Tag Archives: planned parenthood

It’s Not What You Think

27 Sep

I don’t know what is more scary–the fact I got this brochure at the Spokompton Fair–or the fact there were many enthusiastic people staffing their booth.  Produced by Heritage House, I find the contents ignorant, and. . .  Well, let’s just leave it at ignorant.

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On the Front:

“Planned Parent Hood (sic) It’s not what you think”  picture of a snake on a bouquet of pink flowers.  “Lantana.  The beauty of this flower is known for attracting children, but then it causes poisoning and death when eaten.”

Quotes w/in:

“It’s all about abortion.”

-“First and foremost Planned Parenthood is all about aborting children.”

-“Abortions were performed 98.6% of the time.”

“It’s all about Money.”

-“As a non-for-profit. . .  34% of this billion dollars came from you, the taxpayer.”

-“Income from abortions total in the $190,000,000 range.”

“It’s all about Sex.”

-“You teen can view informative videos showing how to put on a condom!”

-“A lot of teens choose to skip intercourse and practice outercourse instead, which can include kissing and                body rubbing.”

“It’s all about Deception.”

-“Every year, nearly 25,000 affiliate volunteers and staff provide sexual and reproductive health care,            education, and information to nearly 5 million women, men, and teens in the U.S.!”

feminism is necessary

Gasp!  Providing information and health care?!  Unbelievable.  I won’t even justify this mis-information and scare-tactics with any response.  You can look at higher, legitimate sources–cited and substantiated, of course–for yourself and come to your own conclusions.  My thoughts–education can never, never be a bad thing.

Election Commentary with Language Building Blocks

10 Nov

OK, I’m going to try to do it completely from memory this time.

be copula/auxillary:  am, are, is, was, were.

Functional morphemes= articles:  a, an, the

It/’s [concop] frighten/ing inflectional morpheme to me (independent clause) that women [general nominal] (especially) can become so indoctrinat/ed inflectional morpheme by patriarchy (independent clause) sentential coordination/conjoined sentence that they challenge their own right/s inflectional morphemeanaphoric pronouns (dependent clause)

I find it astound/ing and sad (phrasal coordination) when women are [unconcop] the voice of dissent for (coordinating conjunction) Planned Parenthood [specific nominal], the right to choose [verb infinitive], or equal job pay.  (phrasal coordination)

And (coordinating conjunction) when they speak out against feminism, (dependent clause) I can/’t help but to think they must by *be [err] ignorant to the issue/s.  anaphoric pronouns (indepedent clause) embedded sentence

Also ignorant to history at large. (dependent clause) 

Though I believe that anyone [err] politician who make/3s it big HAS to be corrupt, (dependent clause) I/’m [concop] glad we stuck [ptirr] with Obama.  reflexsive pronoun (independent clause) embedded sentence

I say [3irr], HAS [3irr] to be corrupt, (dependent clause) because (subordinating conjunction) it cost/3s money to get elect/ed. (independent clause) embedded sentence

Big money(dependent clause)

And (coordinating conjunction) as anyone who has [3irr] ever receive/ed monetary (or other) support know/s (dependent clause)–there are [unconcop] always string/s attach/ed.  reflexive pronoun (independent clause) embedded sentence

Whether it be repayment, certain favor/s, or favorable vote/s or policy/s (phrasal coordination) for their interest/s. (dependent clause)

You always have to pay back. (independent clause)

So (coordinating conjunction) every presidential candidate has [3irr] to lose their own agenda, ethic/s, naivety, and idealolgy [err].  reflexive (phrasal coordination) (dependent clause)

In favor of practical–return of favor/s. (independent clause)

Anyway, I/’m [concop] glad Obama is [concop] reelect/ed. (independent clause)

If nothing else, so (coordinating conjunction) that we have someone consistent in office, who can finish something. anaphoric pronouns.

Anything.

