Planned Parenthood Debacle

[linderlizzie]

I am a little surprised that I haven't seen any comments regarding the video that has gone viral about Planned Parenthood's shenanigans. 

I'd love to hear people's thoughts on it.

Maybe not. 

[BlackSheepNY]

I guess I feel like Planned Parenthood has turned in to a monster and is in business for all the wrong reasons.  I think it's outlived any good things it may have once done, and has turned in to some kind of a black market for baby parts.  Immoral... disgusting.. should be closed down, period.

[bowrunner]

Federal money should be discontinued for Planned Parenthood.  They are obviously selling baby parts at the same time as calling it nothing but a fetus - really can't have it both ways.  It is an evil organization and has been for a long time.  It's actual beginning was evil as Margaret Sanger started it to lower or eliminate the number of black babies being born.

[jbates15]

There has been a witch hunt against Planned Parenthood for many years.  I believe the video is a sham created in order to do just what it has done, which is to turn folks against the organization but is all just right wing lies.  Would be better if our government would concern itself less on what a women does with her body or what two consenting adults do in their bedroom, and more about how to get Americans to work at livable wages, or even to fix our crumbling infrastructure.

[paints]

The "shenanigans" aren't being done by Planned Parenthood, but by the video editors.
It's bogus.

[lvstephanie]

The "shenanigans" aren't being done by Planned Parenthood, but by the video editors.
It's bogus.

I disagree that the videos are fake or that any "shenanigans" are going on. However I will concede that the videos are relying on people's ignorance of the laws involved, hoping for an emotional response instead of a rational argument in order to get PP either shutdown or at the very least unsupported.

Thus far, the videos have shown PP representatives discussing the donation procedures for medical specimens with whom they thought were a legit company. In the first 2 videos, both rep's were careful to state that any money they received for the specimen was used for the acquisition and delivery of the specimen (which is allowed by law) but not as a means of profit (which is illegal). The amounts per specimen are very in-line with other donated medical specimens (which tends to support the idea that PP is just trying to recoup their costs).

I guess I'd be more upset if our nation had made abortion illegal (or at least let the states decide, which incidentally is what I think should have happened in the Roe vs Wade decision), or if PP's prices quoted in the videos were much higher than other medical specimen suppliers (suggesting more that PP was profiting from human specimens, again something that is illegal), or if PP was somehow lining up pregnant women to get abortions in order to fulfill "donation" requests (eg getting an order for specimens, and then going out of their way to bring in pregnant women in order to fulfill the request).

As for the funding of PP, I don't think that our federal government should be providing them with any support regardless of the videos. As far as I can see, PP should be treated like any other charity / religion; provide tax breaks to the organization, but other than that allow the organization to come up with their own means of support. Since we live in a country that prides on our freedom of various beliefs / ideals, our federal government should not be choosing which of these deserves support and which don't get that benefit of forced monetary "donations".

[linderlizzie]

In response to jbates15 and paints with all due respect.

To jbates15: The government is funding them to the tune of $500 million per year. Don't you think that money could be put to better use? Especially since they are killing babies (not tissue) and selling their parts. Add to this the fact that the clinics are conveniently located in areas which are disproportionately poor and black. That is not a coincidence.

To paints: Have you seen the videos? I don't know how they could have edited them to show the things that are being said and done. Are you familiar with video editing? I know the left has used this as an argument in their favor, but I can't for the life of me imagine how anyone could have edited the videos to show what they've shown without showing what they actually said and did. Even if the video were mixed up in some way, or cut out and edited, how would they end up with the things that are on the video? 

Thanks to both of you for the chance to intelligently debate. I know this is a divisive topic and has been for some time.   

BTW, the Senate will vote on a bill to defund Planned Parenthood today. 

[paints]

The "shenanigans" aren't being done by Planned Parenthood, but by the video editors.
It's bogus.

I disagree that the videos are fake or that any "shenanigans" are going on. However I will concede that the videos are relying on people's ignorance of the laws involved, hoping for an emotional response instead of a rational argument in order to get PP either shutdown or at the very least unsupported.

Thus far, the videos have shown PP representatives discussing the donation procedures for medical specimens with whom they thought were a legit company. In the first 2 videos, both rep's were careful to state that any money they received for the specimen was used for the acquisition and delivery of the specimen (which is allowed by law) but not as a means of profit (which is illegal). The amounts per specimen are very in-line with other donated medical specimens (which tends to support the idea that PP is just trying to recoup their costs).

I guess I'd be more upset if our nation had made abortion illegal (or at least let the states decide, which incidentally is what I think should have happened in the Roe vs Wade decision), or if PP's prices quoted in the videos were much higher than other medical specimen suppliers (suggesting more that PP was profiting from human specimens, again something that is illegal), or if PP was somehow lining up pregnant women to get abortions in order to fulfill "donation" requests (eg getting an order for specimens, and then going out of their way to bring in pregnant women in order to fulfill the request).

