As part of their week long anti-Islamic hate fest, Fox News braying heads continue to bray about the dangers of "radical Islam." So it was interesting to see that their "news" programming would feature a man who is part of an all male religious group dedicated to extremist views that pose a real threat to women and doctors. No, I'm not talking about some radical jihadist mullah, but Catholic priest Fr. Frank Pavone who is part of an order of Catholic priests devoted to putting an end to safe, legal abortion. Pavone was last seen on Fox touting his daring "rescue" of a terminally ill Canadian child. Today, he was on Fox's "news" show "Happening Now" where he spoke about his desire to obtain the bodies from Gosnell's clinic so he can give them a Catholic funeral. While he seems benign enough, his writings say otherwise. But he's pro-life and that's all that matters on "fair & balanced" Fox News which is always happy to provide him with a pulpit for "pro-life" propaganda.
Jon Scott reported that Pavone has contacted the judge, in the Gosnell case, about receiving the bodies found in the clinic. Mollie Henneberg provided more information on the "pro-life" priest's request. While the remains were, medically and legally speaking, fetuses, Hennenberg used the more inflammatory, anti-choice term "baby." Fetus is the term used in the Grand Jury Report which Hennenberg referenced in describing the remains found at the clinic. She reported that Pavone has asked the medical examiner if he can have bodies after the court proceedings have ended.
Video of Pavone was shown in which he said that these are bodies of "real human beings who were killed" and that they need to be "honored" after they were "dishonored." He added that his efforts will "raise consciousness" about "real killings." Henneberg reported that Pavone wants permission to talk with Gosnell. After she concluded, Scott muttered "what a horrible story."
What a horrible news report. First, why would any news organization give any attention to this anti-choice zealot who just wants publicity for a stunt that's, most likely, not going to happen? Rather than opine on the "horror" of the story, Scott might have, after doing some research, proffer a legal opinion on whether Pavone has any right to these remains. But that didn't come up because the intent of the piece was to show a nice priest talking about the evils of abortion. The real time ramifications of what appears to be another publicity stunt were, in this case, irrelevant.
Just some background on Pavone who has been called "the Pope's Vicar for Life." He is a pal of domestic anti-choice terrorist Randall Terry who has expressed a desire for all abortion providers to be executed. He was also a key player in the Fox enabled Terri Schiavo media circus. His organization employs Fox fave, Alveda King. The Institute for Democracy reports that Priests for Life support abortion clinic blockades and other illegal activity. A Priest for Life media handbook states the following:
"A rescue focuses on intervening directly and peacefully to prevent the child from being brought into contact with the instruments which will kill him/her. Pro-lifers might block the doors to the abortion mill with their bodies or with other objects. When police try to remove them, they will go limp, thereby refusing to abandon the children scheduled to die. The time it takes to open access to the mill allows sidewalk counselors to plead with the mothers to spare their children. Rescues are not acts of civil disobedience or protests primarily meant to get a message to the public. Instead, they are simply efforts to save people about to be killed. Breaking a law of trespass to prevent killing is perfectly justified in this and other circumstances."
What Pavone is endorsing is physically preventing women from accessing abortion via illegal and terrorist tactics. Wonder what O'Reilly, Kilmeade, Bolling and all the other Islam bashing Fox personalities would think if a Muslim imam stated that "breaking a law" is "perfectly justified." Oh, right, Pavone is a Catholic priest who is "saving babies" so it's all good.
He, like Fox News, is trying to use this trial to generate publicity for anti-choice memes. The clear intention isn’t to do justice for Gosnell’s victims – that’s already happening in court. The intention is to try to portray Gosnell’s operation as a typical abortion clinic. Fox News just tried that again last night on O’Reilly when he interviewed a right wing GOP congresswoman who signed on to a letter to the various news networks.
BTW O’Reilly has threatened to inflict a special on this subject next Monday. Any chance that he might include people like Katha Pollitt or a proper representative of Planned Parenthood in the show?