When you have upheaval and turn-around (dependent clause)–LESS get/3s done. (independent clause) embedded sentence

This is [unconcop] the time for more action. (independent clause)

Ultimately, I just want our country to be better. (independent clause)

I don’t care who is [conaux] lead/ing (independent clause)they just need to do a good job.  (independent clause) anaphoric pronouns sentential coordination/conjoined sentence

Abortion and Gun-Control are the SAME Issue

19 Mar

So why are the political ideologies behind both ideas opposing?

Gun Control:  Democrats are for it.  They see that guns cause unnecessary death and violence and so want to ban them entirely.

Anti-Abortion Legislation:   Republicans are for it.  They see murder of fetuses as unnecessary death and violence and so want to ban it.

Gun Control:  The republicans oppose it, because they don’t want big government regulating their every move.  Republicans want to make their own protection decisions, and do not generally advocate murder or crime.  Republicans who want to keep their guns blame individuals for gun violence–not the gun itself.  Guns don’t kill–people kill.

Anti-Abortion Legislation:  The Democrats oppose it because they don’t want big government to impede their personal rights and freedoms.  Democrats want to make their own personal child-bearing decisions, and do not advocate murder of children/babies/fetuses.  Democrats want to keep their reproductive decisions for themselves.  Sure, some individual women make poor decisions, but women’s rights as a whole are at stake.

Do you see how the issues are similar, but the party ideology is opposing?  In the advocating viewpoint, the party sees a problem of unnecessary violence and murder and wants legislation to control it.  In the opposing viewpoints, each respective party doesn’t want government intervention over individual freedom.  Really, if you oppose/support one issue, you should feel the same about the other issue.

Birth Control Pill [Scene 1: The Good]

14 Dec

The invention of the birth control pill has given women vast freedom to plan their own families and protect themselves from unintended pregnancy.  I think the pill should be available to everyone that wants and needs it for no charge.  It’s great preventative care and in the long run saves tons of money, by limiting unwanted children and welfare expenses.

Here is a brief history {A.}:

1550 BC in Egypt–women were given  recipe using common food items and wool to avoid conception.

1873–after some experimentation with very primative versions of cervical caps, condoms, and douches, the puritanical U.S. becomes the only western country to demonize birth control.  It is considered obscene and criminalized.

1916 in Brooklyn–Margaret Sanger opens America’s first family-planning clinic.  It closes in 10 days.

1920–Sanger tries again, this time more successfully, and opens what would become Planned Parenthood.

1938–A judge lifts the ban on birth control.  Still, it remains outlawed in most states.

1951 in Mexico City–A progesterone pill is created by Carl Djerassi.

1960–the FDA approves a birth control pill!

1965–By this year, 6.5 million women are on THE pill.

1970–There are concerns about BCP’s safety prompting senate hearings.

1980–By this year, 10.5 million women are taking the BCP.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1983970,00.html#ixzz1gTK53shX

Rates of unintended pregnancy among women of child-bearing age (15-40 in this data set).  Teens aged 15-19 from 1981 to 2002, and women aged 20-24 and aged 25-29.  {B.}

____All Women__Teens (15-19)__Women aged 20-24__ Women aged 25-29
1981____54.2_______78.1_________ 93.6____________ 60.6__
1987___ 53.5_______ 79.3_________ 102.7___________ 66.1__
1994___ 51________ 82__________ 105_____________ 66___
2002___ 51________ 67__________ 104_____________ 71___

As you can see, unintended teen pregnancy was the only age set to decrease their rates from 1981 to 2002.  Women in their 20s and 30s remained relatively stable or increased slightly.

And who can argue with those benefits?

References:

States that Hate Women Most (Re-Blog from Progressive Blogic)

14 May

My only surprise at the 10 Worst States to be a Woman AlterNet came out with is that Indiana didn’t rank higher. It seems they are leading the fight against Planned Parenthood.  According to the article, around 1,000 bills have been introduced in this legislative year to restrict women’s reproductive health. That’s not just sexism. That’s straight-up misogyny.

