Washington Post Profiles Abortion Doctor Helping 'Meet Need' in South Dakota

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The Washington Post’s Peter Slevin lauded abortion doctor Carol Ball on Feb. 26, for bravely traveling to perform elective abortions in South Dakota when no doctors in state will.

In his glowing tribute “Minnesota Abortion Provider Helps Meet Need in South Dakota,” Slevin not only turned Ball into a hero, but sympathized with her “difficult” situation. “This is a difficult time for Ball and her colleagues,” Slevin wrote before citing last year’s murder of abortion provider George Tiller.

Slevin and Ball downplayed the controversial nature of her profession. Ball told the Post her decision to start performing abortions was easy. “It was legal. It was right…Why would anybody argue with that?” Talking about pro-lifers upset with what she does in South Dakota Ball said: “I think to myself, ‘What century do we live in?’”

Even though we live in the 21st century, no doctor in South Dakota will performs elective abortions so four doctors take turns staffing the Planned Parenthood clinic in Sioux Falls.

Slevin quoted the clinic director, sympathizing further with the pro-abortion side of South Dakota’s controversy.

“It would be a dream to have a doctor in town,” says Andrea, the clinic director, who, for security reasons, spoke on condition that her last name not be used. “Until I got here, I didn't understand the magnitude of the political environment and the woman's decision and how much what we do matters.”

Ball also told Slevin that she used to be afraid to tell people what line of work she was in, but now she will tell people she works for Planned Parenthood.

“Along with her desire for privacy, she wanted to protect herself and her family from harm. She remains cautious. But her children are older, and she wants to show them the importance of ‘standing up for what you believe,’” Slevin wrote. He didn’t point out the contradiction between her being able to stand up for what she believes, but dismissing those who protest because they believe abortion is the killing of innocent human life.

Pushing a liberal pro-abortion agenda is nothing new for the Post. In October 2009, the paper featured a sympathetic article about a woman who had 15 abortions in 15 years. The Post also featured a medical student’s opinions about why she supported abortion in June 2009. And when the number of abortions dropped in 2008, the Post included three liberal voices and only conservative voice in their story.

Other mainstream media outlets have pushed the same agenda. After Tiller’s death, CMI exposed the way the media went to lengths to portray him as “martyr.” Networks ABC and NBC only referred to Tiller’s death as deadly, while ignoring the violent nature of abortions.