Abortion in the Media

10-28-2018Weekly ReflectionFr. Chad King

Last week I saw the movie Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer. It's about the true story of the murder trial of Kermit Gosnell, an abortion doctor in Pennsylvania, that took place just a few years ago. It was a great, sad, and true story which I encourage everyone to go see. I will try not to ruin it for those who haven't seen it yet, but allow me to speak on a few highlights of the movie.

The prosecutor (a "Pro-choice" woman with five kids) began her remarks of the trial with, "This trial is not about Abortion, it is about murder—the murder of a woman, as well as six babies born alive." Then when she put another abortion provider doctor on the stand to witness to the horrendous and unsanitary conditions of Gosnell’s clinic, the Defense Attorney cross-examined the witness and made the abortionist accurately testify to what happens in an abortion—at least what happens in Planned Parenthood clinics and other abortion clinics that are deemed “safe” by the Department of Health all across the country. Gosnell’s clinic was purposely not inspected for over 30 years because it was in a poor neighborhood targeting poor black clients. So, the while the prosecutor did not make the trial about abortion, but rather murder, Gosnell’s defense did make it about abortion. At first I was pleasantly surprised by this, but then I realized that the defense attorney could do that because he had the law on his side. Abortion is legal, and because it is legal, then in our society, it is deemed a good thing.

Another insight was, that at the start of the trial, the Attorney General warned that they would be mobbed in front of the Courthouse by reporters asking for a comment, and that the court room would be standing room only due to the media. To their surprise, in the beginning of the trial, the reserved seats for the media were empty. No member of the media was present, at least not until a young blogger, who was “only interested in the truth,” blogged about a media cover-up. Indeed, there was (and is) a media cover-up. There are those who don’t want other people to truly know what abortion is, but we have a right to know. Still today, there are people trying to prevent this movie from being played in theaters. Some theaters, even with showtimes advertised, have turned away viewers. So, I encourage you all to go watch it with all your family and friends. You have a right to know what abortion is and we must stand up for the right to know the truth. I watched it right here in Ahwatukee at the AMC on Ray Rd and the I-10. I also encourage you to think about where you get your news, especially Catholic news. If you rely on the non-Catholic media, then don’t be surprised that there is media cover-up, or, at the very least, a media bias. Sadly, many media outlets are not about reporting the truth, but rather, report the truth they want you to know.

Now let me make this reflection a little more practical in our lives today, especially since we are preparing to vote, which you have a right and duty to do as a Catholic American. You also have an obligation under God to vote first as a Catholic, then as an American. I ask you to seriously think about whether you would vote for a politician who committed a serious crime. I doubt it. What if that serious crime was murder; would you vote for that politician? Hopefully not. But that is what has been done, and some people still do, when they treat abortion just as one of the many political issues we have opinions on. The prosecutor is absolutely correct— it is not about abortion; it is about murder. It is Satan who has made it into only a political issue. However, the abortionist on the witness stand, as well as science, tells us that babies in the womb are real living people. Abortion murders those people, plain and simple. Even though people don’t want to think about what abortion truly is, we must, because it is about murder. You have a right and an obligation to learn which politicians have passed laws that make it easier or harder to kill people. You have a moral obligation to vote to help prevent the murder of innocent people, and you will be held responsible, as it is a mortal sin, if you don’t. Abortion is not a political issue, it is murder. Now, will you vote accordingly?