Ultra conservative Republicans and Democrats — because let’s not kid ourselves that it’s just Republicans pushing and voting for these regulations — advocating these kinds of laws are totally out of step with mainstream America. It’s not just one party or the other–I see through the tenuous attempts of “liberals” who preach one thing than do another.  It really makes me cynical about politics in general–I’m pretty certain all of them are profligate.  I have to have faith that following these bills that eliminate access to pap smears, vasectomies, cancer screenings and birth control, there will be a backlash that will remove all of these hateful and corrupt people from office.

The 10 Worst States to be a Woman (+ my bonus commentary):

  • Mississippi (no big surprise–this seems to be worst state for everything)
  • Texas
  • South Dakota (WHAT?  People live there?!)
  • Indiana
  • Oklahoma
  • Kansas (What else could we expect from the home of Fred Phelps?)
  • Minnesota
  • Georgia
  • Arizona (I wonder why. . .)
  • Louisiana

Indiana on the Forefront of Female Attacks (Re-Blog from Feministe)

12 May

According to Lauren Bruce, founder of Feministe, “Yesterday a bill was signed into law, cutting two-thirds of funding to Planned Parenthood of Indiana as well as requiring doctors to tell women that life begins at fertilization and that a fetus can feel pain at or before 20 weeks of pregnancy.”  Women in IN can thank governor Mitch Daniels for penning the initiative.

It’s worth mentioning that Planned Parenthood is being targeted for providing a constitutionally-protected procedure that is already prevented from federal subsidies thanks to the Hyde amendment. PP is targeted for providing abortion services at all despite having separate funding streams for abortion-related and non-abortion-related services.  You can see for yourself that this attack has little to do with money. Banning Planned Parenthood funding actually ends up costing the state MORE.  The numbers don’t lie. Fiscal conservatives should know, about half of all births in Indiana are funded by Medicaid today and estimates presage that this will “cost the state $68 million in Medicaid expenses for unintended pregnancies by reducing birth control access.”  And the attacks against Planned Parenthood, emphasis on ‘abortion-givers’, women, and common sense is spreading like wildfire.  Conservative groups in other states, meanwhile, are eyeballing the proceedings to see whether this attempt to bring down the Planned Parenthood is successful. . .

Even more scary?  The guy that took away family planning under the ruse of saving money, has higher political aspirations.  There is a lot of speculation about Daniels running in the GOP presidential primaries in 2012. He’s a shoo-in, a relatively well-liked and successful governor who favors old-school conservative methods like privatization of public services and libertarian “live and let live” approaches to social issues. Daniels is seen as a move away from “populist evangelicalism” of the current GOP. He is even on record calling for a “truce” on social issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage.  Ironic, huh?  Remember this name (Mitch Daniels) and AVOID voting for him in any future election.

Fractured Fairytale–Feminist Style!

7 May

Now that I’ve refreshed your memory of Disney’s popular version of the story which pervades the media, here is the esoteric version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  You will see after reading this prose, how Disney imbued his stories with patriarchy.  My version of the story has penetrated deep into the Disney script and eliminated the permeating factors of negative female stereotypes from within.  My version of Snow White is an arcane fractured fairytale of feminist proportions!  And remember just because a story is obscure doesn’t mean it isn’t just as relevant as the more common prose.  Hopefully, this story suffused with girl-positive symbolism will be the future of all fairytale–where women are strong, smart, and independent. . .

ONCE UPON A TIME

well-known queen sits reading at the window and intermittently gazing at the peaceful snow.  She gets a papercut when flipping the page and upon seeing three drops of red blood fall on the perfectly white snow, dreams about having an equally ideal daughter with white-hot thirst for knowledge and burning red passion to change the world.  Later, later, later the queen is blessed with an illustrious child that is the paragon of inner-beauty with a compassion pure as snow, a motivation that flushed her cheeks red, and a dark wit (when appropriate).  Unfortunately, the queen dies very shortly after and the king remarries an officious, yet well-intentioned woman.

