MTSU Sidelines runs pro-life hit piece as news

In an article that will surely make pro-lifers in Murfreesboro cringe, MTSU Sidelines staff writer Rozalind Ruth “exposed” the Murfreesboro Pregnancy Support Center for what it really is: a pro-life, Christian-based place for women to go when they get pregnant and have questions or concerns. The MPSC is a non-profit pregnancy center that offers its services free of charge. Its donations are tax-deductible, but there’s something Miss Ruth doesn’t like about it: the MPSC discourages women from having abortions. *gasp!*

Now, a quick peek at Miss Ruth’s Facebook profile reveals that this “news” piece really should belong on the Opinion pages, as she supports other left-wing causes like the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition and the Tennessee Justice Center. In fact, the first source Miss Ruth utilizes in her “news” story is the Feminist Majority Foundation. On its issues page, the FMF touts:

Abortion is a necessity for millions of women worldwide, for their health, for their wellbeing, for their dreams of a better tomorrow. The reality is that a woman will seek an abortion—legal or otherwise—almost instinctively and in self defense. A woman will do this when an unwanted pregnancy presents an excessive strain on her or her family’s physical, emotional or economic resources. Throughout the ages, courageous women have made it their right and indeed their responsibility. In a civilized society we owe women the legal right to make their decision safely.

It is a matter of survival.

Clearly, the FMF sees the abortion debate as a crusade, whereas the MPSC does not. They are ideologically at odds with one another. No wonder the FMF does not agree with MPSC, as it is not an abortion mill like Planned Parenthood.

But let us take a look at Miss Ruth’s words, so that we may understand her disdain for elements within the pro-life movement. Ruth writes, “The FMF’s “Campaign to Expose Fake Clinics” is currently looking at Murfreesboro-based Pregnancy Support Center, located on South Church Street.” Clearly, the FMF’s “campaign” is to persecute pro-life pregnancy centers.

Ruth further explains what the Center provides:

The center provides counselors who are trained in-house to talk to women about their emotions when deciding on a pregnancy option. The counselors are not trained medical professionals.

The counselors are not “medically trained” because they do not perform abortions. The only thing that MPSC does is counsel women on their options when faced with pregnancy, in a faith-based environment.

Correction: According to Laura Messick, Director of the MPSC, the clinic does employ medically trained professionals. More to come in a forthcoming blog post. This was incorrectly reported in Sidelines.

The article continues by highlighting the services offered by Planned Parenthood.

While abortion is not really an issue that drives me to the polls, I am disgusted with the lack of journalistic integrity within this article. Those of you who are – like me – disgusted with this poor excuse for reporting may contact the News Editor, Alex Moorman, by e-mail at slnews@mtsu.edu or mby phone at (615) 898-5436.