More News

Regardless of one's views on abortion rights, if the limited service pregnancy centers don't receive county funding, I fail to see how the County Council sponsors of [Duchy] Trachtenberg's bill can justify attempting to impose their preferred beliefs on the centers. The proposed disclaimers are an embarrassing attempt to limit the free speech rights of centers with a valid advocacy and education mission. Moreover, as they are not supported by anything other than pro-abortion rights groups' "studies," they are arbitrary and capricious, and of specious motivation. While I may disagree with the positions of pro-abortion rights groups on the issue, I would never want my government saying those organizations couldn't espouse them, or require them to parrot some government-approved disclaimer. This bill is another unfortunate example of nanny-state liberals acting as thugs. If you want to change people's views on a particular subject, engage them in honest debate. Don't impose unconstitutional, government-compelled speech on them in attempts to silence their message.

Malcolm Burke, Bethesda