Typical Bias Against Life in NBC Abortion Story

September 19, 2007 | Filed Under Abortion, Democrats/Leftists, Media Bias, Religion, Society/Culture, Uncategorized, Warner Todd Huston |

-By Warner Todd Huston

On August 31st, NBC correspondent Mark Potter filed a story filled with woe over the weakening position for abortion in various parts of the country. The story has a distinct pro-abortion position that is typical of that displayed in the media and runs contrary to the legal, democratic lawmaking being carried out in certain states across the country, in this case the state of Mississippi. The story wags a moral finger in the face of the duly elected representatives of the state and assumes a superior attitude to those who oppose abortion. It reveals a media that has utter contempt for life coupled with an equal amount of contempt for the democratic process and the voice of the people, one NBC wishes to supplant with their own, elitist viewpoint.

Over the last several years, the state of Mississippi has seen a steady roll back of abortion protecting laws in Jackson, the state’s capitol. It has been so steady, in fact, that the state has but one legal abortion mill left within its borders. This is a state of affairs that NBC cannot stomach, despite that it is the will of the majority in Mississippi.

Potter’s article starts with a headline that casts abortion foes in the negative: In Miss., an effective attack against abortion — Last clinic in the state is fighting for the right to remain open

Notice the slant. Abortion is “attacked” and it is “fighting for the right” to exist. Abortion is cast in the heroic role to the harsh anti-abortion activist’s relentless violence against a “right” to abortion cast in the role of mortal enemy. Certainly, the pro-life position is the enemy here as far as NBC is concerned. Why couldn’t the title have been something like: “Pro Lifers Winning Against Culture of Death” Too, strong? How about this one: “Voice of People Calls to Restrict Abortion in Mississippi.”

It doesn’t start out any better with the report’s first words.

On a hot, steamy morning, dozens of young women made a hurried walk from the parking lot to the front door of Mississippi’s last abortion clinic.

Greeting them outside the Jackson Women’s Health Organization were about 10 anti-abortion activists, some carrying signs with gruesome pictures of aborted fetuses.

These poor, poor women being so harshly harassed by the pro-lifers. How gauche of them.

Potter segues from the confrontations at the door of the Jackson abortion mill to a lament that the state legislature has been quite effective in regulating abortion into near oblivion in the state.

As dramatic as the sidewalk confrontations might seem, it appears a much more effective attack on abortion has been made in the Mississippi Legislature, which in recent years has passed numerous laws restricting abortion clinics and practitioners.

Notice how NBC forgets to mention that the legislature is a body elected by the people of the state. Presumably, the legislature’s efforts to restrict abortion is aligned with the desires of the people. After all, these lawmakers are elected officials.

Next NBC goes for race baiting and class warfare.

Where once there were 10 abortion clinics, the only one left is in Jackson, forcing many women — mostly poor and black — to drive long distances.

No, NBC. It doesn’t only affect “mostly poor and black” women. The laws of Mississippi affect ALL women of the state. Laws pertaining to abortion for the “poor and black” are also being directed to the rest of Mississippi’s women.

After detailing some of the sensible laws that Mississippi has put in place — a 24-hour waiting period, mandatory consultation with a doctor, ultrasound procedures with results presented to the patient — Potter mentions that the state also mandates that the patient be informed that abortion has been linked to increased infertility and breast cancer.

Perhaps most controversial, doctors are also ordered to tell patients there is a link between abortions, infertility and breast cancer.

Dr. Joseph Booker of the Jackson Women’s Health Organization said he refuses to inform patients of such a link, claiming medical studies prove it not to be true.

Angry with the Legislature, Booker argues, “There’s absolutely no medical reason for any of these restrictions that they put on us.”

And where is the opposing view that supports the link between abortion and breast cancer and infertility? Strangely missing from Potter’s story. Yet, these links have not been disproven. In fact, the “controversy” still rages within the medical research field. In addition, depression and mental anguish over abortion has also been shown to exist in many women who have had abortions, adversely affecting them for the rest of their lives. Are abortion patients informed of any possible deep-seated and long lasting emotional turmoil that might dog them for decades when they sign up to kill their baby? Most likely not.

Potter details more of the work the legislature is gearing up for in their attempts to further restrict abortion and warns that the state is to be an early battle ground against Roe v. Wade.

Next comes another misleading “factoid” presented by Potter and NBC.

Although an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll conducted in April showed that 55 percent of respondents believed the abortion choice should be left up to a woman and her doctor, many other states are putting added restrictions on their abortion clinics, with hundreds of bills introduced last year.

Such a poll may reflect the sentiment of the people in a nationwide survey, but it is not true in Mississippi.

A 2005 poll of Mississippians shows that 53% identified as pro-life with 8% saying they weren’t sure. Yet only 39% said they were pro-choice. That means that 61% of Mississippians are either against abortion or are not interested enough to have an opinion. A clear majority is against NBC’s pro-abortion position.

Therefore, the state’s legislature is obviously answering to the people who elected them to office and instituting the laws the voters want. Why is NBC so against the democratic process? No doubt because democracy is failing to push the NBC agenda and their support of a culture of death.

Even more ridiculously, NBC gives voice to the worries of pro-abortionists that pro-lifers are coordinating their efforts nation wide.

Gandy also complains about anti-abortion groups working together around the country. “They’ve gone now to coordinated legislative efforts, and you can see the coordination when you look at the language. It’s identical state after state after state,” she said.

But this is the self-same process that pro-abortionists employed in the late 1960s and early 1970s (and since) to force their opinion on a country that was anti-abortion when they began their efforts. NBC decries the efforts of the pro-life movement even as they are employing the same legal tactics the pro-abortion activists used before. Why is the democratic process good to institute liberal abortion laws, but bad when used to restrict the destruction of innocents?

So, what is Potter’s aim here? Why to spur pro-abortion advocates to action, of course.

At the Jackson abortion clinic, workers and doctors are bracing for more difficulties with protesters and legislators.

Former administrator Thomas, who is now a consultant for the facility, said she is afraid the protections of Roe v. Wade will be chipped away and eventually overturned nationwide if abortion rights supporters don’t become more active politically.

“They are looking at themselves when they look at Mississippi if nothing is done to keep abortion legal and safe,” she warned.

As is typical with this sort of report, the pro-abortion angle is the supported position by rote. NBC has once again proven its biased position and presented it disguised as a “news” report.

It’s no wonder that every year fewer Americans trust the media.
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Warner Todd Huston’s thoughtful commentary, sometimes irreverent often historically based, is featured on many websites such as newsbusters.org, townhall.com, men’snewsdaily.com and americandaily.com among many, many others. Additionally, he has been a guest on several radio programs to discuss his opinion editorials and current events. He has also written for several history magazines and appears in the new book “Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture” which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of publiusforum.com. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions : EMAIL Warner Todd Huston