Throwing the First Amendment under the bus

It’s a happy story with a happy ending.

Doctors recommended that Pam Tebow terminate her pregnancy when she contracted an infection on a mission trip to the Philippines. But she carried her son to term.

That would be Tim Tebow, the star quarterback for the Florida Gators who led his team to two BCS championships and won the Heisman Trophy in 2007. She’s glad she chose to have him. He’s glad too.

But CBS is being pressured to not air a 30-second commercial during the Superbowl that tells this story. The ad, sponsored by Focus on the Family, is offensive to women, some claim.

Here’s what they are saying, according to Fox News:

“This organization is extremely intolerant and divisive and pushing an un-American agenda,” said Jehmu Greene, director of the Women’s Media Center, which is coordinating a campaign to force CBS to pull the ad before it airs on Feb. 7.

“Abortion is very controversial, and the anti-abortion vitriol has resulted in escalated violence against reproductive health providers and their patients,” Greene said.

“The Women’s Media Center is coordinating a campaign with the National Organization for Women and other women’s groups to launch an online petition and letter-writing campaign targeting CBS,” Fox reports. It’s an extension of their “don’t throw women under the bus” campaign for abortion rights in government supported health care.

So apparently this pro-choice organization doesn’t think Pam should talk about the choice she made.

There’s not a little hypocrisy here, not to mention a complete disdain for the First Amendment. No one in these organizations has seen the ad to which they are so vehemently opposed.

Most of the ads banned from the Super Bowl have been because they were too racy or suggestive, including one by PETA that featured scantily clad women. But some advocacy ads have been shelved before, like one by the United Church of Christ that showed them “admitting” a gay couple.

But in a world where the Supreme Court just ruled that limiting campaign donations by corporations was an infringement on free speech, perhaps even CBS wouldn’t want to take a chance on limiting Focus on the Family’s freedom to “Celebrate Family-Celebrate Life,” as the ad is named.

But just in case, you can thank CBS for airing the ad here.

And feel free to pass this post along.