January, 2000
PP Is Operated as a "For Profit" Organization
Obviously, Planned Parenthood officials would deny the claim made in the
headline above. They would vehemently defend the organization as a legitimate
non-profit group.
Yet, their own words tell a different story.
As the only group totally dedicated to fighting Planned Parenthood, STOPP
spends a great deal of time reviewing PP's material. In a recent search of the
Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) web site,
we came across the following advertisement in its
"employment opportunities" section:
Positions with Planned Parenthood Affiliates
- Position Title: Clinician and Director
- Agency: Planned Parenthood of East Central
- Location: Shiawassee Planned Parenthood
- Job Status: Full Time, Exempt
- Salary Range: $45,000 to $53,000
- Benefits: Cafeteria Plan for Health, Life and Disability Insurance; Pension Plan;
Paid Annual Vacation, Sick and Personal Leave
- Reports To: Executive Director
- Supervises: Clinic Assistants, Clinicians
- Posted: 8/26/99
Summary:
The Director and Clinician has dual responsibility for managing the operations of
the Shiawassee clinic for Planned Parenthood of East Central Michigan and for
delivery of reproductive and related health care. The Director responsibilities
involve overseeing the daily operation of the medical clinic, representing
Planned Parenthood in Shiawassee County, and coordinating services with
other health and human service providers in Shiawassee County. The Clinician
responsibilities involve providing direct medical care and education to patients in
accordance with the medical policies, the standing orders of the Medical Director
and the Standards & Guidelines of Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Major Responsibilities:
Management
Direct the operations of the Shiawassee clinic so that the services meet the
objectives for patient services, and for financial net gain. Accurately implement
the agency's medical protocols and procedures. Prepare the appointment
schedule for clients. Assign clinic staff and prepare work schedules for clinic
staff. Manage the operations so that the services are provided in accordance to
the policies and procedures of PPECM. Supervise the clinic staff, including
evaluations of clinic staff, recommendation for employment and disciplining clinic
staff. Implement the agency's management, financial and personnel policies . . .
(etc.)
More information is listed, but in those four significant words in the first line of
management duties, Planned Parenthood is telling their applicants that their job,
as director of this agency, is to run the operations for financial net gain.
Despite all the high sounding words emanating from PP people all over the
country, Planned Parenthood expects its affiliates to make a profit!
For a business, this is not unusual. No business can survive unless each of its
entities makes a profit. But PP claims it is not a business. PP claims to be a non-
profit operation entitled to government support and special drug prices.
But this is not true. PP operates for financial net gain and its own help wanted
ads say so!
PPRM or PPRMSC?
Question:
What is the difference between Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains
(PPRM) and Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains Service Corp.
(PPRMSC)?
Answer:
Abortion!
Question:
Why are there both a PPRM and a PPRMSC?
Answer:
Money!
We told you last month that the state of Colorado is enforcing regulations that
will prohibit any state money from going to organizations that perform abortions.
This includes Planned Parenthood.
In order to try and get around this regulation, Planned Parenthood filed
incorporation papers that seek to establish PPRMSC as the organization whose
members perform surgical abortions.
It is then trying to convince the state that the rest of the facilities that will
continue to belong to PPRM do not do abortions and should continue to receive
state funds. This, despite the fact that these facilities will continue to dispense
emergency contraception (see story below) and other abortifacient drugs.
It is not yet clear whether this move by Planned Parenthood will have its desired
effect. A spokesperson for the state said: "We have not yet seen any contract
proposals or the legal changes that Planned Parenthood says it will make. We
will continue to follow state law and the voter-approved constitutional provision
regarding the issue."
PPNYC Subway Campaign
According to a December 1 news report carried on U.S. Newswire, Planned
Parenthood of New York City (PPNYC) has announced its all new subway
campaign.
PPNYC has, for the first time, shifted the focus from machines and computers
being Y2K compliant to the human body and sexual health care. Rather than
preaching on the importance of regular check-ups, PPNYC simply poses the
question "Is Your Body Y2K Compliant?"
"PPNYC wanted to use the Y2K theme as a humorous reminder for young
women to be in control by taking a more proactive and preventative approach to
their reproductive health care," said Alexander C. Sanger, president of PPNYC.
