This past week, unscrupulous 'investigators' started releasing deceptive, biased, and illegally obtained videos 'exposing' Planned Parenthood's completely legal, Congressionally-approved transfer of aborted fetal tissue to medical research. Outrage ensued. The problem is that the outrage was loudest among those cheering the illicit 'sting' operation.
The anti-choicers have latched onto emotional imagery to inflame the self-righteous against the Planned Parenthood organization and its health clinics. The woefully mis-named Center for Medical Progress, which condones the murder of those involved with providing abortion services and the bombing of women's health clinics, posed as medical tissue buyers. They then framed their discussion, and illegal taping, with PP people so that the cost-covering, non-profit fees for providing necessary material for life-saving research was made to seem as avaricious and cold-blooded as possible.
In other words, the sting is a scam. And the booty is to turn as many as possible against the largest non-profit women's health organization. Secondary targets are the over 2 million women who turn to PP for mostly preventative medical services, 75% of whom have incomes at or below 150% of the poverty level. In addition, 73% of their clinics are in rural or medically under-served areas. Only about 3% of PP activities involve performing abortions. With statisics like that, one begins to wonder just who was actually targeted.
There are rational, reasonable people who are against abortion but who realize it is a private, personal choice. They accept it as a right. Unfortunately, they are not the ones for whom ambitious politicians and loud-spoken, misogynistic religionists speak. The ultra-theocratic Dominionists''Anointed One,' Ted Cruz, threatens a government shutdown if PP is not defunded. Deprive thousands of needy women vital healthcare by cutting the $500M in federal funds to PP or cost the country billions and countless government employees their livelihood. That's a rational or moral choice? Mike Huckabee prefers the anti-democratic hawk approach -- he'd use federal troops to stop the operations of the organization that does more to stop women needing abortions than any other. I find it amazing that conservatives cannot manage to comprehend the correlation between affordable and accessible birth control and a reduced need for abortion services. One might think the name "Planned Parenthood" would be a major clue.
Below the fold are articles others have wriiten about the deceptiveness and illegality of the radical anti-choicers behind this latest skirmish in the War On Women, esp on poor women.