This gorgeous women, was very smart, and unlike the King’s first wife who only dabbled in politics, this new queen had an interest in taking a leadership role around the castle and in the community.  The King felt threatened that his new wife had higher aspirations than just dilettantes roles around his kingdom.  To keep her in her place, he started to stigmatize her about her good looks.  At first, it was more of a subconscious effort on his part to keep this new queen from usurping his power.  But steadily his efforts to keep the queen in a disenfranchised state so she was no threat to his role as king became continuous.  After constant mocking and criticism, this new queen of his became obsessed with checking herself out in the mirror.  She doubted her once good looks, and felt small and self-conscious.  The king hoped that the queen would remain so entranced by the mirror that she would never take a leadership position in the castle.  All he wanted were for things to remain the same–with him safely in the most dictatorial role.

Snow White and the Queen got along well, but the king began to demur to their kinship as his daughter aged, because he felt threatened  having so much female influence around the castle.  The king dissented to all the time his wife and daughter were spending together, especially since his wife’s self-esteem was better as a result of Snow White’s pervasive positive body image.  The queen gained self-confidence through seeing her step-daughter’s motivation to make the world a better place–starting with the palace.  Snow White was beginning to remonstrate against some of the oldest traditions in the kingdom, such as collecting a dowry for a new bride!  Sure, the King was able to keep his wife preoccupied with her looks, but certainly he could not achieve such a hold over his own daughter.  What if the women became empowered and ganged up on him?  What if the castle and court liked the ladies better and stopped listening to him or worse yet, derided him for being such a weak man?  The king would not be ridiculed for losing control over the women in his own family, and he could not have a threat to his patriarchal rule.

In order to expurgate this tool of feminism from his kingdom, the king demanded the huntsmen to kill his daughter out in the woods using the excuse that his wife had actually ordered the kill because she was threatened by Snow White’s beauty.  Knowing the female confidence, and later hunger for equal power, would spread like an epidemic, he felt ossified in trying to sanitize the castle from Snow White’s influence.  To confirm the assassination, the king relentlessly requested the huntsman bring his daughter’s heart back.

Snow White had an inkling of what fate would befall her, when she was invited to the woods for a pic-nic.  As such, she used every dilatory tactic she knew to prevent anything bad.  Once in the woods the huntsman’s previously inured heart was warmed by the princess’laggard manner which showed a tenacious zest for life.  He admirably took pity on Snow White and told her to run away and live cautiously.  Knowing the consequences of being disloyal to the king, the huntsman shot a deer and collected its heart to corroborate his tale of murder.  Upon receiving the heart, the king was so propitiated his status was protected that he had no idea any perfidiousness had taken place.  Not wanting DNA evidence of the hit to be traced to him, the king cooked and ate the heart of his daughter along with dinner.

In the woods, Snow White came upon an anomalous family of seven dwarfs who offered her shelter in return for her to clean, cook, and sew while they were mining.  At first she found the house-cleaning tasks in exchange for free room and board to be a fair trade-off.  But then the jobs kept increasing in amount.  The dwarfs began to get more slovenly, leaving dishes unwashed, beds unmade, and toilets un-flushed simply because they could.  Snow White OWED them after all!  The accretion of chores became so dramatic that Snow White did not have a minute to eat, nor an hour to sleep.  She was constantly scrubbing and laboring for the dwarfs.  The dwarfs were treating her more like a slave than the boarder she was.  Every day the dwarfs would send a shrill shrieking through the woods as they tunelessly whistled on their journey to work or back.  When they left Snow White in the house, they ordered her to be discreet and warned her to be provident about letting anyone in while they were out.  They had a good thing going, and didn’t want anyone to steal their free labor!