As for the funding of PP, I don't think that our federal government should be providing them with any support regardless of the videos. As far as I can see, PP should be treated like any other charity / religion; provide tax breaks to the organization, but other than that allow the organization to come up with their own means of support. Since we live in a country that prides on our freedom of various beliefs / ideals, our federal government should not be choosing which of these deserves support and which don't get that benefit of forced monetary "donations".

The videos are fake to the extent that they have been edited to the point that what is being discussed sounds like something it isn't.

Most of Planned Parenthoods' money comes from donations. According to the charity navigator, 99.2 % is from private sources.
<http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=4338#.Vb_q8LUl97N>

As far as Roe vs Wade, maybe we as a country decided we didn't want any more girls dying because they didn't know how their bodies worked.

[KarenWitty]

I am not familiar with it. I know I have 4 teenage boys (some planned and definitely the twins were a surprise) and live a happy life. My teens have caused a bump or two in the road but seem to be really good boys, for the most part. Makes me a proud mom. I will try to watch that video.

[paints]

In response to jbates15 and paints with all due respect.

To jbates15: The government is funding them to the tune of $500 million per year. Don't you think that money could be put to better use? Especially since they are killing babies (not tissue) and selling their parts. Add to this the fact that the clinics are conveniently located in areas which are disproportionately poor and black. That is not a coincidence.

To paints: Have you seen the videos? I don't know how they could have edited them to show the things that are being said and done. Are you familiar with video editing? I know the left has used this as an argument in their favor, but I can't for the life of me imagine how anyone could have edited the videos to show what they've shown without showing what they actually said and did. Even if the video were mixed up in some way, or cut out and edited, how would they end up with the things that are on the video? 

Thanks to both of you for the chance to intelligently debate. I know this is a divisive topic and has been for some time.   

BTW, the Senate will vote on a bill to defund Planned Parenthood today. 

linderlizzie, they didn't edit them to show what was being said and done. They edited them by leaving out the explanatory comments, that would make what was being discussed make sense. They edited out the parts that would contradict their agenda.
<http://www.factcheck.org/2015/07/unspinning-the-planned-parenthood-video/>

This is not a right/left issue.  This is about women having control of their own bodies, of their own lives.

Planned Parenthood does family planning, contraception, cancer screenings, pregnancy testing, prenatal care, and yes, abortions. Abortions are the least of what they do.

Did you know that when Roe vs Wade was passed, it was passed with the support of the churches?

"I do not believe that just because you're opposed to abortion, that that makes you pro-life. In fact, I think in many cases, your morality is deeply lacking if all you want is a child born but not a child fed, not a child educated, not a child housed. And why would I think that you don't? Because you don't want any tax money to go there. That's not pro-life. That's pro-birth. We need a much broader conversation on what the morality of pro-life is."
Sister Joan Chittister, O.S.B.

[king4cash]

I just urge everyone to watch these videos and derive your own opinion. Don't let CNN or Fox News translate them for you. I have watched them and felt so sad and sick to my stomach afterwards.

[JD818]

I don't like, nor think my tax money or anyone's should fund something like Planned Parenthood...I've been against them from hearing of them, and that video just gave me more reason to be.

[girlygirl1008]

This is not a right/left issue.  This is about women having control of their own bodies, of their own lives.

Planned Parenthood does family planning, contraception, cancer screenings, pregnancy testing, prenatal care, and yes, abortions. Abortions are the least of what they do.

Did you know that when Roe vs Wade was passed, it was passed with the support of the churches?

"I do not believe that just because you're opposed to abortion, that that makes you pro-life. In fact, I think in many cases, your morality is deeply lacking if all you want is a child born but not a child fed, not a child educated, not a child housed. And why would I think that you don't? Because you don't want any tax money to go there. That's not pro-life. That's pro-birth. We need a much broader conversation on what the morality of pro-life is."
Sister Joan Chittister, O.S.B.

I think you make very strong points. I personally am pro-choice, as I don't believe that it is the government's right to outright ban medical procedures that can save women's lives (all throughout history whenever abortion has been banned there have been thousands of deaths from unsafe procedures.

Furthermore, I think whatever side you stand on, the jump from a moral objection to abortion to defunding or shutting down all of Planned Parenthood is irresponsible. The most important goal of any government is to protect the lives of its citizens, and Planned Parenthood is responsible for providing affordable healthcare to many of the women who cannot afford it in many facets besides abortion or contraception. I can understand it when someone pro-life argues for defunding abortion treatment by Planned Parenthood (even if I disagree) but shutting down the entire organization because of moral objections to one procedure is like trying to ban religious gatherings because of the Westboro Baptist Church.

[JediJohnnie]

PP should've been de-funded a long time ago.

[wendyr19]

In my opinion, anyone who thinks that Planned Parenthood is selling baby parts is a bit crazy lol. Video editing is amazing these days. I'm sure if I called into the news station today and told them that Planned Parenthood sold me fetus parts for human consumption.. they'd run that story as factual because they're on the defunding bandwagon.