Actually, It's About Ethics in Reproductive Health Journalism



 

I feel a little awkward writing about another Planned Parenthood video hoax, because deep down, I think: "Aren't people smarter than this? Like, why would there be a need for investigations into something people familiar with the issue and who watched the whole three hours figured out right away?"

 

The idea that Planned Parenthood would be selling baby body parts is actually embarrassingly stupid. Of course, no one risks fines of up to $50K for a human parts trafficking violation over a "sale" of $30 to $100 for "parts" as if the organs of a later-term fetus could even be used in a grown body. Of course that's reimbursable fees for treatment and storage of tissue donation, and no more objectionable than a person willing their body to science. How in the hell can people demagogue over something this uniquely highly-edited and awkwardly-obtained? But I know why--and it doesn't surprise me at all that the time stamp on the video is a year old or that some legislators knew about the video and kept it under their hats for weeks. They knew it was bullshit, and didn't care. Because they knew very well that their intended audience would eat it up with a spork. What is truth, anyway? And if that question makes you want to wash your hands--it should. The truth ought to matter. But these anti-reproductive autonomy operatives just don't care about the truth. They even lie about the first-hand experience of actual women who have had abortions.

 

I've covered this question about the pious falsehoods before. The religious right doesn't care about walking the dark side where honesty is concerned because they believe they have a bigger truth than mere facts account for--and surprise: That truth doesn't involve your autonomy or will. It involves other people making choices for you--like the idea that employers can use a religious exemption to fire unmarried pregnant ladies. That means employers get to judge whether you should be married, or even be pregnant. And things being what they are, that question isn't simple. And I don't think it out of the question people would throw the religion card because of their group insurance rates. It means Congress feels okay about not funding breast cancer research--that cancer being a major killer of women--because of an association with Planned Parenthood.

 

It's all cynical right-wing pandering bullshit, and it's all based on lies. but Goddamn, it sometimes is effective for these folks. And it shouldn't be. And that bothers me. The religious right has been lying about things for a long time--even trying to cause racial divisions over what really is individual reproductive autonomy. The problem here is, whether someone believes abortion is murder or not--shouldn't anyone care whether the champion video of the moment is even for real, and correctly depicts anything? Anything at all? Because if it was heavily edited and just grants a figleaf to religiously-motivated far-right pols, I think that's dodgy as hell and resent their attempt to poison a debate with sheer lying bullshit.