Planned Parenthood working to change its image

Planned Parenthood working to change its image

Hmm... good luck with that.

Here's the article, quoted from Texas Tech University's University Daily site, interjected occasionally with my humble efforts at fisking it:

The growing debate of pro-life vs. pro-choice was the topic in Wednesday's Tech Council for Family Relations as guest speakers from Planned Parenthood, Lubbock tried to better inform students about abortion.

Tony Thornton, CEO of Planned Parenthood Association of Lubbock, tried to create an outline of what the service is all about.

"We do lots of good work for the community and provides lots of good services for the people of Lubbock and the surrounding areas," he said.

The discussion focused on an ongoing problem of Texas and the education it provides to the students at all levels when it comes to sex education and reproductive health services.

Lindsey Qi, president of Tech the Council for Family Relations, said a lot of debate about Planned Parenthood's reputation has to do with being misinformed.

"The problem is that when people think of Planned Parenthood and what they can provide, its almost like they have blinders on their eyes and can only see abortion related services," she said.

Umm, maybe that's because that's what this organization STANDS FOR? It's what this organization is at the forefront about, demanding the right to do. I'm sorry, Ms. Qi, but Planned Parenthood = Abortion. I don't care how much other "good stuff" you guys do. The KKK may be involved in all sorts of good community service projects, but it doesn't change the fact that their organization is immoral. You'd pitch a fit (and so would I) if the KKK got federal funding for soup kitchens and homeless shelters, even though those are noble and worthwhile activities, because THEY'RE THE KKK. Duh!

Beth Shapiro, head of the Board of Directors for Planned Parenthood in Lubbock, tried to show students they identify information associated with Planned Parenthood that is false.

"People seem to think that we provide abortion services at our clinic, and we don't," she said.

Shapiro also touched on the false fact that people seem to believe the funding for Planned Parenthood agencies also helps pay for abortions.

"The only money that is for abortion services is self-pay," she said. "People would not be allowed to use the funds from Title X if it were for abortion."

According to Texas Legislature, Title X has to do with federal money for family planning. The Texas Department of Health states Title X is the only federal legislation relating solely to family planning. Congress passed the Family Planning Services and Population Research Act in 1970, which added Title X to the Public Services Health Act.

Again, I don't care how much good stuff you do. And I don't care if the bad stuff you support is not funded by my tax dollars. I don't want ANY of your stuff supported by my tax dollars because you participate in the murder of unborn children. Can you not see the difference?

Wednesday's lecture aimed at many issues involving Planned Parenthood and women's rights as well. One issue was to support measures requiring health insurance companies provide prescription drug coverage for all FDA-approved contraception methods and to cover prenatal care.

Shapiro said most companies provide funding for products such as Viagra or Cialis for sexual male enhancement, but will not provide help in paying for services such as birth control pills. Shapiro cited instances where pharmacies have even denied the pills, because of their political views, to women wanting to purchase them.

I have to say that I find this fact hugely hypocritical and nonsensical on the part of insurance companies. It's ridiculous that he can go charge up for 36 hours of fun & games, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield foots the bill, but they won't have anything to do with oral contraceptives for women. That's just wack. Seems like it would be much more cost-effective than all the coverage they do for extensive fertility treatments and for the 36-hour Happy Pills. I have never understood this. Either cover both, or cover neither.

Amber Mahan, a senior human development and family studies major from Mineral Wells, said she believes the reason funding is not provided for birth control is because of a false view of women.

"People automatically make the assumption that you are sexually active if you're on birth control," she said. "They don't realize that a lot of women use birth control to regulate their periods before they are ever sexually active."

I think part of the problem is the name we've always called them -- birth control pills. That's an inaccurate name, anymore, because they are just hormones, used to externally regulate one's system. It doesn't control "birth", it controls a woman's hormone cycle.

Shapiro also discussed the "Pro Life Activists Encyclopedia," which refers to Planned Parenthood as the "anti-life organization."

Irving native Amanda Hill, a senior majoring in human development and family studies, said the this idea about Planned Parenthood is a misunderstanding.

"It seems like if you say you are pro-choice people look at you and think you want to kill babies," she said.

Ms. Hill, it's because that's what you're doing. It's easy to couch it in terms of "choice" but whose choice is it? Here's a direct quote from Planned Parenthood's own web site:

Planned Parenthood Federation of America is the world's largest and most trusted voluntary family planning organization. We believe that everyone has the right to choose when or whether to have a child -- and that every child should be wanted and loved.

Don't you see that this organization is NOT concerned about the life of the child. It's a convenience clinic. Sure, you may have the right to "choose" when you have children, but even that is such a humanistic joke, as if we mortal humans have much control over when a life begins. I always laugh inwardly when I hear women talk about planning how far apart their children will be born, assuming automatically that they do the baby-dance and it's an automatic given that nine months later the baby's coming. You don't know that. You have no way of really, truly controlling that. It's a convenient way to mentally leave God out of the equation, but you can't do that. God's in charge of it, people. Take it or leave it, but it doesn't change the fact.

