Friday, March 11, 2011

Day 10 of the Indystar's Planned Parenthood Support Effort

Reading the Star day after day has been so depressing these past few weeks. My morning routine has turned into "cereal and a Planned Parenthood propaganda article." I decided to write my own letter to the editor explaining the perspective from the other side, and I wasn't exactly surprised that it didn't show up. I then thought to myself, "I'll go and start debating the issues on Indystar's blog" and here is the irony - every comment on the Indystar.com on these Planned Parenthood Propaganda Stories is pro-life except for maybe one PP supporter who doesn't argue issues but restates PP's talking points.

This is the problem with the liberal media - and it was illustrated recently by the comments offered by the NPR vice-prez - they think they need to move people to a different spot. JUST GIVE ME THE NEWS!!! As soon as editors and columnists start thinking that they are part of a privileged Ivy League elite circle of enlightenment, what follows quickly after is that the rest of us are bumbling dark-age idiots who need to either be euthanized or be brought up, through their "merciful" education efforts, to their level of intelligence.

REPORT THE NEWS - don't try to change my mind

Several hundred from the Archdiocese rallied for life - hardly a blurb
500 show up at the capital for Planned Parenthood - front page.

REPORT THE NEWS - don't try to change my mind

If you want to try and change peoples' minds then write a book, start a blog, make a movie, do something where you ADMIT to the fact, UP FRONT, that you are trying to change my mind. Don't pretend to be fair and balanced when your agenda is so disgustingly obvious.


Of all the articles I've seen in the star in this 2 week "Support Planned Parenthood Campaign" one of them was more frightening than the others. The president of Planned Parenthood of Indiana had a column that was calculating, deceptive, manipulative, and downright scary. Read it here if you dare.

One is tempted to go through line by line and dissect the stuff she says in her piece, but her piece is so cold and calculating that it seems like it would giver her piece more credibility than it deserves. I think the best thing to do here is simply say that Planned Parenthood's true colors are coming out, and, as many suspected, IT AIN'T PRETTY! In fact, it is haunting and eerie.

I'll finish for now with my letter to the Star that didn't make the cut. May we pray for the day when all people are treated as persons again, and sanity is restored.

"As the push to defund Planned Parenthood of our taxpayer money has intensified, Planned Parenthood has been publicly reminding the nation of its many talking points. I believe that most at Planned Parenthood want what society wants – a reduction in the number of abortions; the problem that many legislators (male and female) have with Planned Parenthood is their tactics.

Planned Parenthood believes that the way to decrease unwanted pregnancies is by providing access to birth control for all. The question for Planned Parenthood is this – has this strategy worked? Since Roe v. Wade, according to Planned Parenthood’s own numbers, there have been 52 million abortions in our country. Would the number of abortions really have been that high if our country was not funding the distribution of contraception on virtually every street corner? What Planned Parenthood fails to mention is the failure rate for both the pill and the condom. Failure rates for the pill hover around 9% while condoms fail 15% of the time. Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood clinic supervisor, notes in her New York Times bestselling expose Unplanned that although she was in charge of educating women about contraception as a Planned Parenthood clinic supervisor, she became pregnant three times while using Planned Parenthood’s methods and instructions perfectly. It seems logical that we are in fact increasing our abortion numbers by funding Planned Parenthood since they offer people a “fail-safe method” for preventing pregnancy which, in reality, fails alarmingly frequently.

The other interesting thing about Planned Parenthood’s tactics is that each clinic has a quota for abortions each month. It is very disconcerting that an organization proclaiming to want to reduce unwanted pregnancies would also issue quotas to their clinics for a set number of abortions each month. Shouldn’t the quota be 0 for each clinic if abortion is the “last alternative”? Planned Parenthood talks about how abortions are only a small percentage of its work, but PP fails to mention that it is the only part of its work that makes money. It seems that Planned Parenthood should at least be asked to explain why it is that they have abortion quotas for their clinics.

Many are starting to awaken and realize that humanity is not comprised of pure unbridled sexuality and that we, as a species, are capable of restraint. Would there be “unwanted” pregnancies if birth control were less prevalent…of course, but would there be less unwanted pregnancies than if we continue funding Planned Parenthood to spread the lie that contraception is fool proof, when in fact it fails 10-20% of the time? We should begin investing in abstinence education and in programs that combat poverty at a local level instead of telling people to avoid unwanted pregnancies using a method that doesn’t work and actually exacerbates the problem. We need to tell Planned Parenthood “Thanks for 30 years of service to society, but your results and methods just aren’t working.

2 comments:

  1. Hello Fr. Hollowell! I just found your blog via a comment you left on Little Catholic Bubble blog, which I read all the time. My name is Sarah, I live in Indianapolis, and I know I have met you at least twice. The most recent time was in February; I was a bridesmaid in Joseph and Julie's wedding! I'm so happy to find your blog and read your reflections. :)

    I also have a blog where I write about Catholic family life and some other things too! God bless you. :)

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  2. Hello Fr. Hollowell,

    It's a shame your letter didn't make the cut! It is very clear and direct....maybe THAT is why it didn't make it :)

    I wrote a paper once about abstinence education versus sex education in schools. I don't remember the specific numbers from the statistics I researched, but I remember coming to the conclusion that abstinence education better served our youth.

    I think sometimes parents are panicked by the thought of raging hormones overcoming the good sense they try to instill in their kids. My children are still very young, but if I'm being honest, the thought scares me a little too. After all, it's easy to think that birth control would be a good means of prevention, "just in case". However, I couldn't imagine giving my 7 year old a 28 day supply of candy and then telling her she shouldn't eat it...

    I pray that I stay strong as a parent when that time comes, and am able to help guide my kids in their choices.

    I really enjoy reading your blog!! Thank you!

    Jennifer

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