Shame his parents didn't have the choice and take it. Travis wrote: > > > > > > *Culture Links > *The e-mail newsletter of the *Culture and Media Institute > <http://www.cultureandmediainstitute.org/> > > August 25, 2009 | Volume 3, Issue 3**4* > * > *To ensure delivery, add [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]> to your safe senders list > > > > Culture and Media Institute <http://www.cultureandmediainstitute.org/> > > Forward to a Friend <http://www.cultureandmediainstitute.org/> | > Subscribe <http://www.mrc.org/listmanager.asp> > > > > > > *Media’s Pro-Choice Darling Called Humans ‘Ecotumors' > Late-term abortionist is a victimized hero to left-wing media.* > > *by Colleen Raezler, Culture and Media Institute* > > To liberal media outlets, Warren Hern, one of the few late-term > abortion providers in the country, has been worthy of praise as a > doctor who boldly stands up for his beliefs in the face of > intimidation – a lonely humanitarian braving violent death for the > sake of his patients. > > > > That’s the picture painted by TV and other media. What’s missing from > the portrait is Hern’s belief that humans are “malignant ecotumors,” > his refusal to be called an abortionist, and his strident > denunciations of the pro-life movement. > > > > Attention has turned to Hern in the wake of the May 31 murder of > Kansas late-term abortionist (and Hern friend) George Tiller. Since > then, Hern has appeared on MSNBC, CNN and NPR. Print media, including > the Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Boston Globe and > The Chicago Tribune have cited him. > > > > Esquire magazine > <http://www.esquire.com/print-this/abortion-doctor-warren-hern-0909> > devoted 9,000 words to Hern in its current issue, which sparked his > Aug. 12 appearance on MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show and praise from Keith > Olbermann. > > > > *‘Best Person in the World’?* > > Olbermann and Maddow highlighted Hern’s portrayal of pro-life > advocates as dangerous vigilantes, a point made repeatedly in the > Esquire profile, but MSNBC ignored another claim noted in the article. > Hern thinks of mankind as “a malignant ecotumor.” > > > > A statement like that, however, wouldn’t help Maddow and Olbermann’s > portrayal of Hern as a victim of far-right ideologues. > > > > Olbermann named Hern “Best Person in the World” on August 6 and used > the abortionist to fan the flames of his on-going feud with Fox News’ > Bill O’Reilly. Olbermann said of Hern: > > > > He says Tiller – Tiller’s death was the result of 35 years, of quote, > hate speech against doctors who performed abortions, like the drum > beat on Fox about Tiller the baby Killer. > > > > [Hern] says more than that. Quoting him, “Bill O’Reilly is a disgrace > to American society. He’s full of blank. This is not a debate. It’s a > civil war. And the other people are using bullets and bombs. I think,” > he went on, “O’Reilly is a fascist and would fit right in Nazi > Germany, as far as I’m concerned.” > > > > There it is. Bill O’Reilly will never understand that the people who > agreed with him on Tiller the baby killer do not stop at argument or > political action. They use bullets and bombs and he, O’Reilly, has > voluntarily associated himself with and encouraged them. > > > > Maddow noted Hern’s “considerable bravery” for appearing on television > “given the threats” he faces and invited him to draw comparisons to > the recent town hall outbursts about health care and the violence that > ended Tiller’s life. > > > > Maddow also allowed Hern to state unchallenged, that the term > “abortionist” is used by pro-life advocates to “stigmatize” doctors > who perform abortions. That’s a claim Hern made in the Esquire profile > as well, and it suits his self-portrayal and the media’s desire to > show him as a victim. > > > > But there are other details in the Esquire article that don’t quite > fit the victim narrative. > > * * > > *Humans as a “Malignant Ecotumor”* > > > > Richardson’s Esquire article highlighted something MSNBC ignored: Hern > has repeatedly and publicly advanced a twisted, hateful view of humanity. > > > > “The human species is an example of a malignant ecotumor, an > uncontrolled proliferation of a single species that threatens the > existence of other species in their habitats,” he wrote in a paper > <http://www.drhern.com/pdfs/whysomany.pdf> published in Population and > Environment in 1990. He concluded that, “The idea that the human > population is a planetary cancer is a profoundly disturbing > conclusion, but the observations of the scientific community over the > last 20 years have provided massive support this hypothesis and > little, if anything, to refute it.” > > > > His opinion didn’t change over the course of 18 years. “From the point > of view of a physician, the expanding, invasive, colonizing urban form > with highly irregular borders resembles a malignant lesion,” wrote > Hern in a 2008 paper <http://www.drhern.com/pdfs/urbanmalignancy.pdf> > published in the International Journal of Anthropology. “Malignant > neoplasms have at least four major characteristic: rapid, uncontrolled > growth; invasion and destruction of adjacent normal tissues (eco > systems); metastasis (distant colonization); and de-differentiation.” > > > > In the recent profile, Esquire writer John H. Richardson asked Hern if > his belief that humans are a “malignant ecotumor” “invites the hate.” > Hern claimed, “I’m not inviting people to do anything. I’d like them > to think. What a concept …” > > > > It’s Hern’s “humans as cancer” hypothesis that drives him to perform > abortions. He told Richardson, I do think that helping people control > their fertility is highly consistent with helping people be > responsible citizens of the planet. If somebody misunderstands it or > tries to distort it, I don’t give a s---.” > > > > And back in 1990, he told the Edmonton Journal, “Providing abortion > services is not only consistent with my personal and professional > ethics, but I see it as consistent with this larger view that one of > the most urgent necessities is providing people with fertility control > that’s safe, effective, and offered in a humane and dignified way.” > > > > “Humane and dignified?” During the heated debate surrounding the 2003 > partial-birth abortion ban, Hern discussed what he perceived as the > gray area in the law in a Slate.com article > <http://www.slate.com/id/2090215/>. “The fetus cannot be delivered > ‘alive’ in my procedure – as the ban stipulates in defining prohibited > procedures – because I begin by giving the fetus an injection that > stops its heart immediately,” he explained. Later in the article Hern > described an abortion he performed on a woman in her 17^th week: > > > > Because of the two days of prior treatment, the amniotic membranes > were visible and bulging. I ruptured the membranes and released the > fluid to reduce the risk of amniotic fluid embolism. Then I inserted > my forceps into the uterus and applied them to the head of the fetus, > which was still alive, since fetal injection is not done at that stage > of pregnancy. I closed the forceps, crushing the skull of the fetus, > and withdrew the forceps. The fetus, now dead, slid out more or less > intact. > > > > None of this was mentioned when Hern appeared on television. > > > > *Not an “Abortionist” * > > * * > > While Hern has been unapologetic and not the lease reluctant to > describe abortions in graphic detail, he still claimed to hate the > term “abortionist.” > > > > Hern explained to Richardson that the “abortionist” label is now “a > degrading and demeaning word that has the same negative connotations > as the most despicable racial epithet.” > > > > Richardson, to his credit, called the word “a simple descriptive term > like ‘podiatrist’” and “the right word, an accurate word,” and > continued to use “abortionist” throughout the article. But he noted > that “our discomfort with it is but a measure of how poisoned the > language of abortion has become.” > > > > Richardson’s insistent use of “abortionist” is rare for mainstream > media outlets. Others use “abortion provider,” “doctor who performs > abortions,” or simply “doctor” or “physician” as descriptors for > abortionists. The terms, while accurate, obfuscate the intent of > abortion – to end a human life. > > > > The media further water down abortion in their descriptions of the > procedure, as CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta did in > his June 2 description of late-term abortion following Tiller’s murder. > > > > “The type of abortion that does happen late is often something where > the cervix is dilated, the fetus is removed, sometimes medicines or > chemicals are injected into the womb as well. So that’s typically what > you’re talking about when you’re talking about late-term abortion,” he > stated on CNN’s Newsroom. > > > > One wonders whether Gupta read Hern’s abortion description in Slate. > And that description was for an abortion at 17 weeks. What would one > at a later stage entail, and how would Gupta downplay its horror? > > > > *Pro-Life “Fascists,” “Terrorists” * > > * * > > Just after George Tiller’s murder, Hern pleaded for a cooling off of > the rhetoric in the abortion debate. He told CNN’s Anderson Cooper on > June 1, “We need to use language that is respectful instead of the > hateful hate language of the anti-abortion movement, which is often > used by legitimate so-called journalists like William Saletan, Ellen > Goodman, and Chris Matthews.” > > > > But as MSNBC’s Olbermann approvingly noted, Hern doesn’t shrink from > inflammatory speech. And, just as Hern’s view of “humans as malignant > ecotumors” has been consistent, so has his characterization of > pro-life advocates as fascists. > > > > In a 2002 op-ed <http://www.drhern.com/owensabpolicy.htm> for The > Colorado Statesman, Hern compared pro-life advocates to the Taliban > and the violent Egyptian Islamic Brotherhood. He described a > confrontation between him and members of the Brotherhood in 1994 and > concluded, “The Egyptian Islamic Brotherhood has something in common > with the American anti-abortion fanatics. For both, I represent an > idea that they hate: freedom. Worse, I represent, along with others, a > movement that threatens male dominance and gives freedom to women.” > > > > Hern continued, “If this hatred of freedom for women were confined to > the Taliban of Afghanistan, it would be bad enough. But one American > political party has used hatred of freedom for women to gain power at > all levels in our country.” > > > > Seven years later, Hern claimed to Richardson, “It is my views that we > are dealing with a fascist movement. It’s a terrorist, violent > terrorist movement, and they have a fascist ideology.” > > > > He continued, “The seem civilized but underneath you have this > seething mass of angry, rabid anger and hatred of freedom that is > really frightening, and they support people like the guy who shot > George [Tiller] – they’re all pretending to be upset, issuing > statements about how much they deplore violence, but it’s just > bull----. That is exactly what they wanted to happen.” > > > > During his appearance on Maddow’s program, Maddow acknowledged “In the > extreme-anti-abortion movement or in the anti-abortion movement even > more broadly, of course, the large majority of protestors and even > people who feel strongly about the issue are peaceful.” > > > > But Hern would have none of it. “The anti-abortion movement and the > rest of the radical political and religious right is fundamentally > opposed to the basic premises of American society,” he said. “They > don’t accept the rule of law. They don’t want debate. They don’t want > discussion. They don’t want reason. They don’t want moderate > discussion. They want totalitarian, theocratic society and they are > willing to use violence to get it.” > > > > But that “totalitarian, theocratic society” idea was conspicuously > missing from the statements of major pro-life organizations after > Tiller’s murder. > > > > Charmaine Yoest, president and CEO of Americans United for Life > <http://aul.org/PR_05-31-09>, said “The foundational right to life > that our work is dedicated to extends to everyone.” > > > > Family Research Council > <http://www.frc.org/pressrelease/frc-condemns-the-murder-of-george-tiller> > president Tony Perkins stated, “As Christians we pray and look toward > the end of all violence and for the saving of souls, not the taking of > human life. George Tiller was a man who we publicly sought to stop > through legal and peaceful means. > > > > Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America > <http://www.cwfa.org/articles/17083/MEDIA/life/index.htm>, reminded > people of how most pro-life advocates protest, “Through the years, > hundreds of thousands of pro-lifers have prayed for George Tiller, > peacefully tried to persuade him to end his killing of innocent > children and exploitation of women, and actively worked to enforce the > laws of Kansas. We were guided by the