I figured it had been a while, so I went to the Obscure Store this morning for the kind of news that normally concerns only Lewis Black. I was not disappointed.

However, one of the more interesting articles has me a bit peeved. Last time I was in the Cities, Jenna somehow managed to get several free copies of the Pioneer Press, which she and her housemate Kevin lambasted for its (actual) conservative bias and (supposed) lack of journalistic integrity…

By pointing to distortions in one story in particular. But it seems that the Pioneer Press was right: a former Lawrentian is selling "I Had An Abortion T-Shirts" through, and with the official approval of, Planned Parenthood. Which makes Kevin and Jenna knee-jerk liberals, I'm afraid.

Though I typically leave the abortion debate to the women, I will say this: for abortion rights supporters, this T-shirt is a great idea. Currently an appalling percentage of the women who have had abortions are publicly against abortion, sometimes with good reason (psychological trauma) but sometimes, I assume, out of cowardice.

(As one of women in the MJS article notes, fear of obloquy and violent reprisal creates a chilling effect.)

I can't find evidence to verify this online, but according to our politics professor in Freiburg, the German anti-abortion movement was dealt a stunning blow decades ago, when a number of high-ranking female politicians publicly and unrepentantly announced that they'd had abortions, making public acceptance of abortion a viable political stance almost overnight.

So all the better to clear the air. If these baby-killers are pro-abortion, then a dramatic stand, comparable to the possibly-nonexistent German declaration, is in order. Selling a few hundred T-shirts to wear at rallies is bold, but it isn't, as they say, daring. Getting someone famous and respected to wear one: now that would shift some paradigms.

But I'll take a hint from Kevin's reaction. When even a Hamlinite refuses to believe that Planned Parenthood would perpetrate such an act, preferring instead to see a conservative plot to perjorate the pro-abortion position, perhaps America isn't prepared to honestly confront what its citizens are legally doing.