Tag Archives: deceit

Myth or Propaganda?

This site sheds some light on the popular idea that before Roe v. Wade made abortion
legal, 10,000 women died each year from botched illegal abortions.

Before
Roe v. Wade, did 10,000 women a year die from illegal abortions?

28-May-2004

Dear Cecil:

Boston Globe columnist Ellen Goodman recently wrote, “After all, those of us
who remember when birth control was illegal and when 10,000 American women a year
died from illegal abortions don’t have to imagine a world without choices. We were
there.” I write a blog about life after abortion, and one of my co-bloggers
says that the claim of 10,000 deaths is well known to be an urban legend. However,
Ellen Goodman is a famous journalist, and she clearly believes that it is the truth.
Is it? – Emily of After Abortion, via e-mail

Tilt

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics." – Mark Twain (borrowing from some other fellow)

While I tend to take polls with a grain of salt – they tend to largely say what the originators wished to say – I do not believe they are devoid of meaning or real representation of the vox populi. I've already noticed a definite liberal tilt in the media, right wings nuts on Fox News Network excepted. However, I didn't realize just how rabidly liberal they were until reading this. Yikes!

Research Reveals U.S. Media Leans Left, Blind to Own Bias
Pew Research Casts Doubt on Media Objectivity Myth
By Fred Jackson and Jenni Parker
May 26, 2004

"(AgapePress) – A new poll of the nation's journalists is providing more alarming evidence that the vast majority of them hold extreme liberal bias and are far less conservative than the general public."

Values and the Press

"Journalists at national and local news organizations are notably different from the general public in their ideology and attitudes toward political and social issues. Most national and local journalists, as well as a plurality of Americans (41%), describe themselves as political moderates. But news people – especially national journalists – are more liberal, and far less conservative, than the general public."

Sneaky

Kudos on the Patriot Act authors for this little bit of sneakiness. If it wasn't so despicable, I'd be rather amused by its genius.

Patriot Act Suppresses News Of Challenge to Patriot Act
By Dan Eggen, Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 29, 2004; Page A17

"The American Civil Liberties Union disclosed yesterday that it filed a lawsuit three weeks ago challenging the FBI's methods of obtaining many business records, but the group was barred from revealing even the existence of the case until now."

Vietnumb

Here are some follow-ups to the editorial I posted about Kerry’s 1971 “exaggerations”.

Fellow vet blasts Kerry’s antiwar comments
Democrat’s campaign to release military records
Thursday, April 22, 2004 Posted: 9:39 AM EDT (1339 GMT)

“WASHINGTON (CNN) — A man who served in the same Navy unit as Sen. John Kerry denounced on Tuesday charges the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee made as an antiwar protester that he and other U.S. troops committed atrocities in Vietnam.”

Kerry’s 1971 testimony on Vietnam reverberates
Vivid words alleged atrocities by soldiers
Friday, April 23, 2004 Posted: 1:26 PM EDT (1726 GMT)

“(CNN) — The strong, vivid words John Kerry uttered 33 years ago continue to ring through time.”

Kerry blasts ‘phony controversy’ over medals
Bush adviser: Democrat ‘pretended’ to throw away medals
Monday, April 26, 2004 Posted: 9:25 PM EDT (0125 GMT)

“WASHINGTON (CNN) — Sen. John Kerry on Monday rejected as a ‘phony controversy’ questions about whether he had misled people about a symbolic Vietnam War protest he participated in 33 years ago.”

Common Sense Diet

The
Smoke and Mirrors of Food Labeling

By SHERRI DAY

“Food companies – including some that have pledged to act in the face of rising
obesity rates – routinely exploit labeling laws that allow them to make their products
seem less fattening than they really are, according to nutritionists and consumer
groups.”

While deception in the form of dishonest food labels is deplorable, any furor over
it really just underscores a fundamental lack of common sense among consumers. The
trick to losing weight isn’t counting calories. Just eat sensibly. Eat many small
portions throughout the day with some care given to nutrition. Keep junk food to
a minimum. Exercise. How hard is that to understand? Maybe people already understand
but are too lazy to do it. Americans was quick fixes, not hard work. My diet is
far from perfect, but my portions are now smaller and I exercise – Yoga and Tai
Chi. I’ve lost about ten pounds over the last few months.