Comments on Pro-Life News of the Day: Secular Pro-Life on National Public Radio

"Well, I hope that this remains an issue in 1...

2012-02-03T17:50:03.603-05:00

"Well, I hope that this remains an issue in 10 or 15 years because I can't imagine this going in the direction I would like it to by then." What does that even mean?

And I agree with everything Ryan has said, and was equally frustrated when the options presented were "abortion or foster care". Ugh really? Really?

Anyway, excellent job.

Thank you, Ryan! I agree that there was some inhe...

2012-01-26T00:15:55.929-05:00

Thank you, Ryan! I agree that there was some inherent bias in the structure of the roundtable; all I meant was that I was not censored in the way that you were. All things considered, I think it went remarkably well :-)

Kelsey, you did a GREAT job. But the bias is rat...

2012-01-25T23:18:49.934-05:00

Kelsey, you did a GREAT job.

But the bias is rather flagrant. Two "prochoice" perspectives versus 1 pro life perspective, with Michel Martin's decidedly prochoice-infused remarks adding a third prochoice perspective. For instance, when she claims that African-Americans do not believe they should be making the [abortion] choice for anyone else, it's a false supposition. As usual, she presents a pro-choice perspective of blacks, ignoring a large and growing contingency that opposes the destruction of abortion.

Cutting out your remarks about Students for Life (indicating young people are involved nationwide, and growing) and about studying prenatal development takes away authority. The unscientific and ludicrous comment from Lauren about when life begins is made stronger by taking away your knowledge of the irrefutable science of prenatal human development.

And the option is either abortion or FOSTER CARE? What? How about adoption? Yet another "prochoice" false narrative, to scare women into thinking choosing life is a more emotionally painful option than destroying the life within.

Pregnancy Care Centers offer MUCH more for pregnant women in crisis, starting with completely free services (including prenatal care at many centers across the country). Planned Parenthood charges for everything. There's just so much more that could've been said had there been a fair representation of perspectives (adding a student who works/volunteers in Pregnancy Care Movement, for instance).

There were just too many patently false assertions, that unfortunately, never got responses (e.g. "don't care about children once they're born") and no stats to illuminate what's really going on. When Martin claims that most abortions happen to women 24 and younger, it's crucial for people to understand it's really women ages 20-29 that are having the most abortions (20-24 being the highest demographic).

We have to acknowledge bias in all of its manifestations...the composition of the interview (number of pro life vs pro-abortion perspectives)...the direction of the questions themselves, and loaded questions/assertions (as are typically asked by Martin)...and in the editing of the interview itself.

It's difficult in interviews because as the interviewee you don't control the direction of the questions, but liberal hosts always want to dwell on the emotional instead of the evidential. We have to always find ways to present them both, knowing we may be edited but shed light on the reality of abortion, divorced from the purely emotional.

Kelsey, you're a vital voice in the movement. NPR is not friendly territory to the pro life perspective, although Martin is one of the most pleasant hosts addressing the issue on NPR. Way to go!

-Ryan Bomberger
The Radiance Foundation

Well done, Kelsey! I wish there would have been ti...

2012-01-25T11:04:33.472-05:00

Well done, Kelsey! I wish there would have been time to challenge Hollander on her "life doesn't begin until birth" viewpoint. Maybe this interview will inspire her to re-examine that belief.

I second Lover of Life's idea. Perhaps the ar...

2012-01-24T19:12:10.715-05:00

I second Lover of Life's idea. Perhaps the arguments you didn't have time to address can inspire future blog posts.

You did great, Kelsey! One thing: because you didn...

2012-01-24T18:29:38.339-05:00

You did great, Kelsey! One thing: because you didn't have time to answer that thing about personal autonomy, maybe you'll get a lot of e-mails about it? Your answer would be a great blog.

Fabulous job, Kelsey. I really enjoyed that.

2012-01-24T18:14:44.612-05:00

Fabulous job, Kelsey. I really enjoyed that.