Thursday, February 14, 2008

Debbie Nathan   [Ramesh Ponnuru]

wrote that New Republic piece. For more of her perspective on abortion, see this article in New York on "The New Underground Abortion Railroad." She talks about helping women who have no access to late-term abortions where they live get them in New York City. I think it is fair to say that her complaint—that the Times is biased against abortion—tells us more about her than about the Times. For example, the Times ran a piece on women who provide pro-life post-abortion counseling. Pro-lifers tended to find it snobbish and condescending. Nathan complains that the piece didn't explain that this counseling is backed by "a Christian right winger and one of the richest people in Texas." Conservative causes get financed by conservatives with money! Who would have thought it?

It may true that even liberal reporters who support legal abortion have qualms about it. That seems to be what bothers Nathan. But it has always been true that many Americans who support legal abortion have qualms, and that's not going to change. 

As an aside: The bio line says that Nathan's "latest book, Pornography (Groundwood Press), explains the subject to teenagers and young adults." I am trying to picture the young adults who need Nathan to "explain" pornography to them.

02/14 01:07 PMShare