The Safe, Legal, and Rare Canard

Pro-abortion advocates often argue that abortion should be “safe, legal, and rare.” In practice, however, they care little for the “safe” and “rare” parts of that catchy and lying slogan. Their treatment of the horrific case of abortion "doctor" Kermit Gosnell is proof of this.

The facts of the Gosnell case practically demand outrage. An abortion provider – butcher would be a far better term for the man – plied his trade of late-term abortions in horrific, disgusting conditions, with help from under-trained and under-aged (One assistant was 15 years old) assistants. Gosnell’s clinic was extremely unsanitary, crawling with venereal diseases, animal feces, and severed baby feet in jars. (No, that last bit is not a typo.)

Gosnell was allowed to operate freely for over a decade, without interference or oversight. Gosnell’s nightmarish clinic was not inspected for 17 years – 17 years! – because of "pro-choice politics", according to a Philadelphia grand jury. Indeed, the horrors of Gosnell's clinic were discovered by accident. Other abortion clinics also are allowed to “self-regulate,” with (allegedly) disastrous results.

And for the most part, the media has been willfully and deliberately silent on the topic. Wikipedia is even considering deleting its article on Gosnell, claiming that the incident is a “local crime story.” Other “reporters” used similar phrasing to justify their lack of coverage. Dishonest abortion advocates claim that pro-life advocates are responsible for the horrors wrought by Gosnell – as though pro-lifers advocate for fewer restrictions on poor, already over-burdened abortion clinics. (Even as Gosnell’s trial is underway, reporters are bemoaning  “strict” new codes proposed for other abortion clinics.)

The obfuscation and silence from defenders of abortion is rather simple to explain. At least two prominent writers have stated that much of the reason for the media’s lack of coverage is due to widespread support for abortion within the journalistic community, and a willingness to look away when their preferred “side” engages in indefensible activity. And until their fellow reporters are willing to open their eyes and expose evil (even done by their side) as evil, abortion will certainly be legal, but never safe and rare. And they will be just fine with that.