Abortion Ban? What Abortion Ban?
The consistently excellent Editor & Publisher brings word today that the Argus Leader – the largest paper in South Dakota – has decided not to editorialize on the state's abortion ban. Why? Because the issue is too emotional.
"Abortion is different from other issues," editorial page editor Chuck Baldwin told E&P. "It is a hot-button issue at the core of everyone's soul. It will not change no matter what."
He also said that, were the paper to run such an editorial, "People would think our coverage is tainted, and not just on abortion but on everything."
In a column on Sunday, Argus Leader Editor Randall Beck echoed Baldwin's sentiment, writing, "What could we say..... that would contribute to public understanding of this troubling issue - arguably the most divisive of our time?" He added: "In the emotional and escalating debate over abortion, Americans find themselves bound to faith and conviction, a deeply felt sense of what is right. No editorial, no matter how deftly written, will change that."
It may be true that when it comes to the fundamental question of whether or not abortion is morally right, Americans are steadfastly stuck in their ways, though I'm not convinced that peoples' opinions on any issue are so intractable that it's not worth even expressing an opinion. But even if one accepts the notion that you're not going to change any minds on abortion, there is plenty of fodder for an editorial here. This is one of the biggest stories to come out of the state in recent memory, and it isn't just about whether abortion is good or bad.
"Abortion is different from other issues," editorial page editor Chuck Baldwin told E&P. "It is a hot-button issue at the core of everyone's soul. It will not change no matter what."
He also said that, were the paper to run such an editorial, "People would think our coverage is tainted, and not just on abortion but on everything."
In a column on Sunday, Argus Leader Editor Randall Beck echoed Baldwin's sentiment, writing, "What could we say..... that would contribute to public understanding of this troubling issue - arguably the most divisive of our time?" He added: "In the emotional and escalating debate over abortion, Americans find themselves bound to faith and conviction, a deeply felt sense of what is right. No editorial, no matter how deftly written, will change that."
It may be true that when it comes to the fundamental question of whether or not abortion is morally right, Americans are steadfastly stuck in their ways, though I'm not convinced that peoples' opinions on any issue are so intractable that it's not worth even expressing an opinion. But even if one accepts the notion that you're not going to change any minds on abortion, there is plenty of fodder for an editorial here. This is one of the biggest stories to come out of the state in recent memory, and it isn't just about whether abortion is good or bad.
