George Offerman
I am thankful that Steve Ertelt has committed his time and talents to the pro life cause by writing about many of the issues pertaining to the pro life movement. There is an ever growing need for more people to stand up and have their voices heard, to change the status of legal child killing in this country to making it illegal. However, the pro life movement has many strategies in which to get that done, and it is imperative that our side not be outdone by the enemy.
This is where Steve Ertelt falls short. I am not sure how involved Mr. Ertelt has been involved in the front line work of the pro life movement, but it becomes more apparent by his blatant omissions of the most pivotal news in over a decade, that Mr. Ertelt either does not understand the nature of the battle, or is blatantly disregarding this news, due to the nature of being ‘uncomfortable’ with what is being done. Either way, as Christians, we call this sins of omission, sins of commission, sins of silence.
For whatever reason, Mr. Ertelt continues to ignore the elephant in the room, and has not covered in any was, shape or form, the 8 state tour that made national news, and reached virtually millions of people. The secular press, often cited as the eyes and ears of the enemy not only covered the 8 state tour, but actually gave some favorable press. Life news was too busy covering the stories that were more peripheral, and were covered more in depth by the mainstream media.
Steve Ertelt made no efforts to cover the press conferences, protests efforts and huge success these 5 brave souls obtained during this road trip. If life news was the only source for pro lifers, these events never would have been covered or known about. Yet the likes of CNN, FOX and other outlets covered the press conferences, ran very accurate quotes from theses 5, and shown the graphic signs in print and on camera. This group has LEAD the debate on legalized child killing for the past several months at many different events, and Mr. Ertelt is not showing the least amount of interest in covering this, nor showing the wisdom or understanding that it is the tactics used by this brave band of people that are driving the debate.
Mr. Ertelt does not seem to understand that as a commentator, he does not make the news, but reports it. Mr. Ertelt is attempting to drive the debate according to his very limited understanding of the history of social change, coupled with his reluctance to engage the enemy with the force needed to win, and wants the respect of news outlets and other players more than winning this war. Mr. Ertelt does not know how to win this war, and it is becoming more painfully obvious by his blatant disregard for real news items.
I have a personal challenge for Mr. Ertelt. Google Randall Terry, Joseph Landry, Diana Roccograndi, Missy Smith, Andrew Beachem. You will find more hits on them in the past several months than you have readers for your site. Next, get yourself out to an abortion clinic and work the front line, organize a protest or press release at any of the cathedrals in which a Bishop has a wayward politician violating Church law. Personally show up at a Representatives or Senator’s office and demand they behave according to their alleged ‘faith walk’. Be willing to, and get arrested for this cause. I know of what I speak, because I have either done or been involved in all of the above, and I also know it works. Evidently you do not.
I also am making a request that you don’t complain about the lack of ‘fair press’ at the next right to life march. As much as this is a ‘feel good’ event for many pro lifers, it is not news worthy as far as the mainstream media is concerned, because it is the same thing every year, and it has been proven to be a non sequitor for those in power. Having one percent of the attendees get arrested would make international headlines for months, but the traditional pro life movement, represented by people who think like you would condemn this and want to distance yourself from such ‘extremists’. Continue playing by the rules of the enemy, and continue propagating the culture of legalized child killing and let’s see what happens.
I am encouraging people to write to Steve Ertelt and tell him he needs to cover all pro life news, and not try to be the ‘news maker’ when he is a commentator.
Contact Steve at new@lifenews.com
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George,
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you chose to publicly attack LifeNews.com this way and cause more division within the pro-life movement than what is already bringing it down.
At a time when the President Barack Obama and his friends in Congress are bringing us unfettered abortion, the last thing the pro-life movement needs is more people who spend their time attacking, condemning or criticizing pro-life groups and people instead of focusing their activities on ending abortion and protecting those mothers and babies who are victimized by it.
I also find it odd that you would question my pro-life sincerity when you don't know me and readily admit you're "not sure" about my long-time involvement in the pro-life movement.
I'm also disappointed that your criticism of the news coverage of LifeNews.com would imply that it is "sinful" or not Christian.
