Documentary On Indiegogo As Some Accuse Kickstarter Of Undue Censorship

Dr. Kermit Gosnell was convicted in May of 2013 of a host of horrific charges related to late-term abortions and other medical misgivings. Some have called him “the most successful serial killer in the history of the world” while estimating that he may be responsible for over a thousand late-term abortions. It’s enough to make one sick.

A currently-running campaign on Indiegogo aims to produce a film outlining the story of Dr. Gosnell’s crimes. The film’s producers aren’t new to crowdfunding, either. The trio – Phelim McAleer, Ann McElhinney and Magdalena Segieda – successfully raised over $200,000 for FrackNation, a film that aimed to dispel some of the alleged myths regarding hydraulic fracturing and the negative effects the practice has on the environment specifically. The mixed reviews underscore the politically-charged nature of the film.

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FrackNation did its fundraising on Kickstarter, so it was natural that the filmmakers would take to the same platform to raise money for this second film. The film never made it to Kickstarter, and that decision didn’t come without its share of controversy. Kickstarter has been accused by some of trying to censor the campaign. The following clip from the Megyn Kelly show on Fox News explains the situation…

Alternatively, this piece on Slate outlines the email exchange that led to the campaign ending up on Indiegogo. Of note and coming from a representative from within Kickstarter…

…we ask that the phrase “1000s of babies stabbed to death” and similar language be modified or removed from the project. We understand your convictions and the horror of this person’s crimes, however we are a broad website used by millions of people. Our Community Guidelines outline that we encourage and enforce a culture of respect and consideration, and we ask that that language specifically be modified for those reasons. Thanks for your patience and understanding. Once you’ve made these adjustments give us a head’s up, and we can proceed. If you have further questions let us know.

Any potential censorship doesn’t seem to be slowing down the funding for the campaign. The producers have raised over $335,000 to date. They’ve targeted a $2.1 million raise to produce the film. If that number sounds familiar, it’s the same total the Veronica Mars film was seeking before closing with over $5.7 million in funding.

The campaign is a fixed funding campaign, so it’s all or nothing for this potential film. Having said that, they’re getting some big-time support from conservative pundits especially; Glen Beck, Michelle Malkin and Mark Steyn have all thrown support behind the film.

So what do you think? Was Kickstarter in the wrong here? Let us know in the comments.


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