Over Thanksgiving weekend, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) quietly released its latest Abortion Surveillance report for 2013. That is a year remembered by the pro-life movement for the trial and conviction of Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell. But even that can’t push the liberal media to report the CDC’s grave numbers.
According to the CDC, a “total of 664,435 abortions were reported” for 2013 by 49 of the 52 reporting areas (the 50 states, the District of Columbia and New York City). That number happily represented a 5% decrease in abortion from last year’s 2012 report.
To put that in perspective, the CDC recorded 3,932,181 registered births for 2013, a less than 1% decrease from 2012.
In 2013 New York City recorded the highest abortion rate –36.3 abortions for every thousand women of reproductive age (15-44)–and highest abortion ratio — 598 abortions for every 1,000 live births — recorded anywhere in the country. New York City reported 69,840 abortions and 116,777 registered births.
No other state or area listed had an abortion rate that reached more than 30% (half NYC’s 60%) of its birth rate.
Other numbers revealed included “35% of babies aborted in 2013 were black,” even though African-Americans “make up 13.3% of the U.S. population.”
And the mortality rate for women undergoing abortions doubled: from two women (in 2011) to four women (in 2012). It’s a small number, but the liberal media are unlikely to even admit that any woman dies in abortion – never mind that one baby (almost always) dies.
In the end, none of these numbers are likely to receive attention by the liberal media. The broadcast network news shows from ABC, CBS and NBC haven’t mentioned the CDC report once since its release Nov. 25.
In his piece, New surmised that, “Because the release date coincides with a major holiday, these abortion trends tend to receive relatively little attention from the mainstream media.”
But they deserve the American public’s attention. Because each number isn’t just a number: it represents a human being.
Methodology: MRC Culture searched for the term “abortion” in network news show transcripts from ABC, CBS and NBC from Nov. 25, 2016 – Dec. 1, 2016.
*Note: all percentages rounded.
Editor’s note. This appeared at Newsbusters.
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