Then there's the old Joycelyn Elders line about "every child a planned and wanted child", yadda yadda. Planned by whom? Planned by their parents? If that were the case, how many of us would not be here today? I shudder to think how much poorer the world would be if the only children allowed to live were the ones whose parents planned them ahead of time. And what about "wanted"? I daresay there isn't a pregnant woman in this country who, if she knew she couldn't properly care for her baby after it's born, couldn't find a couple who WANTED very much to take that baby and give it a life. I honestly can't fathom why someone would rather KILL their baby than let it grow up with someone else as its parents. Blows my mind.

Shapiro said the debate about abortion has been increasing because President George W. Bush made Texas an abstinent state when he was governor of Texas.

Liana Bustillos, a junior child education student from Meadow, said Bush's abstinence ruling confuses her.

"How can we be pro-life but we are still supporting the death penalty here in Texas," she said.

This is such an old, bogus argument. The death penalty is for someone who willfully chose to do a wicked, evil act, thereby forfeiting their own rights. Comparing an unborn infant to a convicted death-row murderer is unconscionable, Ms. Bustillos. You can do better than that, I'm sure.

Bustillos also discussed the issue on the new textbooks for health classes in Texas schools and the fact that abstinence is all they support.

"All it seems to say is no," she said. "No information regarding the use of condoms or even how to protect yourself from sexually transmitted diseases."

Maybe because abstinence is the ONLY method of birth control or protection against STDs that actually WORKS EVERY TIME IT'S TRIED. Why should we tell our kids it's okay to do something that's only partially protective? Why not encourage them not to do it in the first place? And for that matter, why are my tax dollars going to teach this stuff in the public schools? This is Mom & Dad's job, folks. Yes, I know Mom & Dad don't do it a great deal of the time, but that doesn't make it okay for The State to step in and determine what should and shouldn't be taught. This isn't a matter of academics. It's a moral issue, and if Mom & Dad won't do it, then churches and privately-funded after-school programs can take up the issue. We're clogging up our school day with this crap and it's pushing the academics further and further to the back.

Planned Parenthood provides tests and counseling for those who are HIV positive or may have other STDs.

"We have around 172 people in our program here in Lubbock who are HIV positive and range between the ages of 12 and 63," Thornton said. "Some people did not realize that when Viagra and all these other medicines came out that they did not protect against transmitted diseases."

You have GOT to be kidding me. That is the stupidest thing I have heard in a while. I'm so sure that enters into everyone's mind when they get their little bottle of blue pills... Elmer's on a rampage through the phone book, but he knows them magic blue pills will protect him from all harm. Uh-huh.

Shapiro and Thornton also said they are fighting against such legislation that would violate client/physician relationships for minors such as whether or not they are sexually active and if they are allowed to have an abortion.

Excuse me? MINORS? These girls are UNDER-AGE. Sex with an underage person is AGAINST THE LAW. If she's in for an abortion, it's because someone COMMITTED A CRIME. This isn't about privacy. This is about protecting our daughters from assault, whether it be someone her own age or someone twenty years older. If she's showing up at some clinic somewhere asking for contraceptives, I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT MEANS SHE'S DOING SOMETHING THAT IS CONTRARY TO HER BEST INTERESTS. But you Planned Parenthood-types want to be able to distribute medication to my daughter, who I am legally liable for, and you want her to be able to undergo a surgical procedure without my knowledge or consent, if she chooses. Sorry, she doesn't get to choose to have surgery without my input, any more than she gets to choose to have her bellybutton pierced or her ankle tattooed. If she wants those done, we talk about it. If she's 18, she gets to be liable for the decisions she makes. But before then, I'm responsible. And that means I had BETTER know what she's doing.

One of the biggest issues is emergency contraception for women in the emergency room.

"Only 40 percent of hospitals in the state provide any type of services for those who need emergency contraception such as survivors of sexual assault," Shapiro said.

Emergency contraception, Shapiro said, is kind of like taking a "double-dose" of a birth control pill at once in where it prevents implantation of a fertilized egg in the woman's body.

Thornton said he hopes people's views on Planned Parenthood will become more positive.

"We provide information and knowledge so that people may have children one day when they want to," he said. "We give them all the options so that they may make the right choice for themselves. That's why we're called Planned Parenthood."

Unfortunately, "all the options" also includes murdering someone who's inconvenient. I find that morally reprehensible, whether it's Terri Schiavo or an unborn child.

UPDATE: Check out this article before you start blathering about how abortion clinics always report underage sexual activity to the authorities...