The Dangers of “Skimming” Politically-Charged text

So… I’m doing my twitter and facebook thing, bumming around on the internet when all of a sudden, one of the people I follow re-tweeted something:

HIDEOUS. 100 sponsors of GOP bill that lets a pregnant woman die if saving her kills fetus http://bit.ly/hBH4ts More: http://bit.ly/hzCijE

Basically, it’s an article that states the new GOP bill proposal has language stating that if an abortion will save the mother’s life, it can only be performed if it’s not federally funded (e.g. your tax dollars can’t help her out).

Wow, you’re right, that is horrible. Unless that information is completely wrong. In which case, why is everyone freaking out?

The author apparently couldn’t find a link to the new language (the language she’s concerned about is in the Chairman’s Mark.

From TheCapitol.Net, Chairman’s Mark is “Recommendation by committee (or subcommittee) chair of the measure to be considered in a markup, usually drafted as a bill.” – http://www.thecapitol.net/glossary/c.htm

So, she copied and pasted the whole Chairman’s Mark into a comment. But… the comment shows an exception clause listing all the things she’s saying the GOP isn’t going to allow to happen anymore – including federally funding an abortion which will save the mother’s life.

People, read, read and comprehend. If you still have a problem with the document, fine, but don’t state it under a false shock title of “GOP wants to kill mothers”. C’mon, seriously? Perform some respectable journalism.

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