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‘Law And Order’ Balances Abortion Debate
By FR. FRANK PAVONE, For The Bulletin
If you are tired about how the secular media and entertainment industry always slant anything that has to do with abortion in a pro-abortion direction, take 42 minutes and click on www.priestsforlife.org/tv/lawandorder.htm. You'll see an episode of "Law and Order" that aired in the fall which delighted pro-lifers and upset pro-abortionists.
The episode was based on the killing of abortionist George Tiller. But, unlike many news reports, which go from there to simply paint the killer as a "pro-life fanatic" and the pro-life position itself as fanaticism leading to violence, the "Law and Order" episode actually brought some balance into the debate.
First of all, in the episode, the killer is permitted to make a defense based on the intention of saving a life. Now, pro-life people rightly proclaim that unborn children are real lives, and they also know that this fact doesn't justify killing an abortionist. Yet, the fictional courtroom in this episode allowed more than real courtrooms normally do when it comes to the abortion debate. And, as the courtroom drama unfolds, we catch a glimpse of the ambivalence of the American people when faced with the reality of abortion. Moreover, we catch a glimpse of the extremism of abortion itself and of the movement that supports it. For example, an abortionist testifies that he is committed to doing abortions, no matter what the law may eventually say. This leads the district attorney character to comment privately that there is extremism on both sides of the issue. This reflects a growing awareness of atrocities within the abortion industry, as more abortionists are arrested for various types of malpractice and abuse.
In another moving scene, testimony is given of a botched abortion, after which the child is killed outside the womb. This reflects what abortionists call "the dreaded complication," a child born alive. What often happens in abortion facilities and hospitals is precisely that the child is killed outside the womb. The jury is obviously upset by the revelation and the description of what happened. And even the prosecuting attorney declares, "Each life is special and unique and imbued with inalienable rights."
Most revealing are some of the private conversations between the DA and his assistants. "I grew up thinking Roe v. Wade was gospel," one woman says, but now, "I don't know where my privacy ends and another's dignity begins."
"The tide has turned," another says, describing how his daughter was pro-choice until she saw an ultrasound."
In other conversations, it is asserted that "Roe is outdated science … the disabled are protected … defects can be corrected." One character is even told, "Substitute slavery for abortion" and see if the arguments make sense.
At one point, the DA declares that one would hope for more consistency, that more pro-life people would oppose the death penalty and that more human rights advocates would find some rights for unborn children.
I won't tell you how the episode ends, because I'd like you to watch it. And when you do so, be encouraged.
Fr. Pavone is the national director at Priests for Life.
First of all, in the episode, the killer is permitted to make a defense based on the intention of saving a life. Now, pro-life people rightly proclaim that unborn children are real lives, and they also know that this fact doesn't justify killing an abortionist. Yet, the fictional courtroom in this episode allowed more than real courtrooms normally do when it comes to the abortion debate. And, as the courtroom drama unfolds, we catch a glimpse of the ambivalence of the American people when faced with the reality of abortion. Moreover, we catch a glimpse of the extremism of abortion itself and of the movement that supports it. For example, an abortionist testifies that he is committed to doing abortions, no matter what the law may eventually say. This leads the district attorney character to comment privately that there is extremism on both sides of the issue. This reflects a growing awareness of atrocities within the abortion industry, as more abortionists are arrested for various types of malpractice and abuse.
In another moving scene, testimony is given of a botched abortion, after which the child is killed outside the womb. This reflects what abortionists call "the dreaded complication," a child born alive. What often happens in abortion facilities and hospitals is precisely that the child is killed outside the womb. The jury is obviously upset by the revelation and the description of what happened. And even the prosecuting attorney declares, "Each life is special and unique and imbued with inalienable rights."
Most revealing are some of the private conversations between the DA and his assistants. "I grew up thinking Roe v. Wade was gospel," one woman says, but now, "I don't know where my privacy ends and another's dignity begins."
"The tide has turned," another says, describing how his daughter was pro-choice until she saw an ultrasound."
In other conversations, it is asserted that "Roe is outdated science … the disabled are protected … defects can be corrected." One character is even told, "Substitute slavery for abortion" and see if the arguments make sense.
At one point, the DA declares that one would hope for more consistency, that more pro-life people would oppose the death penalty and that more human rights advocates would find some rights for unborn children.
I won't tell you how the episode ends, because I'd like you to watch it. And when you do so, be encouraged.
Fr. Pavone is the national director at Priests for Life.
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