The documentary “Lake of Fire” is being called an unblinking look at the violent fight over abortion in the United States. It starts off showing extremely graphic images of actual abortions taking place that worried a New York Times reviewer so much that he wrote that “such explicit imagery can speak louder than any pro-abortion-rights argument.” That is why the media won’t ever ever allow anyone to see what happens in an abortion clinic.

In the documentary, after a second-trimester abortion, the doctor sorts through a tray of fetal parts, including a perfect-looking tiny hand and a foot, to make sure that nothing has been left inside the patient, which might lead to poisoning or even death. The doctor then holds up the severed fetal head. One eerily bulging eye looks as if it’s staring into the camera and somehow at us.

But don’t worry, the documentary makes up for it the rest of the time by mocking religious people. March in the moral equivalence brigade. The director trots out an array of religious extremists who seem to believe that abortion providers should be executed alongside homosexuals, adulterers and blasphemers. The movie focuses on the murder of one abortionist by such a man amazingly interviewing both the murderer and the abortionist before the murder.

So there you have it. Yes, abortion is bad but look at those crazy violent pro-lifers.

But here’s where I believe a problem in logic exists. In the popular imagination enforced by the mainstream media, the typical pro-lifers (actually they call them anti-abortionists) are dangerous bible spouting cretins with guns hidden in their hollowed out bibles.

But here’s the truth: .00001 percent of pro-lifers are violent while 100 percent of abortionists commit abortions just like the one disturbingly seen in the film. 100 percent vs .00001 percent. Yeah that’s balance.

According to the National Abortion Federation there have been seven murders of abortion providers in the United States and Canada since 1977. Seven. And zero in the past eight years.

Look, violence against abortion providers is evil and shouldn’t be condoned. But tell the truth, if you just listened to the mainstream media you would think abortionists were forced to drive to work in tanks and wear flack jackets. The pro-life community has been smeared with a broad red brush by willing accomplices in the media.

Not to belittle seven awful murders but if you ask me the pro-life movement has been an extraordinarily peaceful movement by comparison to other popular movements in this country.

It compares favorably to the civil rights movement. From just the fall of 1967 through the end of 1969, nine police officers were killed and fifty-six were wounded in confrontations with the Black Panthers.

In 1970, the Weatherman’s first publicly acknowledged bombing occurred at a New York police station. (Today they would probably be called The Weatherpeople.)

On 19 May 1972, Ho Chi Minh’s birthday, The Weathermen placed a bomb in the women’s bathroom in the air force wing of the Pentagon. Leftist groups worldwide applauded the bombing.

Kathy Boudin joined a gang of black criminals calling themselves the May 19th Communist organization and became part of the getaway team in a $1.6 million robbery of a Brinks armored vehicle. The funds would have been used to finance a revolution that would carve a “New Afrika” out of the United States. In the botched robbery attempt, an innocent Brinks guard and two Nyack police officers were killed.

Now don’t think the Leftist terrorists were denounced by the left as pro-lifers denounce all violence. In fact, Weathermen leader Linda Evans was arrested in 1985 and convicted of acquiring weapons, fake IDs and safe houses, and of terrorist actions. Her targets included the U.S. Capitol Building, the National War College, the Navy Yard Computer Center, the Navy Yard Officers Club, Israeli Aircraft Industries, the FBI and the New York Patrolman’s Benevolent Association. In her possession were 740 pounds of dynamite.

Did the Democratic Party run from her? Do other well meaning leftists denounce her? No. In fact, President Bill Clinton pardoned her. Could you imagine..say…President Bush pardoning Eric Rudolph, who bombed two abortion clinics? Of course not. Could you imagine the New York Times writing a soft feature on how wonderful Rudolph is to his fellow inmates like they did with Boudin? Of course not. Leftist violence is overlooked. Hey, it was for a good cause. They just got a little carried away.

The civil rights movement has not been slandered by its violent outliers as has the pro-life movement. For them weighing 32 million abortions vs. seven murders is a difficult challenge which warrants imbalance.

And don’t think the media slander has no effect. Many good people who believe that abortion is morally wrong shy away from the pro-life movement saying they don’t want to be affiliated with the “crazies” thus sapping the movement of critical support. To many, being pro-life is like being a Star trek fan. The moment you tell someone you’re a Star Trek fan you have to caveat it with “but I’m not one of those nuts with the ears who speaks Klingon.”

The pro-life movement has been a peaceful and prayerful crusade to save the unborn. Don’t believe the media hype that says otherwise.