"PPNYC's advertising calls for all women to access the information and services
necessary to lead healthy, self-determined lives," continued Sanger. According
to the Newswire story, PPNYC's last subway campaign to promote the
availability of emergency contraception drew a 96 percent increase in phone
calls and a 60 percent increase in clinic visits.
PPNYC thanked Hard Hats, Inc., of New York City for developing this
empowering campaign theme.
IPPF Wants Picketers in Jail
The Irish Family Planning Association (Ireland's affiliate of the International
Planned Parenthood Federation) has asked the High Court's leave to seek the
attachment and committal to prison of some members of Youth Defence, a pro-
life group, for alleged contempt of court. The issue is a claimed breach of an
existing injunction restraining picketing of the IFPA's clinic in Cathal Brugha
Street, Dublin.
The court granted IFPA leave for orders of attachment and committal to be
issued against two people and will decide on others in the future.
Mr. Micheal P. O'Higgins, counsel for six members of Youth Defence, told the
court his clients would be contending that they had not breached or flouted the
court restraint.
IFPA claims its clinic has been picketed in breach of a court order and that anti-
abortion activists hand out leaflets to the clinic's clients and display placards
saying the clinic "exports Irish babies for slaughter." It claims that since the
court restraint was granted earlier this year, the association has been forced to
invest more than £25,000 on additional security measures and that staff time
expended on dealing with the problem was estimated at £10,000.
Gates Donates to IPPF
It was announced in December that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has
given $3 million to the International Planned Parenthood Federation.
According to published reports, the $3 million is a three-year grant to be used by
IPPF to "help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among young people in South
Africa." It will be used to fund centers providing family planning information,
counseling and medical services in nine communities in South Africa.
IPPF head Ingar Brueggemann the following statement about the gift: "Young
people must be able to protect themselves from the HIV epidemic, unwanted
pregnancy and sexual violence. This grant will greatly help us to meet this
challenge and the urgent needs of the future generations of South Africa."
The irony of this gift, of course, is that the sexual philosophies espoused by
IPPF help contribute to the spread of AIDS. In addition, medical reports for the
last dozen years have documented that a woman who uses the birth control pill,
pushed by IPPF, is more likely to contract AIDS from an infected partner and
more likely to transmit it to another sexual partner or to her baby(s) at birth.
This is not the first Gates gift to Planned Parenthood, but it is one of the reasons
that STOPP is extremely active in American Life League's campaign to educate
Bill Gates on the evils of Planned Parenthood and the entire population control
movement.
For STOPP supporters who have internet access, we ask you to visit the web
site Educate Bill Gates.
This site was created by ALL and STOPP to
serve as the primary educational vehicle for those who want to know the truth
about population and the real problems facing the world. As we told all our
readers in mid-1999, the world does not have an over-population problem. It
has, as a matter of fact, a problem of too few children
It is Planned Parenthood and its friends in the population control movement who
have created this problem.
Please educate yourself on the entire population issue, as this is absolutely
critical in the fight to defeat Planned Parenthood.
You may also want to visit MicroGuy
to view an innovative and
humorous technique that is being used to educate Gates and the computer
industry.
Action Against PP in Wisconsin
Planned Parenthood's largest affiliate is Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin.
Since STOPP has made this fact well-known, a number of Wisconsin groups
have focused their attention on PP in the state.
In 1999, the Missionaries to the Preborn (P.O. Box 25204, Milwaukee, WI
53225) ran a major campaign, which they called the Unmasking Planned
Parenthood Tour. Originally scheduled as a summer activity, this tour has
become a continuing effort.
In preparation for this tour, the missionaries prepared five pieces of literature
that specifically addressed Planned Parenthood. The literature had a lot of good
general information and included statistics of Planned Parenthood in Wisconsin.
We are happy to let you know that the missionaries announced in November that
they have now updated the five pieces of literature with national, rather than
Wisconsin, numbers. This literature can now be used by people all over the
United States to fight Planned Parenthood in their communities. To get
information on the available literature, contact the missionaries at the address
given above, call them at 414-462-3399, or e-mail them at mtpmilw@execpc.com
The missionaries' tour utilizes large graphic signs of aborted babies. These
signs clearly identify Planned Parenthood's responsibility for the carnage
depicted.
