PBS raked over decision to air late-term abortion film

Washington D.C., Aug 30, 2014 / 13:35 pm

Pro-life advocates have strongly objected to PBS' decision broadcast the documentary "After Tiller," saying it wrongly downplays the "gravely unjust" and deadly nature of abortion.

"When we hear PBS talk about 'humanizing' late-term abortionists, we wonder: who is 'humanizing' the viable babies these men and women kill?" Lila Rose, president of the investigative group Live Action, told CNA Aug. 29.

"Will PBS show programming in this vein, or will it just take taxpayer dollars to boost Big Abortion?"

"The abortion process is barbaric and gravely unjust at any stage, as it results in the intentional killing of an innocent, helpless human being," she added. "But late-term abortions are particularly visually nauseating: in most procedures, abortionists will stab babies' hearts or skulls with a thick needle containing digoxin, a toxin that induces a massive heart attack."

"Then they will let the child float, dead, in his mother's womb, and send the mother home for several days, possibly to deliver her dead child alone."

PBS is airing the 2013 documentary as part of its POV series. The broadcaster is promoting the 2013 documentary as "a deeply humanizing and probing portrait of the only four doctors in the United States still openly performing third-trimester abortions in the wake of the 2009 assassination of Dr. George Tiller in Wichita, Kansas."
 
The documentary will air on Labor Day and will be available on the PBS website through Oct. 1.
 
The PBS website encourages viewers to organize a "premiere party" for the documentary and provides lesson plans to guide discussions.

Rose said that hundreds of pro-life advocates have criticized the decision to air the documentary. Several have organized petitions protesting PBS' decision to broadcast the film.

One user-submitted petition at CitizenGo.com gained more than 18,000 signatures within one day calling on PBS to cancel the showing or "give equal time to a documentary that shows third-trimester abortions from the opposite perspective."

Rose contended that the decision to broadcast the documentary reveals PBS as "a publicly funded abortion propaganda organ – in direct violation of fundamental human rights."

She said that Live Action investigations have uncovered "horrific abuses" in U.S. abortion facilities.

The group's investigations send undercover journalists into abortion clinics to film how doctors and staff treat women, including those they believe to be underage girls who are seeking abortions. Some investigations have exposed late-term abortionists' willingness to let babies who survive abortions die. Other investigations have exposed abortion clinic staffers voicing a willingness to avoid mandatory reporting laws in cases of possible statutory rape.
 
"The abortion industry puts profit above all other motives, and is willing to lie, injure and kill mothers, and rampantly slaughter innocent children to keep its multi-billion-dollar enterprise afloat," Rose said.

She charged that LeRoy Carhart, a Nebraska abortionist profiled in the documentary, left a woman to die alone during a late-term abortion procedure that lasted several days.

"She suffered complications and could not get in touch with him because he had left the state and turned off his phone," Rose said.

Montgomery County, Maryland officials declined to press charges for the February 2013 death, which involved a New York woman 33 weeks pregnant. She died from complications in an abortion that Carhart performed. Tiller's murder drew vocal condemnation from Catholic leaders and other pro-life advocates.

In her remarks, Rose was also clear to reject violence against those who perform abortions.

"Our goal is to change hearts and minds – even those of abortionists – and persuade all people through logic, scientific evidence, and heartfelt personal stories that all human life is precious, with inherent dignity, and deserves to be protected."