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Language bias

In many headlines, newspapers have refused to call it "partial-birth abortion," saying instead "a type of abortion" or an abortion procedure. Chicago Tribune columnist Don Wycliff admits some unintentional bias in that terminology. He says, "The perspective of those who define the issues involved in terms of 'choice' was taken as normative [in such headlines], and the position of those who disagree with them and define the issues differently was characterized in 'choice' terms."

Wycliff says the Tribune stylebook requires using "late term abortion" or a medical term instead of the familiar term "partial birth." He asks, "Why … is "pro-life" forbidden but "pro-choice" is not?—it merits asking whether we have become so obsessed with what we believe to be neutrality on this topic that we have become inscrutable."

And in the midst of the name calling and bitter sentiments over abortion, another Tribune columnist, John Kass, says the right to life is God-given, and enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. But political battles will not stop abortion, only love. "It is appalling and terrifying. Whether you're religious or not, whether you support abortion rights or oppose them, there is a price to be paid by a culture that condones such things. It coarsens us. It brutalizes us.

"We say we care about children, but then we fight about the right to do this to them. I'm sorry, but I can't reconcile it."

Amen.

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In Anti-Abortion Campaign, One Leap for Incrementalism | President Bush's signing of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act on Wednesday was a moment of political triumph for the anti-abortion movement, a reflection of its influence with a Republican-controlled Congress and a Republican president. (New York Times)

Extent of Ban Is Questioned | The abortion ban that President Bush signed into law yesterday is meant to cover a technique used to end a pregnancy that has advanced beyond 18 to 20 weeks. But confusion remains over whether the ban would also cover a more common form of second-trimester abortion.

Bush signs law banning `partial-birth' abortions | President vows `all resources' to defend rule

Bush signs partial-birth ban | President Bush yesterday signed into law a ban on partial-birth abortion, vowing to "vigorously defend this law against any who would try to challenge it in the courts." He didn't have to wait long.

Critics challenge US abortion ban | Opponents have mounted a series of legal challenges to a new United States ban on late-term abortions. (BBC)

Kerry hits ban on abortion procedure | Just hours after President Bush signed a law banning what critics of the procedure call "partial-birth abortion," Senator John F. Kerry declared last night "there is no such thing as a partial birth," as he and the other Democratic presidential contenders sought the political support of women voters. (Boston Globe)

Bush Signs Partial-Birth Abortion Ban | President Bush signed into law the most far-reaching abortion restrictions in three decades Wednesday, an emotionally charged measure already challenged in three federal courts. (AP)

Bush Signs Anti-Abortion Bill, to Fight in Court | As protesters denounced him, President Bush (news - web sites) on Wednesday signed a ban on a type of late-term abortion and promised to defend it in court despite an initial legal setback. (Reuters)

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November (Web-only) 2003, Vol. 47