The tour has had positive effects on the anti-Planned Parenthood battle in
Wisconsin. The missionaries report that, ever since last summer's tour, people
have been going out to PP faithfully every week in the Wisconsin cities of New
London, Johnson Creek and Portage.
Congratulations to Pastor Matt Trewhella and all the members of the
Missionaries to the Preborn. Your faithfulness in fighting the evil empire of
Planned Parent-hood is an inspiration to us all. We truly hope that you will be
contacted by STOPP supporters nationwide for copies of your literature and your
signs. The more this work spreads, the better it will be for the babies in the
womb.
APHA Conference
In early November, Jim and Mike Sedlak manned the American Life League
booth at the American Public Health Association (APHA) conference in Chicago.
Public health executives and workers from all across the country attend this
annual meeting. ALL is the only pro-life organization with exhibits at this
conference. Here is Jim's conference report:
As in the past, the ALL booth was noticed by the many pro-abortion
organizations that attend this conference and operate in the many health
departments across the country.
We had several visits to our booth by Planned Parenthood people and others.
One woman even stopped by and said, "Don't you understand, nobody here
agrees with your position on abortion?"
Isn't that a real comment on the state of our nation? Here we are at the largest
gathering of health care professionals in the country and the overwhelming
majority of attendees have absolutely no concern for the health or life of children
in the womb.
Our booth, this year, was just two aisles away from the Planned Parenthood
booth. PP was pushing emergency contraception (EC) at its booth.
Expecting this activity from PP, we developed a hand-out titled
"Emergency Contraception—By the Numbers." The handout documented that
EC works most of the time by killing babies in the womb.
We distributed several thousand of these brochures at the conference and the
reaction was amazing. We got to discuss the action of the Pill in detail with
about two-dozen health care professionals. As we explained that EC works most
of the time by preventing implantation, the unanimous response was "of course it
works that way."
Although the news media continue to spread the myth that EC is not
abortifacient, anyone who has looked at how it works knows better. Even
Planned Parenthood knows. Here, for example, is how the action of EC is
described on the Planned
Parenthood of Central Washington web site:
EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION:
The Morning After Pill
If you have had intercourse and you did not use birth control, or your birth
control failed (maybe the condom broke), you are at risk of becoming pregnant.
The "morning after pill" is an emergency contraceptive that can lower the risk of
pregnancy. It must be taken within 72 hours to prevent a pregnancy.
A high dose of estrogen hormone is taken after having unprotected intercourse.
This prevents the ovaries from releasing an egg, or changes the lining of the
uterus so that a fertilized egg will not implant (conception will be prevented), and
a pregnancy will not develop. The medication needs to be started as soon as
possible following unprotected intercourse, and must be taken within 72 hours.
Obviously, any device which prevents the implantation of a "fertilized egg," really
causes the death of a newly created child.
But, how often does EC work by causing this death? That was the question we
answered with our hand-out. The piece was created for a medical audience, so it
is filled with numbers and percentages. But, we believe that it is important and
that most of the readers of the Ryan Report will be interested in reading it. So
here is a link to the complete hand-out, Emergency
contraception by the Numbers.
Denver Post Castigates PP
The following opinion piece appeared on the editorial page of the Denver Post
on November 14, 1999.
Straw men at Planned Parenthood
By Al Knight
Denver Post Columnist
It is very common to find straw men arguments in the popular press. Straw men
are, after all, easy to erect and easier still to knock down.
Yet there ought to be some limit on the reliance that an individual organization
can place on this logical fallacy. A good first step would be to somehow require
Planned Parenthood, one of the worst offenders, to advance better justifications
for its programs and positions, justifications which at least contain an element of
logic.
Two different Planned Parenthood officials last week engaged in debates over a
congressionally authorized abstinence training program and, in each case, sent
straw men into battle.
The abstinence program provides $50 million annually to local organizations that
actually supervise the abstinence training. The program was motivated by a
congressional realization that the more typical safe-sex training programs
offered in public schools weren't exactly producing the desired results. The
federal grants, which will run for five years, were intended to see that there is
some competition between abstinence-based programs and those that might
include distribution of condoms and other birth control materials.
Planned Parenthood doesn't much like the federal program and has condemned
it at every opportunity. That's to be expected, but what is not to be expected is
the terribly shallow way in which these condemnations are delivered. Kate
Reinisch, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood, was quoted in last Sunday's
Denver Post as follows:
"How many teenagers are going to believe instruction by Congress that sex
outside of marriage will make you crazy and physically harm you?" she asked.
