Eggs Over-With Easy at the Times

New York Times "Personal Health" guru Jane E. Brody has never made a secret of her love of the Pill and legal abortion. She once wrote of how oral contraception filled a pressing societal need, "The pill arrived at a time when abortion was illegal everywhere in the United States and when growing numbers of young women were striving to liberate themselves from the social trappings of premarital chastity and vocational suppression."

Ah, yes, that pesky vocational suppression. As in, suppress your New York Times column where that morning-after sun don't shine.

Why am I so angry, you ask?

I realize it's too much to ask the New York Times to shy away from liberal preaching. This is, after all, the newspaper that printed an interview with a woman who spoke with no emotion of how she had two of her triplets murdered in the womb—and then feigned shock when it came out that the same woman was an abortion activist with a brand-new T-shirt campaign.

Even so, when it comes to hard reporting and not opinion journalism, the greater public—and even conservatives who occasionally let their guard down—does expect the "paper of record" to print the truth. Especially when said truth is a matter not of opinion, but scientific fact.

Brody's article in yesterday's Times, "The Politics of Emergency Contraception," was so full of politics that the facts were neatly contracepted. And yes, it is an emergency—at least if you're appalled to see one of the world's great newspapers continue in what increasingly appears to be a pattern of deception on life issues.

To understand what Brody has done, first read Susan E. Wills' definitive article on emergency contraception, which appeared two years ago in National Review. Called "Deconstructing Rosie" after an EC publicity campaign that featured Rosie the Riveter, the article runs through popular myths about the treatment, which is also known as the morning-after pill.

After you've read that, read Brody's article. It's all the myths that Wills cites—and none of the truths.

Brody begins her piece by quoting the headline from a medical-journal editorial by Dr. David A. Grimes: "Emergency Contraception: Politics Trumps Science at the F.D.A." Gee, no bias there.

But she quickly moves in to stress that she's not out to join Grimes in attacking the FDA's decision barring over-the-counter sales of the morning-after pill known as Plan B. Rather, she is offering readers the opportunity to know the facts so they can decide for themselves, as she writes:

"Women at risk of an unwanted pregnancy deserve to know the reasons that so many leading scientists and organizations have endorsed over-the-counter status for emergency contraception and the reasons that others have objected."

A noble goal, which she proceeds to bypass by knocking down every objection—and steamrolling over the facts.

The most prominent objection to EC is that it causes abortion. Brody denies this outright: "Emergency contraception...has no effect once a fertilized egg implants in the womb. It cannot dislodge an established pregnancy or harm a developing embryo. Nor does it appear to work by destroying a fertilized egg or preventing implantation, which would negate the concerns of those who consider fertilization, not implantation, the start of pregnancy."

That's an outright falsehood—blatant, egregious, a textbook example of the "Big Lie" theory.

The truth is, as Wills writes, "If taken pre-ovulation, EC may delay or inhibit ovulation, thereby preventing conception; but often it does not. If taken after the [hormonal] surge which triggers ovulation, EC will not disrupt ovulation in that cycle, but can inhibit implantation of the developing embryo (causing his death) due to changes in the uterine lining. (See, e.g., C. Kahlenborn, MD et al., 'Postfertilization Effect of Hormonal Emergency Contraception,' The Annals of Pharmacology, March 2002.)"

American Life League's EC Web page offers several more quotes from medical textbooks that echo the example Wills cited, including this one from The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology, 6th Edition, by Moore and Persaud (p. 532):

"Postcoital birth control pills: Ovarian hormones (estrogen) taken in large doses within 72 hours after sexual intercourse usually prevent implantation of the blastocyst, probably by altering tubal motility, interfering with corpus luteum function, or causing abnormal changes in the endometrium. These hormones prevent implantation, not fertilization. Consequently, they should not be called contraceptive pills. Conception occurs but the blastocyst does not implant. It would be more appropriate to call them 'contraimplantation pills.' Because the term abortion refers to a premature stoppage of a pregnancy, the term abortion could be applied to such an early termination of pregnancy."

As TimesWatch has noted in several articles (including "The Bias of Ms. Jane Brody"), this is not the first time that the writer has willfully misreported the facts to serve her own political agenda. But I'll grant it's still possible she's never willfully reported as many facts in one article as she does in "The Politics of Emergency Contraception." Considering she's been touting emergency contraception since the mid-1990s, you'd think she'd have it straight by now.

But no. She writes that there is no evidence that teenagers allowed to receive EC over the counter "would be encouraged to engage in risky sexual behavior."

No evidence? None at all? Smile when you say that, Jane.

