9/19/2007
Pro-life looking for victories
Yesterday, the Assembly Judiciary & Ethics Committee approved, 8 – 2, the Coercive Abortion Prevention Act (AB 427). Would seem like a no-brainer – that no woman could be pressured to have an abortion. The six Republicans on the committee were joined by two Dems, including Oshkosh’s Gordon Hintz, in supporting the measure. The bill is now available for scheduling for an Assembly floor vote.
Testimony was emotional. Jane Frantz of Appleton, spoke before the committee, and shared her story of abuse and abortion with FoxPolitics.net:The trick might be getting us to open up since we’ve been told to keep it to ourselves because it’s “too controversial.” Politicians don’t want to talk about it because it’s a “religious” issue. Clergy don’t want to talk about it because it’s a “political” issue. Our families don’t want to talk about it because they’re ashamed of us, and of themselves, because many of them insisted we do it. So we suffer in silence, wondering why, if it’s “okay” to have an abortion, doesn’t anyone want to talk about it afterwards? Why does it weigh so heavily if it was our “right?” Aren’t rights supposed to be a good thing?
Of course, additional legislative debates center on the budget – which is in itself a battleground for Pro-Life advocates. The Assembly version of the budget would prohibit the Department of Health and Family Services from funding private family planning clinics – i.e., Planned Parenthood.
Here in the Fox Cities, WomanKind, a privately funded alternative to Planned Parenthood, has recently moved to larger digs to accommodate ultrasound testing. They provide information on adoption, abortion, and parenting. Unabashed in their pro-life bias, WomanKind empowers their clients with knowledge, and they work to prevent the coerced abortion referenced in AB 427. Among their services is a “lending attic” of sorts, stocked full of cribs, strollers, clothing and even supplies of formula and diapers.
WomanKind is supported with private contributions. Peg Saindon, a WomanKind Board member, objects to her tax dollar being used to fund Planned Parenthood: The State of Wisconsin must not squander any more tax dollars on “family planning” services.
If the State truly wants to be part of the solution in women’s health care, it must distance itself from organizations like Planned Parenthood, which clearly have a conflict of interest when it comes to women’s health.
Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in Wisconsin and in the WORLD. Planned Parenthood’s abortion clinics are not FREE clinics. Abortion is a VERY lucrative industry. Expecting Planned Parenthood (and other “family planning” organizations that market contraceptives) to reduce illegitimacy or the STD rate is like putting Jack Daniel’s Distillery in charge of running a campaign to promote tee-totaling. There is NO incentive for Planned Parenthood to reduce illegitimacy or STDs. NONE.
Programs, like “family planning”, which make social problems worse, should be discontinued, and certainly, the taxpayers of Wisconsin must not be made to finance bogus schemes which spread disease among young women or leave them facing illegitimacy or abortion as their only alternatives.
That budget battle remains to be fought…..
WomanKind is at 526 W. Wisconsin Ave., Appleton, 920-731-4354.
COMMENTS
ONE baby at a time; one bureaucrat at a time; one victory at a time. The time is coming, Jo. Thank you for illustrating.
Michael Bina (Wed Sep 19 06:35:48 2007)
Thanks for dealing with this subject. It is crazy for ANY of our tax dollars to be going to Planned Parenthood.
Ric Van Sistine (Wed Sep 19 08:54:28 2007)
"There is NO incentive for Planned Parenthood to reduce illegitimacy or STDs. NONE."
This is one of the most ignorant statements ever typed! No organization works harder to prevent unplanned pregnancies than Planned Parenthood. The wingnuts -- like the person who made this loony statement -- are way off the mark, and reasonable people know it. Shame on you for passing along this trash as legitimate opinion!
Oh my gosh, how do you really feel? "Legitimate opinion"... it's an opinion, supported by pro-life folks. Is it legitimate? My pre-publishing research located the source of the claim, which is a study by Phillips Cutright, 1971, "Illegitimacy: Myths, Causes, and Cures," Family Planning Perspectives 3(1), 25-48. The publication is accessible via Lawrence University (a JSTOR archiving member). I have not read it. I could not provide a link because I could find no web source of the complete document.In the future, though I very much appreciate them, you might consider making your points with a softer spirit and tone. JE
Edward (Wed Sep 19 11:09:04 2007)
Jo
Normally I can come here and find something with which I can thoughtfully agree or disagree. However, the quote from Ms Saindon is such a flabbergasting piece of piffle that I am gobsmacked beyond words.
There is no place for a logical person to get a toehold on her assertion that "Expecting Planned Parenthood (and other “family planning” organizations that market contraceptives) to reduce illegitimacy or the STD rate is like putting Jack Daniel’s Distillery in charge of running a campaign to promote tee-totaling. There is NO incentive for Planned Parenthood to reduce illegitimacy or STDs. NONE"
I'm certain that there is a place for an alternative to PP. I just can't see that there is any room in the discussion for an organization which is so willfully dishonest as WomanKind.
Thank you for your thoughtful comments. I hear you understandably associating your understanding of the comments with the work WomanKind does. The reality must remain that WomanKind does very good work in our community. JE
grumps (Wed Sep 19 11:43:52 2007)
Interesting exchange! Let us consider the facts, shall we? 1) PP furnishes birth control to sexually active teens who don't want their parents to know they're sexually active, and to young women who are un/underinsured. They call this "family planning." They tell the women using birth control will help prevent pregnancies and STDs, which is true, some of the time, but not all of the time. Women, like myself, who weren't "planning" on it, end up getting pregnant, wishing they weren't. Coincidentally, I found out this week that my 15 year old son can't buy a can of spray paint without my consent, but his girlfriend (if he had one) could have an abortion without her parents knowledge! 2) PP is the #1 provider of abortion services in this country. When the pregnant teen/young woman returns to PP pregnant, and wishing she weren't, PP then refers her to their abortion clinic. They make, on average $350 for an abortion, 1/2 of which is paid in advance, and non-refundable should the woman change her mind during her 24 hour waiting period. The abortion takes about 15 minutes, followed by a short stay in the recovery room, followed by juice and cookies ~ just like donating blood! The difference is that, ultimately, the woman will serve a life sentence for killing her child. The further along the woman is, the more expensive the procedure. Let's not continue to kid ourselves ... appearances can be very deceptive. If PP were serious about "family planning," they would tell the young women to abstain from sexual relations until they are ready to be parents ~ which is one of the things WomanKind tries to do. They also provide free pregnancy testing, limited diagnostic ultrasounds, information about life-affirming options, the truth about the health risks associated with birth control and abortions, referrals to social service agencies, post-abortion support/counseling, and positive parenting skills training.
Thanks, Jo, for providing an informative venue for honest, educated dialogue. It's the only way we're going to solve this problem.
Jane Frantz (Sat Oct 06 07:51:05 2007)
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