"Our fear is that many of these programs are based on religion, not public
health. People will be learning fear and shame instead of responsibility. They'll
be taught that a wedding ring will protect more than a condom."
That's not just a straw man. That's a battalion. Congress has not said that sex
"outside of marriage" will make anyone crazy or by itself "physically harm"
someone. Nor does it much matter what Planned Parenthood might fear. No
evidence was offered that the abstinence programs are based on "fear and
shame."
In fact, when Planned Parenthood finds it convenient, it says it favors
"abstinence based" training itself. As for Reinisch's final reference to the relative
protection offered by condoms and wedding rings, it must be assumed that she
thinks condoms are the obvious choice.
Reinisch's comments in no way respond to the central question of whether
abstinence-based instruction might be more effective with a certain age and
population group than, say, the more familiar safe-sex instruction. Instead she
maligns congress, maligns the abstinence instructors, maligns religion and
suggests the intent of all concerned is to keep young people both ignorant and
pregnant. But if Reinisch was bad, the Planned Parenthood spokeswoman who
appeared during a KOA radio debate last Monday, was worse. This lady rested
her opposition entirely on the assertion that "lifelong abstinence" is unrealistic.
This is a really fancy straw man argument. Because most people won't abstain
from sex for a lifetime, it is therefore a waste of time to abstain from sex at all.
Put another way, because a person won't abstain throughout adulthood, it is a
silly to try to abstain while a teenager. How preposterous! Just because
someone may not opt to avoid sex for 80 years doesn't mean it can't be avoided
for a few teenage years.
The truth is these arguments are trotted out because they are the best Planned
Parenthood has. Organization officials simply refuse to grapple with the
wreckage of its own failures. As Lisa Rue, of Friends First, (a abstinence-training
organization) put it during the KOA appearance, "If I had the record that safe-sex
education has compiled over the last 30 years, I would have given up long ago."
Al Knight (aknight@chaffee.net) is a Denver Post columnist and editorial writer.
This article is reprinted here with his permission.
PP Loses in Missouri
On November 16, 1999, a circuit judge ordered a halt to state family planning
funds for Planned Parenthood offices in Kansas City and St. Louis because he
said the groups failed to comply with a new anti-abortion law.
According to an article that appeared in the Kansas City Star, the judge also
ordered the two Planned Parenthood branches to return $105,750 in tax dollars,
plus interest, they had received since July 1. The organizations were to have
received about $800,000 from the state this fiscal year.
Attorneys for Planned Parenthood and the state Department of Health are
expected to appeal the decision by Judge Byron Kinder of Cole County Circuit
Court.
The Star article said that Kinder ruled that Planned Parenthood of Kansas and
Mid-Missouri, which serves the Kansas City area, failed to qualify for Missouri
state family planning funds because it
- directly refers patients to abortion providers
- distributes marketing materials about abortion services to patients
- shares expenses, salaries and a similar name with the abortion provider
with which it is affiliated, Comprehensive Health Services of Planned
Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri.
The judge reportedly leveled similar criticism against Planned Parenthood of the
St. Louis Region.
Longtime STOPP supporters know that Planned Parenthood has been struggling
to keep its state funds in Missouri for the last four years. Every year the state
legislators vote to deny PP funds and PP goes to court to try and get them
anyway. PP enjoys the support of Gov. Mel Carnahan, so pro-lifers have to fight
the governor and the state health department in addition to PP.
This court victory is the latest for pro-life forces against Missouri PP.
Pro-life lawmakers have secured the hiring of Jordan Cherrick, as a special
assistant attorney general to pursue the case against PP. In commenting on the
judge's ruling, Cherrick said, "Planned Parenthood chose not to comply with the
law and so they are not entitled to state funds."
The Star reported that Peter Brownlie, president of Planned Parenthood of
Kansas and Mid-Missouri, said he was outraged and disappointed by Kinder's
ruling. Brownlie said officials plan to ask thousands of Planned Parenthood
supporters to make special donations to offset the loss of state dollars.
Paula M. Gianino, president of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region,
said Kinder's ruling is an "outlandish breach of trust and contract" between
Planned Parenthood and the state health department.
