Murder must not advertise

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Sep 22, 2003

The "teaser" on page 2 of today's New York Times tells the whole story:

Kate Michelman said she would step down as president of Naral Pro-Choice America, after 18 years heading teh group, which advocates abortion as a right for women.

Take careful note of that last phrase. Why does the Times find it necessary to tell readers what "Naral Pro-Choice America" does? Obviously it's because the organization's title tells you nothing about its role. When you read about the National Rifle Association or Americans for Tax Reform, the organization's name gives you a reasonably clear idea of their purpose. But "Naral Pro-Choice America" tells you nothing. Michelman's group abandoned its old name-- the National Abortion Rights Action League-- because the explicit mention of "abortion" was recognized as bad PR strategy. The abortion lobby is fighting very hard. But it doesn't want people to know what it's fighting for.