We’re all familiar with how abortion advocates have politicized last week’s tragic shooting in Colorado Springs. While the accusations that pro-life “rhetoric” somehow incited the violence are absolutely ridiculous, they could appear at least vaguely relevant, since the shooting took place at a Planned Parenthood.
But since then, the media has taken things to a whole new level of absurdity, bringing up Planned Parenthood in a completely unrelated shooting.
On Wednesday, 14 people were killed and 21 injured in a shooting at a social services center in San Bernardino, California. The New York Times reports that law enforcement discovered thousands of rounds of ammunition – and 12 pipe bombs – at the home of the suspects, Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik. The shooting was carried out at Farook’s work Christmas party. Law enforcement has not yet officially stated a motive, but the New York Times reports:
Law enforcement officials said the F.B.I. had uncovered evidence that Mr. Farook was in contact over several years with extremists domestically and abroad, including at least one person in the United States who was investigated for suspected terrorism by federal authorities in recent years.
Bloomberg Business, which calls itself “The first word in business news,” had an entirely different angle on reporting the shooting.
San Bernadino shooting happened less than two miles from a Planned Parenthood health clinic https://t.co/eNzSBzW6d7 pic.twitter.com/B9vJ5zkhHj
— Bloomberg (@business) December 2, 2015
“San Bernadino [sic] shooting happened less than two miles from a Planned Parenthood health clinic…”
Really? Does that seem relevant? Commenters on both sides of the abortion debate did not seem to think so:
@business how is that remotely relevant? It probably happened within two miles of a McDonald's, too.
— Ian O'Connor (@i_oconnor) December 2, 2015
@business It's California. Name a place that ISN'T less than two miles from a Planned Parenthood. @allahpundit
— (((Kenny Hitt))) (@VLRKenny) December 2, 2015
https://twitter.com/LilacSundayBlog/status/672170039097724928
@business ???????? There is literally no link. I support Planned Parenthood, but there is zero connection to this event.
— Jay Burnley (@JayBurnley) December 2, 2015
@MapQuest @business The public would be better served to know what's a block away, not 2 miles away. Which one of you will report that?
— Gloria Baker (@globaker56) December 2, 2015
Shortly after the tweet relating the shooting to Planned Parenthood, Bloomberg Business had to backtrack:
However, Planned Parenthood said the attack "appears totally unrelated." We apologize for any confusion or offense caused by the tweet.(2/2)
— Bloomberg (@business) December 3, 2015
Of course, by the time this admission occurred, other sources had already jumped on the bandwagon – because apparently the fact that something did not happen at a Planned Parenthood is news.