hope that he would change his > ways and find forgiveness in Jesus Christ.” > > > > The National Right to Life Committee’s > <http://www.nrlc.org/press_releases_new/Release053109.html> executive > director, Dr. David N. O’Steen, affirmed the notion that all life is > sacred, “The pro-life movement works to protect the right to life and > increase respect for human life. The unlawful use of violence is > directly contrary to that goal.” > > > > To say that these groups and their members are “fundamentally opposed > to the basic premises of American society” ignores the defining > statement of one of America’s founding documents: “that we hold these > truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they > are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that > among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” > > > > *Abortion Has Consequences* > > * * > > The Esquire profile included one brief glimpse of doubt about his work > from Hern. > > > > Richardson reported, “In passing, the abortionist says you can never > get used to this…you can’t, he says. I think we’re hardwired, > biologically, to protect small, vulnerable creatures, especially > babies. The fetuses may not be babies, but some of them are pretty close.” > > > > Richardson quoted Hern’s own words, written in 1980 > <http://www.drhern.com/pdfs/staffrx.pdf>: “We have reached a point in > this particular technology where there is no possibility of denying an > act of destruction. It is before one's eyes. The sensations of > dismemberment flow through the forceps like an electric current. It is > the crucible of a raging controversy, the confrontation of a modern > existential dilemma. The more we seem to solve the problem, the more > intractable it becomes.” > > > > But Hern complained to Richardson that, “the anti-abortion people > quote the s--- out of it. It’s kind of antiabortion porn for them.” He > also conceded that the pro-choice people “don’t like it when you talk > about how it really feels to do this work.” > > > > That last comment captured the mainstream media’s reluctance to talk > about abortion beyond euphemisms like those from Gupta, or the usual > pro-abortion talking points. If there was truly nothing wrong with > abortion, why resort to name-calling instead of the debate the > pro-abortion groups claim they want to have? Why not call abortion > providers abortionists? And why not show the full measure of > abortionists’ character? > > > > It’s because no matter what, abortion is the taking of innocent life. > That’s a truth the media can’t handle. > > > > > > > > > > Related Stories > > *Late-term Abortionist: Man is "Malignant Eco-Tumor" * > <http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/aug/09080708.html> > > LifeSiteNews.com > > * > The Last Abortion Doctor > <http://www.esquire.com/features/abortion-doctor-warren-hern-0909>* > > Esquire > > * > * > > > > *Hot Topics* > > > *DeMint: ObamaCare 'Will Ultimately Force Americans to Pay for > Abortion' > <http://www.cultureandmedia.com/articles/2009/20090821100415.aspx> * > Jeff Poor > > *Even in Highlighting Modesty Marie Claire Can’t Resist Slamming > Religion > <http://www.cultureandmedia.com/articles/2009/20090820152124.aspx>* > Colleen Raezler > > *‘Mad Men’ Pushes Decency Boundaries > <http://www.cultureandmedia.com/articles/2009/20090818135600.aspx>* > Colleen Raezler > > * * > > * * > > *New Book and DVD* > *Culture Clash <http://www.cultureandmedia.com/CultureClash-Adpage.htm>* > CMI is rolling out its first book, /Culture Clash: How the Media > Assault American Values/. /Culture Clash/ presents the full text of > the challenging and entertaining speeches from the seminar introducing > our Special Report, “The Media Assault on American Values.” > <http://www.cultureandmediainstitute.org/specialreports/2007/MediaAssault/MAAV_sum.aspx> > > The /Culture Clash /DVD offers selected portions of the speeches. > *Click here <http://www.cultureandmedia.com/CultureClash-Adpage.htm>* > for more information. > > * * > > * <http://www.mrc.org/>* > > * > <http://www.obamacaretruth.org/> The Culture and Media Institute > A division of the Media Research Center* > 325 South Patrick Street > Alexandria, VA. 22314 > Contact Us <http://www.cultureandmediainstitute.org/about/contact.aspx> > > > > > > > >
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