CNN's Gupta: Womb is a 'Sacred Space' and a 'Safe Refuge' for 'Babies'?

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CNN anchor Dr. Sanjay Gupta refreshingly made an implicitly pro-life argument during a report about how toxic chemicals possibly affect the unborn children: "Here in the womb, enveloped in darkness and warmth, a baby's life begins in earnest. It is a sacred space: pristine, insulated, more than nine months of safe refuge from the world outside" [audio available here].

Dr. Gupta made that statement as he gave a voice-over for the first segment of his "Toxic Childhood" special, which first aired on Thursday evening at 8 pm Eastern. CGI of a baby in the womb played as he described the "sacred space." The anchor continued on this note in his first question to Dr. Frederica Perera of Columbia University: "We imagine a baby sort of nice and safe and tucked away in the womb, impervious to all the assaults that occur on the body. You say, not so fast?" So Gupta twice referred to the unborn human as a "baby."

Despite this pro-life language, the CNN anchor failed to mention the liberal affiliation of the Environmental Working Group, an organization whose study he cited during the report, and how they are a project of the Tides Foundation. On two earlier occasions as well, Gupta leaned towards the pro-abortion side.

During a December 19, 2008 segment, he included only one pro-life voice among several statements and clips from pro-abortion groups opposed to the expansion of health care workers' right not to participate in controversial procedures such as abortion and in-vitro fertilization. The doctor also failed to correct former President Clinton after he repeatedly referred to human embryos as not being fertilized during a March 11, 2009 interview.

Over the past year, CNN has slanted several times towards the pro-abortion position. Correspondent Carol Costello's June 2, 2009 report highlighted a prediction by former Washington Post reporter Cynthia Gorney that there would be a "huge backlash" against pro-lifers after the murder of late-term abortionist George Tiller. CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin fretted in a November 23, 2009 column that "abortion, as the academics like to say, is being marginalized."

Earlier in 2010, CNN.com attacked black pro-lifers and anchor Kyra Phillips conducted a softball interview of a woman who Tweeted her abortion as it took place.

On the other hand, CNN's Anderson Cooper spotlighted a woman who decided not to abort her infant daughter despite her severe genetic defects during a June 2, 2009 interview.