That time 12 News Phoenix helped anti-choicers stalk an abortion clinic and their patient

Crossposted from DemocraticDiva.com, and with a special note to my friends here who act like this is all a rhetorical exercise: This shit is real. Anti-choicers have succeeded in criminalizing pregnancy and in enlisting news stations to help them in that. This could be you or someone you care about next.

Channel 12 abortion reportNothing inflammatory here!

Last month there was a big buzz in the local anti-choice rumor mill about a “born alive abortion” that had allegedly occurred at a Phoenix clinic. I reported on the absurdity of the whole allegation at that time and how the MSM ought not allow themselves to be played by wild-eyed anti-abortion zealots. But, apparently, Channel 12 in Phoenix sees a real public interest in helping those zealots to harass abortion providers and in giving out potentially identifying information about a patient (her age), as they did on the Thursday 10pm broadcast.

The police reports shows the mother, 27, had been scheduled for an abortion, but went into what the report called, “spontaneous labor.” The doctor at the clinic near downtown Phoenix told police she had checked for a fetal heartbeat before the procedure and found none. She said she believed the baby would be stillborn.

Read more

Presidential candidate Trump calls for punishing women for abortion, to the surprise of no one who has actually paid attention to anti-choicers

It never fails.

That was an anti-abortion organization in response to Donald Trump’s statement that women should suffer “some kind of punishment” for abortion on MSNBC. Here’s someone with a very good question for the March For Life:

Here’s me weighing in, because I pay attention to this issue:

Read more

How anti-choicers play the media

lynn and duffyThey sure seem like a couple of reasonable people

I’ve been so wrapped up in the Presidential primary that I missed this. From the local Phoenix edition of the AZ Republic:

An anti-abortion group held a prayer vigil Saturday night outside a Phoenix hospital where they believe staff members are caring for a baby who survived an abortion.

More than 45 people crowded a candle-lined sidewalk across the street from Banner-University Medical Center Phoenix. Some held signs, others rosaries while they were led in group prayer. After the demonstration, a hospital spokeswoman denied there was a baby fitting that description under the hospital’s care.

Rumors began circulating Friday in the anti-abortion community that a 21-week-old fetus had been discovered breathing during an abortion procedure that afternoon at a private clinic near the hospital.

Read more

The anti-choice movement is not about “life”. Never has been.

Crossposted from DemocraticDiva.com

Monica Potter quote
“Pro-life” leader in a moment of honesty of what this is all about.

Since last Friday when a deranged man murdered three people at a Planned Parenthood clinic and injured several more, even some veteran pro-choice people have been stunned at the response by anti-choice people to it, which has been equal parts callous and defensive.

“After all these years and millions of babies that have gone to their death, violence is to be anticipated,” said Judie Brown, president of American Life League, in a phone interview with MSNBC. “Because it’s acceptable to violently kill a baby, so why isn’t it acceptable to violently kill other people?”

“We never approve of violence against anybody, whether it’s the unborn babies or the clients of Planned Parenthood or anybody else,” Ann Scheidler, vice president of the Pro-Life Action League, told MSNBC. But, she added, “it’s not the fault of the pro-life movement that someone found out that Planned Parenthood is doing these things. It’s the fault of Planned Parenthood for selling the baby parts.”

Planned Parenthood is a villain,” she said. “They undermine the integrity of families and the morality of young teen girls and kill babies on a regular basis, day after day. We’re not going to say, ‘Oh, poor Planned Parenthood, we should never say anything negative about what they call ‘services.’ Because they are a blight on our culture.”

Read more

Anti-choicers have much in common with Birthers. Why is Brahm Resnik legitimizing them?

Crossposted from DemocraticDiva.com

brahm resnik
Seriously, Brahm?

A few years ago I was on the Phoenix Channel 12 Sunday Square Off panel (I can’t for the life of me find the video) and one of the topics was Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio conducting a “cold case investigation” of President Obama’s birth certificate and eligibility for the Presidency. Donald Trump had swanned in to weigh in on it, as I recall, since I remember saying something about his hairline and that he should go away.

I distinctly remember Channel 12 news anchor and reporter Brahm Resnik covering the “investigation” because, well, it was newsworthy to the extent that the county sheriff was conducting it but also treating the substance of it with the derision it deserved. In 2014, Resnik reiterated that, when he interrogated then-Arizona State Senator and candidate for Secretary of State Michele Reagan (R) about her support for the 2011 “Birther Bill”.

“Did you believe President Obama needed to show his birth certificate to the secretary of state?” asked host Brahm Resnik.

“I believe that what is in state law is sufficient,” Reagan repeated.

Resnik said the bill caused “embarrassment” for the state. “Do you recognize that?” he asked.

“I recognize that what is in state law right now is –”

“Do you regret that vote?” Resnik interjected.

Read more