Let’s hear it for the editors of the LA Times
That title wasn’t sarcasm; I mean it.
The editors of the Los Angeles Times thinks it was overreach for California’s Attorney General Xavier Becerra to charge the makers of the Planned Parenthood videos with crimes:
There’s no question that anti-abortion activist David Daleiden surreptitiously recorded healthcare and biomedical services employees across the state of California with the intent of discrediting the healthcare provider, Planned Parenthood ”” something his heavily edited videos failed to do. There’s also no question that it’s against state law to record confidential conversations without the consent of all the parties involved.
But that doesn’t mean that California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra should have charged Daleiden and his co-conspirator, Susan Merritt, with 15 felony counts ”” one for each of the 14 people recorded, and a 15th for conspiracy. It’s disturbingly aggressive for Becerra to apply this criminal statute to people who were trying to influence a contested issue of public policy, regardless of how sound or popular that policy may be. Planned Parenthood and biomedical company StemExpress, which was also featured in the videos, have another remedy for the harm that was done to them: They can sue Daleiden and Merritt for damages. The state doesn’t need to threaten the pair with prison time.
The LA Times claim consistency in this, whether the alleged offenders being charged are on the left or the right:
In similar cases, we have denounced moves to criminalize such behavior, especially in the case of animal welfare investigators who have gone undercover at slaughterhouses and other agricultural businesses to secretly record horrific and illegal abuses of animals. That work, too, is aimed at revealing wrongdoing and changing public policy.
That’s why the state law forbidding recording of conversations should be applied narrowly, and to clear and egregious violations of privacy where the motive is personal gain.
A great deal of the editorial is devoted to assuring readers that the Times’ editors are on the side of Planned Parenthood in general. Not surprising. But that only underlines the fact that the stance the editors are taking on Beccara is a correct one—and even in some ways a brave one. As discussed in the post below this, departing at all from the Democrats’ party line can be risky.
I always find these occasional stories humorous as the writer(s) go to all kinds of extremes to signal their virtue while still trying to criticize. That it’s necessary is a major indictment of the left which can’t handle any dissent at all.
Yes, telling the truth is an act of courage these days.
But, regarding the persecution of Daleiden and Merritt, the Washington Times states:
“Officials from California Attorney General Kamala Harris‘ office and Planned Parenthood collaborated to draft legislation targeting the pro-life activist whose undercover videos showed officials for the nation’s largest abortion provider discussing the sale of fetal body parts, emails show.
“The emails depict conversations between the state agency and Planned Parenthood over AB 1671, which would amend the penal code to make secretly recording and disseminating communications with health care providers a crime. Gov. Jerry Brown has until the end of the month to sign or veto the bill.”
Once upon a time, states were prohibited from passing ex post facto laws by clause 1 of Article I, Section 10, of the US Constitution. Well, of course, the US Constitution no longer applies in California . . .
The LA Times gets it right! Even a blind squirrel finds and acorn occasionally. 🙂
It’s all a ruse. To make some people think they are objective.
My local rag has been running an ad for the last two weeks now. It is all about their dedication to the truth, the facts, and objectivity. Hah, they probably believe they are doing just that. I don’t. Oh well, it makes good fish wrap.
Becerra doesn’t understand the Streisand Effect, does he? The trial will be a circus, and the defendants will insist on getting every bit of their Planned Parenthood video into the record.