Wills writes in her 2002 article: "EC has been readily accessible to women in Scotland for years, but abortions in Scotland increased among every age group between 1990 and 1999. Teen pregnancy and abortion rates have not gone down. For example, despite a sharp increase (almost 300%) in the number of EC prescriptions in Glasgow between 1992-1999, the abortion rate did not decline. (Scottish Council on Human Bio-ethics' 'Briefing Paper on the Morning-After-Pill,' Jan. 2002)."

That same report "suggests two causes behind high levels both of EC use and abortion: 'more unpremeditated sexual activity' and 'more failures in contraception with increased use of condoms' (instead of more effective hormonal 'contraceptives'). The same two factors also appear to be causing an 'alarming rise' in the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Condoms afford inadequate, low or no protection against the most common STDs, several of which are incurable; others can cause sterility or cervical cancer.

"An STD epidemic is also occurring in England, where EC is readily available," Wills continues. The Times (London) reports that 'diagnoses of almost every STD have risen dramatically during the past five years, especially among young people' (C. Midgley, 'The Price of Casual Sex,' Jan. 29, 2002). "

But Brody's got an agenda to push, and she rams it on through. She boasts of Plan B's "minor" side effects: "nausea in about 15 percent of cases, vomiting in 1 percent and a delay in the next menstrual period in 5 percent. Side effect rates are higher with Preven, which includes an estrogen component as well as a progesterone."

What's that? "Side effect rates are higher with Preven"? Just the rates, ma'am—not the varieties of side effects? We're just talking more people suffering from nausea?

Well, no, not quite. As Wills notes, the Preven "Prescribing Information" warns: "Blood clots that form in the leg can cause blockage of blood flow in the leg veins [and] can travel to the lung, causing serious disability or death." The pill also "may increase the tendency to develop strokes (stoppage or rupture of blood vessels in the brain) and heart attacks (blockage of blood vessels in the heart). These conditions can cause serious disability or even death." These risks are greatly increased for women who smoke.

If only one of Brody's facts were wrong, it would merit a correction in the Times. As it is, I'm reminded of the exchange between Alice and the Caterpillar in Lewis Carroll's classic, where Alice has trouble remembering a poem:

"Not quite right, I'm afraid," said Alice, timidly; "some of the words have got altered."

"It is wrong from beginning to end," said the Caterpillar decidedly...

4:42 AM  |

My friend Kevin Walsh of Forgotten NY, who knows something about the emotional power of memory, hipped me to a Weekly Standard article that I found incredibly touching—even though I couldn't remember the pop-culture moment it described.

It's rare to see any article this beautiful, let alone on the Web. I highly recommend it, but with a warning. If you're at work, where others can see you, you may want to print it up and read it when you get home. That's because, if you grew up in the Sixties or earlier, it will bring you to tears.
1:20 AM  |

Monday, August 23, 2004

Red Rocks!

I feel like a fool, comrades.

Even though loyal Party apparatchiks Karol Sheinin and Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi have been telling me for weeks about Communists for Kerry, I have buried my head in the sand and ignored the voice of the people.

I now repent of my failure to adhere to State education practices and exhort you to learn about this worker-approved faction—and especially to visit the photo page of their latest rally in Greenwich Village's Soviet Union Square.
5:00 PM  |

Shower Heads

Last week, my mom, stepmom, and aunts threw a beautiful bridal shower for my sister Jennifer. Even though I'm maid of honor, I managed to get away with the easiest and most fun assignment—handing Jen her presents.

By far my favorite of the presents came from my Aunt Treasure: a set of framed photos of (from bottom) my grandmother, her mother, and her mother.

As you can see, I was fascinated by the pics (that's Jen smiling in the background).

Read the true-life love story of my strikingly beautiful Grandma Jessie (a k a "Mamselle X") and lovable-lunk Grandpa Buddy (a k a "The Fool") in "Summer of Love."
1:57 PM  |

Sunday, August 22, 2004

Satire fans: You must check out the August 20 edition of Saint Kansas—it features a wonderful ad for the "Ted Rall Art Academy." Nice to see a humor site that's getting progressively funnier.
9:44 PM  |

I wrote the main headline for tomorrow's feature about Bob Dole's comments about John Kerry—he claims Kerry didn't earn his Purple Hearts, and demands he apologize to veterans. It's a two-page banner headline: JOHN A VIET CON: DOLE
9:37 PM  |

The Chic Shall Inherit the Earth

Tried another church today, my first such expedition since the velvet-rope communion experience I wrote about in January (not counting the Masses during the recent Chesterton Pilgrimage).

