In addition to being an Internet attorney, I’ve spent much of my adult life as a single dad (although now happily re-married). I entered into a bad marriage when I was young in large part to ensure that the pregnancy was not terminated. I would do it over in a heartbeat for my kid.
I understand that others have different priorities when it comes to pregnancy. And whether we agree or disagree on a fundamental right to life, opposing Internet censorship should be common ground of agreement. To undercut free speech in order to “win” the debate online is absurd. If you can bully someone with an Internet attorney to not post an opposing view to your own, some day an opponent with deeper pockets can and will silence you in the debate.
Unfortunately, NARAL has decided Internet censorship is the way to go. The organization is trying to get the online Yellow Pages and Super Pages to delete pregnancy center ads and only keep abortion center ads. That means “pro-abortion” not “pro-choice.” Censorship through intimidation.
Whether you believe abortion is murder, a choice, or a morally gray area, NARAL has crossed the line. As any Internet attorney who took a constitutional law class can tell you, Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart was part of the majority in the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion with a right of privacy. Yet Stewart was also against the type of tactics NARAL is now using to silence pro-life pregnancy centers. As Justice Stewart said, “Censorship reflects society’s lack of confidence in itself. It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime.”
