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Anti-abortionists were outraged after NPR aired audio of a woman terminating her pregnancy as she cried in pain at a clinic in Michigan.
NPR reporter Kate Wells played partial audio of a woman crying over cramps while undergoing the suction procedure 11 weeks into her pregnancy.
Wells said that the woman told doctors, ‘I don’t think I can do this,’ as they reassured her that, ‘Yes, you can.’
Although the woman expressed her thanks to the doctors, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser slammed NPR for the 11-minute segment, saying it crossed a line.
‘It is horrifying and inappropriate for a taxpayer funded outlet to air the excruciating moments for child and mother of an abortion,’ Dannenfelser told Fox News.
‘If I were an advertiser, I would question the judgment of affronting viewers who see this death of a 11-week-old human being with fingers, eyes, toes, revealing left or right-handedness as tragic.’
It comes just as Michigan voters are set to decide whether or nor to amend abortion rights into the state Constitution while reports show that abortion travel times have tripled and sales of overseas termination pills have surged since Roe v. Wade was overturned.
Marjorie Dannenfelser (above), president of the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America anti-abortion group, criticized NPR for partially airing sounds of an abortion
NPR reporter Kate Wells played the clip from inside one of the Northland Family Planning Centers. In it, a patient can be heard crying from the pain of cramps as doctors reassure her
Anti-abortion advocates said it was wrong to play sounds from inside an abortion clinic. Pictured: An prepped abortion clinic in San Antonio, Texas
In the NPR story, Wells showed what a day inside one of the Northland Family Planning Centers entails.
Although the story was meant to illustrate how sympathetic workers at the abortion clinics assist women making the difficult decision to end their pregnancies, anti-abortion advocates said it has had the opposite effect.
The 40 Days for Life group, which stands against abortions, tweeted: ‘NPR thinks they’ve done the abortion industry a favor by highlighting the gruesome reality of undergoing an abortion. Instead, they’ve revealed exactly what the pro-life movement has always known: abortions hurt women and kill babies.’
Alexandra DeSanctis Marr, a writer for the conservative National Review, echoed the outrage, writing: ‘The fact that @NPR thought it would help their cause to share the audio of a woman getting an abortion shows how delusional abortion extremists can be.
‘How could someone honestly think that was a good idea? Support for unlimited abortion makes people blind.’
Conservative commentator Matt Whitlock also questioned the news outlet’s decision to air parts of the abortion procedure.
‘Hard to imagine what NPR was thinking with this,’ Whitlock tweeted. ‘But pro-life ads have often been taken down or rejected for showing how horrific an abortion process is.
‘If NPR’s goal was to normalize abortions, it seems like this chilling segment might have the opposite impact.’
NPR did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
Anti-abortion advocates slammed the 11-minute NPR segment on social media
Despite the backlash from anti-abortion groups, others thanked NPR for the airing the story.
One Twitter user with the handle Rights and Might wrote: ‘Thank you for presenting this. Women facing being blocked from realizing their life goals, crushed by financial struggles, prevented from living their lives because male sperm is paramount.’
Ian Stewart, another Twitter user, said the story worked to convey the harsh reality women endure when seeking abortions.
‘This was amazing and incredibly sad & poignant and so we’ll reported,’ Stewart wrote.
Despite opposition from anti-abortionists, some listeners thanked NPR for airing the story
Abortion rights remain a heated topic in the nation as several states will vote on whether or not to secure such a right this November after the Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade.
Democrats have placed their bets on abortion rights helping them secure the midterms, even though most Americans say the economy is their number one issue.
Despite that, Dems has spent $320 million campaigning on abortion ads this election cycle, 10 times more than the $31 million addressing inflation and more than double just $140 million on crime commercials, according to AdImpact.
What’s next for abortion rights as several states set to vote on more restrictions?
Kansas voters sent a resounding message in early August that they wanted to protect a woman’s right to an abortion — but they are not the only Americans who will be able to cast ballots on the hot-button issue.
By a landslide, roughly 20-point margin, Kansans rejected a constitutional amendment that would have empowered state lawmakers to restrict or ban abortions in the state of nearly 3 million people.
Even voters in many rural, conservative areas of Kansas voted against the proposal, in what was a big victory for pro-choice groups after weeks in which many southern and Midwest states restricted or banned the procedure.
In the coming months, voters in Montana, Kentucky and elsewhere can weigh in on abortions, after the Supreme Court in June ruled there was no constitutional right to abortion and punted the issue to the states
Voters elsewhere are still set to have their say on abortion:
Kentucky: Access to abortions in Kentucky ended after the Supreme Court’s decision set off a pre-existing trigger law. In November, voters will decide whether to add language similar to Kansas’ to its state constitution. Some 57 percent of Kentucky voters reject abortions, against 36 percent supporting the procedure, says Pew Research Center polling.
Vermont: Access to abortions is already protected in Vermont. Voters will in November decide whether to add abortion rights to the state constitution. It is expected to pass: 70 percent of Vermonters support abortion access, compared to 26 percent against, Pew says.
California: Abortion access is already protected in California. Voters in November will decide whether to enshrine that right in the state’s constitution. It is expected to pass: 57 percent of voters support abortion rights there, with 38 percent against, says Pew.
Pro-choice advocates cheered in Kansas as voters shut down a possible pathway to a total ban on abortions in the state
Montana: Voters will decide in November whether infants who are ‘born alive’ are legal persons and are entitled to medical care, including those born alive after botched terminations. Some 56 percent of Montanans support abortion rights, versus 38 percent who want it outlawed, according to Pew.
Michigan: Pro-choice campaigners are collecting signatures in the hope of letting voters decide on state abortion rules in November. Voters there are split 54 percent behind abortion access versus 42 percent against, says Pew. The issue will also feature in the race for the governor, with pro-choice Democratic incumbent Gretchen Whitmer defending against Tudor Dixon, a staunchly pro-life Republican.
Colorado: Abortion is protected under state law in Colorado, but activists are pushing for a ballot initiative to be added in November to let voters decide on outlawing the ‘murder of a child’, with carve-outs to save the life of a mother. Some 59 percent of Colorado voters support access to abortions, with 36 percent against, Pew says.
Ohio: Republicans dominate state politics and are pushing for a ban on abortions. Democrats seek to collect enough signatures to put the issue before voters, but that is not likely to happen until at least 2023. It’s a close-call state, with 48 percent in supporting abortion access and 47 percent against, says Pew.
Arizona: Campaigners failed to collect enough signatures to put an abortion access question to voters in November. Though they missed the deadline, they aim to try again for 2024. It’s another close-call state, with 49 percent backing abortion access and 46 percent against, Pew says.
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