It's been clear to me for a while that finding a representative of the Bride of Christ with whom to join myself is much like finding a flesh-and-blood spouse. Much depends on my own state of mind and willingness to be flexible, to be sure. But even if I'm perfectly prepared, it's not going to be easy finding the perfect match in New York City, of all places.

And so today, as I sat in a wooden pew at Trinity Baptist on the East Side, I found myself gritting my teeth and trying in vain to remind myself that love keeps no record of wrongs.

The problem was not the pastor. He had the No. 1 quality I seek in a good spiritual leader—humility—and he gave a good sermon. He also had a very nice freebie to offer all, courtesy of a generous congregant: a copy of the latest edition of the Andrew Murray classic A Life of Obedience, which I eagerly picked up after the service.

The problem was not the music. Well, it was, but that wasn't the root of the problem. I'm working on my tolerance to "contemporary worship," and have learned to just sit and read my Bible when I don't feel like standing to sing painfully drawn-out arrangements of melodies that consist of about three notes, repeated over and over, with cut-and-paste lyrics.

One problem that those of you outside New York City probably don't have to deal with in church is that of "professionals." Here, it's not enough for one person to stand before the congregation and lead the songs. There have to be, in addition to the full rock band with a drum kit that would embarrass Keith Moon, three soloists onstage, every one mugging, emoting, and belting into the microphone like they're auditioning for the touring cast of "The Phantom of the Opera." (Trinity is by no means unique in this respect. Manhattan's most popular Protestant church outside Harlem, Redeemer Presbyterian, warns those wishing to get involved in its music ministry that "nearly all of our arts leadership positions are held by full-time professionals." And you just know that when the one person who isn't a professional quits, they have Donna Murphy's second understudy poised to fill the breach.)

Closer to the real problem was the lack of crosses inside Trinity Baptist. Oh, they had dainty little plus-signs decorating the altar, but a real cross—the kind that one could imagine a Savior being nailed upon—was nowhere to be found. Just a Byzantine-style stained-glass window of happy risen Jesus, with that mysterious quizzical expression that Byzantine Jesuses have.

A major motivation for people's seeking Christian fellowship in New York City is that this town is so secular, wearing a simple cross pendant is a political act. To enter a church and not see a cross—how is that experience different from walking into any business or workplace? Or, in this case, a production of "Rent"?

In fact, the absence of crosses, combined with the fake-aged look of the church's fake-stone interior, made Trinity look more like a Disneyland church than a real one—which, on second thought, made the audio-animatronic singers perfectly appropriate, I guess.

I'm sure ol' Walt would have especially appreciated the three blink-and-you'll-miss-'em Bible readings, delivered in Abe Lincoln style by the worship leaders, one by one. Unless you had a bulletin open, you wouldn't have known the readings were from the Bible—each person read theirs in a spontaneous style with no crediting the source. They might as well have been giving a monologue at an audition.

Oh, yes, the problem. There was one. I saw it at the beginning of the service when I opened up the bulletin, as the Tammy Faye Starlite singer was launching into the musical gospel that sounded like it was inspired by a poor-man's poor-man's near imitation of Twila Paris on a bad day.

Printed inside the bulletin was "Our Vision." And the first item in "Our Vision" was—well, I can't tell you exactly, because I threw it out. But I believe it said, "To be a home for young professionals..."

Nothing on the Trinity Baptist Web site had prepared me for that.

The important thing here is context. I understand that young professionals need the Lord as do everyone else. Moreover, white-collar workers in this city are less religiously active than their peers elsewhere in the country, so it makes sense that they would need special attention. To that end, I appreciate the necessity for such independent ministries as Priority Associates, which openly targets students and professionals, and for church ministries targeted at those same groups.

But for a church to put as its No. 1 priority, its supreme "Vision," to be "a home for young professionals"—I can't tell you what kind of motivation could be behind that, but I don't believe it's a godly one.

Churches are supposed to be for everyone—not just the wealthy people, not just the pretty people, not just the people of one particular racial or ethnic group. It's natural for people to seek a church where the social or ethnic makeup makes them feel most comfortable, and there's nothing wrong with that. Likewise, some churches are going to be better equipped for certain types of ministries than others, and some ethnic churches have an interest in uniting their community. But a church that prioritizes a privileged social group, to the point that this group obscures everything else in its "Vision," loses the meaning of Jesus' own ministry.

