What a lousy media morning. It’s hard not to be sad — and furious. Todd Akin’s comment is obviously a gift to those who cynically claim that there is a “war on women” led by men in the GOP.
Abortion and rape are painful topics, and political headlines don’t make for the most compassionate and constructive conversations.
Whenever abortion is in the media, there is tremendous opportunity for hurt. And cynicism and confusion never help.
Take, for instance, this CNN story over the weekend about a teenager in the Dominican Republic who has died. Most of the English-language press insists that by law the hospital couldn’t treat her cancer because of pro-life extremism (even though she eventually evidently did wind up on chemotherapy). Some then go on to blame the Catholic Church for the laws that would keep hospitals from treating a cancer victim who is pregnant. In the wake of a tragedy, the media have added salt into open wounds and, in this case, appear guilty of gross malpractice. The language of law doesn’t tie hospitals’ hands in such a case. The Catholic Church doesn’t have a bloodlust to see mothers die of cancer (e-mailers and tweeters this weekend certainly think I do, too). The law allows for the treatment of cancer; some women choose not to on the chance it will spare the life of her child, that’s heroism. Even basic, specific details of the case seem to be wrong in CNN’s story, if this Spanish-language story is correct: Contra CNN, the law was not a problem; we do know the name of the girl, since her name appears in Spanish-language press.
Two people have died; may they rest in peace, spared from our world of anything but.