By Dave Andrusko
On Wednesday we will provide a more detailed critique of NARAL’s 23rd annual “Who Decides? The Status of Women’s Reproductive Rights in the United States,” which was formally released today.
As is NARAL’s tradition, the nation as a whole received a near failing grade: a D-. In fact half of the 50 states flunked, at least in NARAL’s eyes. (North Dakota won the honor of being the “worst.”)
So what’s new the 102 page report? Certainly not the rhetoric which reads eerily like every other recent analysis.
“The anti-choice War on Women did not slow down in 2013,” Ilyse Hogue, NARAL’s president, in the report. “Lawmakers passed bills that closed clinics, put new obstacles in the way of women seeking abortion care, and outright banned aborting after 20, 12 or as early as six weeks.” Etc., etc. etc.
But the lead paragraph in the press release read thusly:“This year’s report also includes a new section on the status of anti-choice crisis pregnancy centers in the states.”
The only surprise there is that it took this long for NARAL to crank out a hit-job on Crisis Pregnancy Centers. NARAL has made it abundantly clear: it will do everything it can—in the legislatures but especially in the courts—to drive women-helping centers out of business.
More tomorrow.
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