Journalism is a worthy and respectable profession. The person who dedicates her life to educating humanity to the societal ebbs and flows takes on a heavy burden. She must hold herself to the highest standards because without reliability in the news, society is at a loss for direction or knowledge.
I personally do not believe that RH Reality Check qualifies as a news source. However, given that they have their own followers who look to them as a supply for information and daily insight into the world of pro-abortion politicking, they have in effect launched themselves into the stratosphere of ‘Newsies’.
When I did my April 1st exposé on RH Reality Check’s ‘Don’t Be Fooled’ campaign against Crisis Pregnancy Centers, I was more focused on their typical un-feminine way of bashing anything that did not fit their agenda. However, their latest news stunt is beyond grabbing for attention. Eleanor Bader’s April 15 article is atrocious. She has thrown truth to the wind and decided that she is exempt from journalistic ethics or research.
Bader’s article is not simply biased against CPCs; it is also littered with factual errors. Centered on the issue of ‘Choose Life’ license plates, Bader argues that the plates are a “lie” to the community because they fund CPCs and no comparable pro-abortion plates exist. Her argument is nothing more than a straw man, one that can easily be blown over with a light puff.
Ms. Bader’s first point of contention is that the Florida ‘Choose Life’ plates are $22.00 above the normal cost of regular plates. This is true, but it is true that all specialty plates are above the cost of regular license plates. Most of Florida’s plates are $20.00-$25.00 above the cost of regular plates, plus administrative fees. However, Bader has duped her readers into believing Randy Harris somehow “masterminded” this idea of raising the cost of his plate and that all of the “extra money would then go to non-profit adoption agencies.”
This is wholly untrue. Only $20.00 goes to Choose Life, Inc. This amount is the typical donation amount to the charity. The extra $2.00 is an administrative processing fee that is listed as “same as base tax” in the Statutory Authority of Motor Vehicle License Plate Fees section of Florida’s Annual Revenue Report. Again, this administrative fee is a standard amount and is listed on most every specialty plate.
Similarly, the annual special tag fee for ‘Choose Life’ plates in Georgia is $25.00. Though Ms. Bader does not discuss this state’s plate, she would more than likely have her readers believe that it too goes whole kit-and-caboodle straight to CPCs. In reality, the breakdown of the extra $25.00 is as follows: $1.00 to Georgia’s Centralized Taxpayer Accounting Department; $2.00 to the Department of Revenue for design and manufacturing costs; $12.00 for the State Treasury; and a mere $10.00 to Choose Life Georgia, Inc. That is right - only $10.00 per plate goes through Choose Life Georgia, who then distributes this money among several pregnancy care centers within the state.
Both Florida and Georgia represent typical distribution arrangements set up between the state governments and the 17 states that currently have ‘Choose Life’ plates and decals. Bader bates readers into believing that CPCs are getting more money than they really are and that this money is not being distributed fairly. She runs with this mantra across the board and does not treat each state as individual apart from the original Florida leader.
While I agree that Florida is currently too restrictive in how it allocates its funds, other states are much more agreeable in their spending. To her credit, Bader does use the Mississippi Pro-Life America Network to illustrate a more overarching plan for ‘Choose Life’ plates. Mississippi is the model program, and appears to be what other states are striving for, not Florida. The wider use of funds for mothers and their children, born and preborn, in order to cover anything and everything from material goods like pampers and formula, to pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, peer-counseling, community referrals for other services or needs, adoption information and referrals, STD information, and abstinence information and counseling.
All of these services and materials seem great to me. Frankly I don’t see a problem with offering pampers and formula to a mother in need. I don’t see a problem with giving ultrasounds or adoption referrals. If people want to make a conscious choice to buy a license plate that they know supports a CPC, and the CPC wants to use that money to provide services other than abortion, then that should fit the whole mantra of “choice.”
Another point abhorrent to Ms. Bader is that “no comparable pro-choice plates exist.” This terrible point of contention is brought up by Bader in an effort to inflame readers into believing that states do not allow freedom of speech. Bader even goes so far as to quote Janet Crepps, Deputy Director of Domestic Legal Programs at the Center for Reproductive Rights, “If they’re going to give anyone access to the license plate forum, they should give access to all viewpoints.”
My, my how we lie, Ms. Bader! In fact three states currently have pro-abortion plates: Montana; Hawaii and Pennsylvania. Hawaii technically offers a decal to pro-abortion people seeking to spruce up their license plates, but the same goes for pro-lifers. They too are offered a decal with the ‘Choose Life’ logo on it, so both sides are equal in that state.
As for there not being any pro-abortion plates in any other states, perhaps the pro-abortion supporters all should try asking for their own plates rather than suing to get ‘Choose Life’ plates removed. After a quick search I found that most states have made the application process quite easy for anyone seeking to pursue a new plate or decal image. New York is the only state that currently has a moratorium on license plates, and that is across the board.
As an interesting note, Florida is already pursuing a pro-abortion plate. They are in the process of collecting petition signatures for their scientific study to present to the state. Also, eleven other states currently allow non-profits preferential treatment of some kind in applying for new plate designs: Delaware; Kentucky; Maryland; Nevada; New Jersey; South Carolina; South Dakota; Texas; Virginia; Washington; and Washington, D.C. On top of these, four states are relatively easy to apply to if you simply read the directions and call the right person within the state government: Georgia; Illinois; Oklahoma; and Tennessee.
That makes a total of 19 states that have a pro-abortion plate, have already applied for a pro-abortion plate, or could easily apply for a pro-abortion plate. So why waste valuable time and money coming after ‘Choose Life’ plates when you can have your own? Pro-abortion plates can even designate the charity of your choosing, which I would assume would be Planned Parenthood or some other abortion provider, but that is neither here nor there. What is more important is that pro-abortion supporters constantly argue that the license plate issue is about “free speech.” Well, here is your answer: go get your own plates!
If you really are that worried about free speech, then go get your own placard and toot your own horn as you drive by!