Not one to sit around waiting for someone to rescue her, Snow White brainstormed a way to get an urgent message to the queen. She knew the mail carrier did not come this far into the woods, and could not trust that a courier would not tell her father or the dwarfs of her plans.  Thinking back to biblical times. Snow White thought of sending a note with a dove.  When none were to be found, so she settled on sending the message with a pigeon.  In her letter, she said she was desperate to attempt an escape from the excessive amount of cleaning, glut of cooking (and resultant bad manners), and superfluity of endless sewing projects she endured with the dwarfs.

The queen turned away from her mirror and saw a pigeon with a paper tied to its foot and the visible word ‘exigent‘ on the corner of the scrap. She was astonished to find that the paper was a message from he supposedly deceased stepdaughter!  After being happily surprised that Snow White was alive and well after all, the queen became fearful of her husband and knew she had to take critical measures.  Together, using the pigeon to transport notes, the queen and Snow White worked out a plan to rise above their situations.  While the surfeit of dreaded little men were out working, the queen would dress in disguise and render Snow White comatose.  Then, when the little men let their guard down, Snow White would escape her slavery.

On the first attempt, the queen an anodyne wrap on laces to relax and sedate the princess.  The whistling dwarfs came home and untied the laces, waking Snow White from her calming slumber, and foiling the plan.  The queen’s second attempt to rescue Snow White required her to dress as an old woman and employed the use of a narcotic comb.   Upon combing her stepdaughter’s black locks, the princess fell into a peaceful sleep.  The queen was interrupted by the shrill whistling of the little men before a large enough dose was dispersed, and Snow White again awakened prematurely.  Finally, the queen dressed as a farmer’s wife to avoid suspicion and brought an opiate apple to Snow White.   The princess had half of the apple and promptly fell into a deep sleep, and the queen anxious to flee the scene before she was seen by the dwarfs ate the other half of the apple to get rid of the evidence and calm her own nerves with what little nepenthe that remained on the fruit.

The dwarfs finally gave up reviving their female help and put her in a clear coffin so they could still objectify the pretty girl.  Meanwhile a capricious prince rode into the area and unpredictablyhad necrophiliac leanings.  He demanded the coffin containing the female form from the dwarfs, and because he was bigger and more powerful, won her body to do with what he pleased.  During the journey, there was commotion when the coffin went over some bushes, jostling it, and the poisoned apple was dislodged from stunned Snow White’s throat.  She woke up, and scuttled quickly out of the erratic prince’s vicinity.  Glad to be away from the dwarfs and the prince, Snow White sprinted home to face her father. . .

When she got to the palace she saw the town had revolted against her father’s antiquated ways and had impeached him.  They favored a democracy instead of a dictatorship.  The kingdom, ecstatic their favorite progressive influence was alive after all, planned an extravagant coming home party for Snow White with a multifarious and diverse guest list.  This broad list contained everyone from the region, including her father, the former king.  Never one to miss a grandiose event, the disgruntled king attended the party, that was unbeknownst to him an investiture of authority.  The townspeople, voted for Snow White to lead the kingdom, because he her great leadership skills, compassionate nature, and enduring spirit.  The other guests showed their disapproval that the king had so heartlessly impugned Snow White, and ostracized him for being a demagogue. The community also wanted the king to wear hot iron shoes and dance until he died, but Snow White would not hear of it.  She instead ordered her father, the former king to read feminist novels until he was enlightened and donate his time to battered women’s shelters and Planned Parenthood.

And Snow White ruled fairly and let her newly educated father stay in the castle with the former queen who had regained her self-esteem and the whole society lived happily ever after. . .

THE END

Maybe if whimsical tales had more empowering messages for women our society would be a little different!

Just. . . Sigh

30 Apr

I wrote my political officials about Planned Parenthood funding, and here’s what I got back:

Dear Laurel,

Thank you for contacting me regarding funding for Planned Parenthood. It is an honor to represent the people of Eastern Washington and I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me.