Gianino also denounced Kinder's order that Planned Parenthood pay legal fees
for the state and Cherrick. "This is unfair, it is an insult and it is preposterous,"
she said.
The Missouri law, on which the judge's ruling was based, bans groups that get
state family planning funds and their abortion affiliates from sharing the same or
even similar names, medical facilities, equipment, expenses, business offices or
waiting rooms.
Bells for Babies
Over the last few years, a custom has been spreading across the United
States—to ring bells on January 22 in commemoration of the children who have
died as the result of surgical abortion.
At noon on January 22, those who wish to remember the unborn are encouraged
to participate in the ringing of the bells to commemorate the 40 million babies
murdered since 1973 by surgical abortion.
Your church/town can join this year.
Fifteen Years . . . and Counting
It was fifteen years ago this month, on January 29, 1985, that the idea of STOPP
was first conceived. STOPP was formed in Dutchess County, New York, as a
direct result of a local Planned Parenthood affiliate announcing plans to do
"surgical procedures."
Fifteen years is a long time and there have been very many people who have
helped us along the way. To name all the people would consume more space
than we have in this whole newsletter. But, there are two people without whom
there probably would be no STOPP today.
The first is my wife, Michaeleen. No one can really know the tremendous
unselfish sacrifices Mike has made so that STOPP could exist and continue to
flourish. It was Mike who gave me the encouragement in the early days. I'll never
forget the night STOPP had its first public battle at a county budget hearing with
Planned Parenthood. Returning to the house after hours of turmoil, I was
greeted by Mike who gathered our three children (ages 17, 16 and 14) and
presented me with a cake that had the inscription, "God Smiled Tonight."
In 1992, when our church gave out a Papal Blessing to all couples who were
celebrating their 25th anniversary that year, Mike was there alone—I was on a
STOPP speaking trip. And, in 1998, Mike moved away from her family and our
children and grandchildren so I could continue STOPP's fight by becoming a
division of ALL.
The other person is Tom Scibetta. Tom is a person who has been there for
STOPP from the beginning. He brought STOPP to Syracuse, New York for many
of our early battles against Planned Parenthood's sex education programs. Tom
encouraged me to write Parent Power and has been steadfast in his support of
our efforts. Operating behind the scenes, he is always just a phone call away.
In mentioning these two individuals, I do not want to minimize the contributions
of hundreds of others. We all know, of course, that it is God who truly directs
the efforts against Planned Parenthood. We are grateful that He has taken the
meager efforts of STOPP and caused them to bear fruit. But Mike and Tom have
been God's instruments in the 15 years of our existence.
As we go forward into the twenty-first century and into our 16th year in the
struggle, we are convinced that this will be God's century. We believe He will
see the end to Planned Parenthood and the end to abortion.
We thank everyone who supports our efforts. Whether through street activities,
legislative action, prayers or financial support, you are all essential to our work.
As the year progresses, please let us know when you agree with what we are
doing, or feel free to write with any suggestions for improvement. We are all
struggling to do God's will. It is only through the cooperative efforts of our entire
faith community that we will be able to understand that will and be faithful to it.
May you all have a happy and holy new year.
This Month's Action Items
- Let your elected officials know that Planned Parenthood is really a "for profit"
group hiding behind a not-for-profit facade.
- Become involved in the effort to tell the truth about the population problem. Visit
the Educate Bill Gates web site and understand the data, which overwhelmingly
supports the pro-life position. Challenge teachers in your children's schools to
tell the truth and challenge your children and grandchildren to accept the family
as God's gift—whatever its size.
- At every opportunity, tell the truth about "emergency contraception." Anytime you
hear someone say it does not cause abortion, speak out boldly and proclaim the
truth.
- Ask your elected officials to halt all funding of PP. If every state would take the
action that pro-life elected officials in Missouri took, PP would be in big trouble.
Begin a weekly picket of your local PP facility. Contact Missionaries to the
Preborn for their new literature on PP.
- Invite Jim Sedlak to speak in your town in 2000. Call 540-659-4171, and ask for
Rozann.
- Send a tax-deductible donation today to help us keep fighting Planned
Parenthood.
- Pray that God will lead us in our work, and that we will always have the courage
to do His will.