Jesus came for the poor, the poor in spirit, the meek, the heavy laden, the forgotten, the suffering. A church that serves the Lord can't just take in some donations for the poor, get a few congregants to work in a soup kitchen, and have done with it. A godly church has to welcome the poor, which, in Trinity's case, really means the "nonprofessionals"—blue-collar workers and others who don't fit the definition of chic and fashionable New Yorkers.

But for me, it's back to the church search, and any and all suggestions are welcome. E-mail: dawn -at- dawneden.com .
9:25 PM  |

My blog pal Mark Kellner, who writes for the Washington Times and others, has a post about the Deal Hudson controversy. If you're not aware of the controversy, it's a good introduction; if you are, it's a sensitive perspective from a non-Catholic. I haven't read the National Catholic Reporter article in question, but Kellner's argument, on its own, sounds convincing—especially his questioning whether the Internet should be used to expose people's sins.
5:52 PM  |

SEE UPDATE BELOW—March of Crimes

Just saw Planned Parenthood's new bus-stop ad for their upcoming New York City march. In case the photo's not clear, the text reads: "Is America pro-choice? Yes! Keep it that way." But take a close look—is it just me, or are they going for the hard sell?

UPDATE: My photo-manipulation was too convincing for some. Here's the real ad.
1:20 AM  |

Saturday, August 21, 2004

UPDATED—Linkin' Log

Just got a helpful e-mail from a reader:

I'm sure you're aware of this, but there are like a ton of broken links at your site.

PS: You look a gazillion times better with your hair short.

As I mentioned on this page a few days ago, I'm currently switching servers (out of necessity—my old one charged according to transfers, so the more hits I got, the more I paid). As a result, my old in-house links are going to be hit-and-miss for a few days. My tech-support contact (actually a pal who's letting me rent space on his own server, which hosts his NYC entertainment magazine) says it takes a while for other Internet servers to become aware of the new way to access my site.

If you have trouble reaching a link, please let me know just the same—it helps to have an idea of what problems remain during the switch.

I'm relieved to learn, at any rate, that the problem has nothing to do with my hair.

UPDATE: The links may be more affected by the switch than I thought. I'll know for certain in a day or two, but it looks like I may have to change every single link in this blog's archives that connects to another Dawn Patrol entry—about 300 in all. That'll give me something to do in between copyediting stories about headless bodies in topless bars. It's a just punishment for being so self-referential.
8:09 PM  |

Indians' Reservation

"Cherokee people, Cherokee pride," sang Paul Revere & The Raiders, and now we have another reason to admire that brave tribe: "The Cherokee National Tribal Council voted to clearly define marriage as between a man and a woman."

The vote came after a lesbian Cherokee couple were "married" last week in a tribal ceremony.

Proving that even the pagan religions so exploited by today's New Agers have a sense of right and wrong—what C.S. Lewis called the Tao, or Natural Law that underlies most world faiths—a Cherokee representative says, "If we don't address this, we'll have a flood of same-sex marriages. This will be a black eye on the Cherokee Nation. Even the state of Oklahoma doesn't allow same-sex marriage."

There's something delightful about that last sentence.

The American gay-pride movement decks itself in symbols of heathenism—yet the upholders of the nation's indigenous pagan faith will have nothing to do with it. If even the state of Oklahoma bars same-sex marriage, they say, far be it from them to stoop to such a thing. "Cherokee pride" is well-placed indeed.
4:39 PM  |

My friend Kevin Walsh of Forgotten NY observes with regard to my comments on sex and self-esteem in "Three's a Crowd":

"I have a hard line on this: self-esteem is NOT a right that is violated by an authority figure saying 'no'; self-esteem, and esteem for that matter, is earned and must be RE-earned every day of your life....That's the way it should be. This should be instructed from pre-K days, whether or not it involves sex."
3:01 PM  |

I wrote a headline in today's paper about the vets' new TV spot: "Revenge is 'Swift': Stinging new ad rocks Kerry's boat."
12:03 AM  |

Friday, August 20, 2004

The "Rising Sun" Patrol

A recent article in Australia's The Age tells the story behind the Animals' classic "The House of the Rising Sun"—including a quote from me about its "arranger," keyboardist Alan Price. My original Price interview may be found among the links at the bottom of my main page, Gaits of Eden.
6:22 PM  |

Means to an End

The press release calling for a "Militant Contingent" at Planned Parenthood's March for Women’s Lives" during the Republican National Convention offers helpful instructions for locating the protest. The militants recommend their fellow travelers, "Look for the 'Pro-Choice By Any Means Necessary' banner!"

I guess that shouldn't be surprising—partial-birth abortion comes first on the group's list of priorities. By any means necessary indeed—including during delivery.