I do not believe that federal funds should go to Planned Parenthood. Last year, U.S. Government Accounting Office (GAO) did a study revealing that the federal government’s support for Planned Parenthood has reached billions, a large percentage of which go to family planning services. In 2009, according to Planned Parenthood’s own records, 332,278 abortions were performed. This is unacceptable. The GAO study and Planned Parenthood’s statistics demonstrate that in the last several years, focus has not been on the needs of the county. We need to focus on jobs, balancing the budget, and our national debt. To that end, I supported efforts to eliminate federal funds to Planned Parenthood.

Thank you again for contacting me on this important issue. As your Representative in Congress, I am committed to putting the best interests of Eastern Washington first. I invite you to visit my website at www.mcmorrisrodgers.house.gov for additional information or to sign up for my e-newsletter. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance.

Best Wishes,

Cathy McMorris Rodgers

Member of Congress

My response:

Dear Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers,
Thank you for you last e-mail, I appreciate the time you took to share your thought process with me.  Though I am thankful that you shared your rationale, I feel like your logic for the ‘no’ vote was in error.  Here’s why:
Increasing access to family planning services and maintaining current levels of funding for family planning is just plain smart budgeting. For every $1 million cut from family planning, it costs over $4.1 million for new unintended pregnancy care, starting right away.  SB 5912 increases income eligibility for the Take Charge Medicaid family planning program from 200% to 250% of the federal poverty level, finally creating parity between the women whose pregnancy care we pay for through Medicaid and the women who are covered for family planning services!   This bill is simple and common sense, overall it saves money during these difficult economic times by reducing the number of unintended pregnancies that our state pays for.
Not only is funding family planning one of the smartest fiscal decisions we can make with regard to our state budget–especially in times of economic crisis–but family planning prevents unintended pregnancies and the need for abortion.  Cutting family planning simply doesn’t add up; the 2.25 million dollar cut in the Senate budget to Department of Health family planning funds will result in over 9 million in new unintended pregnancy care costs this biennium, starting right away.
It is clear that the cut proposed by the Senate budget will cost much more than it saves in this same biennium.  Thousands of women and families will likely go without services, and such a cut would mean an increase in unintended pregnancies and the need for abortion.
I sincerely hope you can look at the facts and see why Planned Parenthood is a necessity whether you believe in abortion or not.  By the way–the rare abortions that are provided by P.P, are not paid for with federal funding, BUT the easily accessible sexual education, affordable women’s health services (cancer screenings, physicals, and STD testing), and birth control which reduces unwanted pregnancies are.
Laurel

Vote Against Women

26 Apr

Who are these “Democrats” voting against funding for Planned Parenthood?

By the tenets of the Democratic Party, each individual has responsibilities toward society and the nation. Each one of us – by Democratic point of view – has the obligation to respect human life, to respect the rights of others, to be tolerant, to be honest, to have self-control, to respect property of others, and to participate in the democratic processes of this nation.  I thought democrats were supposed to be liberal and progressive?  They are always touted as such–though I am suspicious of any partisan activity at all and prefer individual analysis of what is best for the country.  That said, liberals are quick to attack republicans, and as I expected it’s patriarchy in general that is to blame–not (entirely) the ultra conservatives.  Apparently those democrats are not immune to capitalistic pressures to renounce women’s best interests.  Democrats, by voting against education, birth control, health care, and easy access to female care in general, these politicians are violating the rules of their party.  And no matter your feelings on feminism, education is never a bad thing.  The continuing trend in voting against education will come back to haunt us as a nation.

I’m callin’ you out–you are a disappointment to Democrats politicians that have integrity (is that an oxymoran?) in the United States, and I hope you are voted out of office promptly!   I am looking at you:

Mike Ross of Arkansas

Daniel Lipinski and Jerry Costello of Illinois

Joe Donelly of Indiana

Collin Peterson of Minnesota

Mike McIntyre and Heath Shuler of North Carolina

Mark Critz of Pennsylvania

and Nick Rahall of West Virginia.

