dr. Tiller eloquently express his view of women and the health care he provided that cost him his life: "Women and families are intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, and ethically competent to struggle with complex health issues-- including abortion-- and come to decisions that are appropriate for themselves." "We have learned that patients don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." Not only was George Tiller a fearless provider of reproductive health care, but he also completely understood that electing pro-choice candidates is vital to keeping abortion safe, legal and accessible which is why he started a Political Action Committee (PAC) to make sure anti-abortion politicians in Kansas were defeated by pro-choice candidates.  He worked very hard for pro-choice Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, now Secretary of Health & Human Services for President Obama. I can’t think of anything more fitting to honor Dr. Tiller here in Illinois than for each of us who believes that women are moral, ethical human beings, capable of making wise decisions for themselves and their families, to take Dr. Tiller’s profound commitment as our very own and make certain that the Illinois General Assembly passes the Reproductive Health & Access Act (RHAA) immediately.  This Act will ensure that all women in Illinois will have access to a continuum of reproductive health care including pre-natal care, adoption, emergency contraception, abortion, birth control and sexuality health education that will enable youth to make safe and healthy decisions throughout their lives.   In addition to the RHAA being sound public policy, we must conclusively demonstrate to the anti-abortion/anti-birth control activists that Illinois’ pro-choice citizens, elected officials, judges, health care providers and religious leaders will not be intimidated by their demonstrations, threats, violence and murder.  Rather, we will be more committed than ever to make sure they never succeed in making abortion and birth control illegal.  Period.  Thank you for working with Personal PAC and supporting our efforts to elect pro-choice candidates across Illinois who will vote to pass the RHAA in the Illinois Senate & House.  Together, we can live up to Dr. Tiller’s commitment and vision for health care that is respectful and compassionate toward women.  If each of us contacts our State Representative and State Senator letting them know that we expect the RHAA to become law and ask all of our friends, colleagues, relatives and associates to join us in supporting the RHAA and pro-choice candidates, we cannot help but to make certain Illinois lives up to its responsibility to protect the reproductive rights of all women.    Always in choice,   Terry Cosgrove President & CEO  P.S. To find out the names and contact information for your State Representative and State Senator using your current address, please visit the Illinois State Board of Elections here.  You can also contact Personal PAC as we are glad to assist you with any questions you have about current elected officials or candidates.