My faith is a wholly Christian one and I have been a born-again, Bible-believing Christian who faithfully attends Church and participates in the Christian community for decades. In fact my primary motive for my involvement in the pro-life movement is borne out of my Christian views and Biblical teachings.
When it comes to coverage, you contend that LifeNews.com has omitted coverage of "the most pivotal news in over a decade" or that "too busy covering the stories that were more peripheral."
In actuality, LifeNews.com has focused our coverage in recent months on the health care debate in Congress that is clearly regarded by every pro-life group as the most "pivotal" news story in a decade. That Congress is making it so Americans could pay for the greatest expansion of abortion since Roe is easily the biggest story for the pro-life movement since the 1970s.
We have dedicated hundreds of news stories to covering this topic -- making it so the comment that they "were covered more in depth by the mainstream media" is ludicrous.
In fact, LifeNews.com has provided the most comprehensive coverage anywhere on the health care-abortion debate with many news stories providing more details and explanation than the pro-abortion (mainstream media) or coming well in advance of their coverage.
We've led the way, for example, in covering the rarely-discussed Mikulski amendment that could result in the Obama administration making every single insurance plan in the nation cover abortions. That, alone, could result in an increase of hundreds of thousands of unborn babies killed -- but most media outlets glossed over it or hit it once and never came back to it.
Specifically, your accusation is that LifeNews.com did not provide coverage to a publicity tour sponsored by Randall Terry.
LifeNews.com can't provide news coverage to every single pro-life topic or story as we would like. For every news story or editorial column we carry, there are easily three or four times as many stories or columns we don't have time or space to carry. That's how pervasive the culture of death is in this country and across the world.
We have not provided coverage to Terry's tour, but it is not the primary news story of the day -- it is a sidebar to the abortion-health care debate. So the question is, which of the news stories we've covered should we drop and leave pro-life advocates in the dark about so Mr. Terry can get air time?
ReplyDeleteMy apologies for not having given the tour any coverage, but we are slammed with all of the news we are currently providing.
I should also point out that we have given Terry and his associates coverage before and there is no bias against him.
We covered the arrest of Terry associate Christopher Young at the Patrick Kennedy health care forum. (http://www.lifenews.com/state4608.html). We have also covered the arrest of Terry and others at Notre Dame (http://www.lifenews.com/state4150.html) and continue to cover their appeals process.
Also, I am curious why LifeNews.com was singled out for criticism when it appears many of the other news agencies that cover pro-life topics have not, to my knowledge, covered the tour either. Where is the criticism for our friends at CNS News, WorldNetDaily, Lifesite, OneNewsNow, etc? The lack of consistency in the criticism is odd.
I'm also disappointed you feel the need to extrapolate from our coverage the supposed conclusion that I don't understand the history of social change, that I am reluctant to engage the enemy, and that I am more interested in being well-liked than stopping abortion.
These, of course, are silly conclusions based on your anger at our coverage rather than anything factual. Again, I go back to your comment about how you don't know me -- yet you feel you have the knowledge and authority to make extensive value judgments about my supposed worldview or motives. In Christian circles, to borrow your language, we call this bearing false witness.
Finally, I'm disappointed to see that you believe one can't be pro-life unless they get arrested or get in the face of those who are pro-abortion.
First, LifeNews.com has provided all sorts of coverage over the years to pro-life people who have been arrested, so there is no bias.
But what troubles me more is that your comments lead to the conclusion that someone can't either be a Christian or pro-life without using your tactics. That's a wholesale condemnation on millions of pro-life people around the globe and thousands of pro-life groups and pregnancy centers who do things differently. Are they now, suddenly, not pro-life because they share the same goals but a different approach? Surely, not.
I'm reminded of how the Lord Jesus rebuked Peter when he cut off the ear of the soldier -- aggressive, in your face tactics are not necessarily the ones God wants us to use in every situation (nor are they always wrong, either).
In the end, LifeNews.com will continue to do everything it can to bring as much pro-life news and information to people as possible so human life can be protected from all anti-life threats ASAP.
George, I will pray for you -- that God will direct your attention to stopping abortion and those who promote it instead of focusing your time on fellow Christians who are doing their best to promote pro-life principles.
In Him,
Steven Ertelt
The rational community needs to donate to planned parenthood and help protect them from you superstitious kooks.
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