Plight of Planned Parenthood

8 Mar

I am writing this letter on the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day to defend the rights of females.  Statistics 1!) convey that one in every five women has utilized Planned Parenthood in her lifetime.  Ensuring the health (reproductive and overall) of women ensures the (literal, economic, and overall) health of our community.

Women’s rights are a human rights issue.  As Americans we should be aware of regressing.  Right now, in Africa and the Middle East women have virtually no liberties:  Enslaved, beaten, mutilated, raped, tortured, and murdered these women remind us how far our own country has come, and the perils of taking away rights.  When women are abused and neglected at the hands of men and their government as a whole, it pulls the entire country down.  And taking away federal funding from Planned Parenthood, which is sure to abolish it, is a good example of that slippery slope to complete inequality.

Aside from being an integral option for females, Planned Parenthood is an important overall health resource for (marginalized) individuals.  Planned Parenthood specializes in prevention and according to “The Reflector,” Planned Parenthood provides information to over one million people in a year.  In a country that does not have an affordable universal health care system, these services are crucial.  Prevention is the best way to avoid costly and deleterious health concerns as well as community disasters.   Education is known to empower people and is proven to bring positive change where it is is easily accessible.   Undereducated, young, low-income, racially diverse, and at-risk people need that help.  Without Planned Parenthood where else can these people go?

And don’t think for a minute, the people that go without health care and education will be the only ones affected–it is the community that will reap the brunt of this oversight in the form of higher instance of communicable disease, and increased population.  A relevant example that illustrates this point is Skid Row in Los Angeles:  The deviants living on the streets are not the only ones paying the price of their missteps and mistakes.  I would suggest L.A., the entire state of California, and the nation as a whole are adversely affected.  And in both instances [former Planned Parenthood clients and those living on Skid Row] it is the United States who will have to present a viable option for these under-served individuals.

In the long run, the federal government will have to pay more in the absence of Planned Parenthood.  Unintended pregnancy costs the community tax money, and Planned Parenthood has, no doubt, saved us countless millions by helping people make informed decisions about their health care and reproductive rights.  It has provided contraception and the information to use it correctly, and if need be, abortions.  As appalling as many people find it, abortion is an important component to women’s freedom–because nobody should be able to tell a woman what she may and may not do with her own body.  Also abortion curtails the need for women who are unprepared for motherhood to go on welfare.  The community pays for the child, and the resultant infant is the one who ultimately suffers if they are unwanted.

I challenge you to realize taking away Planned Parenthood is not going to stop people from engaging in risky behaviors.  Young adults will not be coerced into abstinence.  Poor people will not stop having sex because they cannot afford to raise a child without the help of taxpayer money.  Drug adducts will not be forced to take responsibility just because there is no longer an institution to provide them a safety net.  People of all ages and maturity levels, financial statuses, and varying backgrounds are going to have sexual intercourse, and legal or not, women will get abortions.  Planned Parenthood is not culpable for these undesirable behaviors–they are just helping real people prevent and deal with the consequences.

These groups must be made aware there are consequences of their actions and simultaneously educated about risks of STDs, methods of contraception, and behaviors that lead to pregnancy.  And it is not just a matter of downgrading their data plan or giving up their monthly pedicure–these under-served groups literally cannot afford to get regular health care, prevent disease and unwanted pregnancy by getting contraceptive, or raise a child alone.  They need private, affordable, and accessible means to take control of their own health, and Planned Parenthood has been doing a stellar job providing all of this for the last 69-plus 2!) years.

Help Planned Parenthood keep their federal funding for the sake of women.  Do it for all of the uninsured people who have no other viable health care option.  But mostly keep funding Planned Parenthood’s educational services, preventative methods, and easily ascertained health care for the community.

1!) http://www.reflector-online.com/mobile/opinion/planned-parenthood-funding-essential-1.2507310

2!) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_Parenthood

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