Clear message
Journalism is all about context, so we get pretty steamed when people wrongly cite context in an attempt to spin their way out of an especially stupid public comment.
Gov. Tom Corbett recently set mouths agape after he was asked whether women should be forced to watch fetal images during pre-abortion ultrasounds that would be mandated by a bill pending in the Pennsylvania Legislature.
According to [The] Associated Press, he replied: “I don’t know how you make anybody watch, OK? Because you just have to close your eyes.”
That remark set pro-choicers ablaze, for some reason, made news near and far, and went viral on the Internet. Corbett’s spokesman, tasked with the impossible, defended it by claiming the remark was taken out of context.
Um, no. It was an off-the-cuff — and therefore from-the-heart — answer to an honest question.
Want an example of a statement taken out of context? In the 2000 Republican primary, George W. Bush’s campaign summed an ad with copy culled from the The Arizona Republic that said “It’s time the rest of the nation learns about the [John] McCain we know.” Those words, however, were pulled from an editorial that went on to say, “There is much there to admire. After all, we have supported McCain in his past runs for office.”
The context for Corbett was women being emotionally oppressed and forced to watch an image of the fetus they intend to abort. The answer was “you just have to close your eyes.”
Simple. Direct. Unbelievable.
Especially when you consider that the legislation mandates that the ultrasound technician make a note of whether or not the woman watches. How’s that for context?
We’ll give Corbett credit — here comes some more context — for following up his “close your eyes” statement with ” … as long as (the ultrasound) is on the exterior, not interior,” according to The Patriot-News.
That’s a reference to the likelihood that most of the ultrasounds would be administered with a vaginal probe, since first trimester abdominal ultrasounds cannot determine gestational age and other details required by the legislation. And the first trimester is when 88 percent of all abortions are performed.
Granted, it was hard to tell whether Corbett was expressing opposition to vaginal ultrasounds, in particular. (See, that’s an acknowledgment of insufficient context.)
But it’s fairly clear from “close your eyes” that he’s just fine with reproductive oppression in general.
– (Chambersburg) Public Opinion