Behold the Lord Jesus Christ, who tries so hard to get our attention.
In this issue:
- PP Fights Bill to Curb Child Sexual Abuse in California
- PP Opens Drive-through Birth Control Clinic in Oregon
- PP Responds to Cardinal's Support For Vigil by Demanding Illinois FACE Bill
- STOPP Counters PPFA Annual Conference in Oregon
- PPFA Conference, Day 2: STOPP Pickets PP Event
- PPFA Conference, Day 3: PP Honors Jane Fonda
- Dr. George Grant's Books on PP Posted Free Online
- New Study Shows Abstinence, Not Contraception, Lowered Teen Pregnancy and Birth Rates
- With AIDS Package, Bush Stabs Pro-lifers Twice
- New PP Abortion Clinic Bulldozed After Pro-lifers Win Fight to Prevent Opening
- Pro-Life Wisconsin Hands PP a Big Funding Defeat
PP Fights Bill to Curb Child Sexual Abuse in California
In April, six individual Planned Parenthood affiliates in California, as well as the statewide organization called Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, Inc., sent written statements to the California Assembly Public Safety Committee opposing AB 930, the Sexual Abuse of Children Reporting Act of 2003, sponsored by Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy (R-Monrovia). This bill has been motivated and strongly supported by Monrovians Against Planned Parenthood (MAPP). (See the second last story below to see how MAPP defeated a PP abortion clinic as well.)
"When a child is pregnant or suffering from a sexually-transmitted disease, that's one of the clearest warning signs of sexual abuse," Assemblyman Mountjoy stated. "It is a warning sign that must not be ignored, but heeded immediately. Sexual predators abuse children again and again. A quick response to these warning signs can save a child from repeated acts of abuse.
"Under the provisions of AB 930, health care providers must simply report to law enforcement any knowledge or reasonable suspicion that a minor is pregnant or has a sexually-transmitted disease," Mountjoy said. "Law enforcement would take it from there, investigate the report and, if they find evidence of child abuse, take measures to protect the child and prosecute the abuser so he or she cannot continue the abuse or go on to abuse other children. We expect health care providers to report physical signs of child abuse: broken bones, burns, bruises. It makes sense to have them also report specific signs of sexual abuse."
But Planned Parenthood thinks otherwise and claimed, "mandatory reporting of all minors exhibiting these conditions would cripple our public health, teen pregnancy prevention and child protection services." PP also wrote, "…we realize that adolescent involvement in sexual activity is a fact of life, and the primary goal is to ensure that teens who participate in consensual sex with other teens have access to confidential counseling and treatment options." No doubt, PP thinks that AB 930 would cripple their business. To PP the protection of the money it makes from sexually active teens is more important than protecting children from child abuse.
The California Catholic Conference, in its letter to the Assembly Public Safety Committee in support of AB 930 said, in part:
During the last year it came to light that medical personnel, their ancillaries and/or their assistants, under the guise of the privacy of the minor female, failed to report cases of statutory rape and incest. Although privacy is a laudable goal, it should not be used to preclude the removal of a child from the influence of a sexual predator or stop that predator from abusing again.
The text of AB 930 is available at: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=ab_930&sess=CUR&house=B&author=mountjoy .
PP Opens Drive-through Birth Control Clinic in Oregon
In its never-ending quest to foist its evils upon more and more people, Planned Parenthood has concocted a new way to make it easier for people to obtain birth control - a drive-through clinic. The drive thru option is being included in a new $1.1 million clinic being built in Salem, Ore., by Planned Parenthood of the Columbia/Willamette. Included in services will undoubtedly be emergency contraception and other birth control drugs that sometimes kill human beings by preventing implantation. Thus, Planned Parenthood will be offering customers a way to kill off one's offspring without ever leaving one's car. See http://news.statesmanjournal.com/article.cfm?i=60599.
PP Responds to Cardinal's Support For Vigil by
Demanding Illinois FACE Bill
According to Catholic Citizens of Illinois (CCI), Planned Parenthood in Chicago responded to Francis Cardinal George's support for a prayer vigil by demanding that the state pass the Illinois Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (HB 2486) which prohibits conduct that is threatening, obstructionist, or violent towards persons seeking reproductive health services.
After Mass on April 12, 2003, at Holy Name Cathedral, Cardinal George gave his blessing to a peaceful processional crowd, estimated at more than 1,000 Catholics, which proceeded to a downtown Chicago Planned Parenthood clinic.
CCI reports that, "Planned Parenthood's reason for banning sidewalk vigils is that they are effective. During the April 12 prayer vigil, sidewalk counselors talked to women before they entered Planned Parenthood. These counselors gave women information that empowered them to make an informed choice. At least two women chose not to have their scheduled abortions."
See the entire CCI report at: http://catholiccitizens.org/press/pressview.asp?c=5305.
STOPP Counters PPFA Annual Conference in Oregon
When STOPP's executive director, Jim Sedlak, found out that Planned Parenthood was having its annual conference at the Hilton hotel in Portland, Ore., on March 27- 29, 2003, he decided to show up and bring a few friends to offer an opposing viewpoint.
In fact, Jim booked several hotel rooms. He also booked a meeting room at the Hilton for a March 27 press conference entitled, "Planned Parenthood Hurts Women," to coincide with the meeting of some 700 Planned Parenthood delegates from 129 Planned Parenthood affiliates from across the nation.
Two days before the PPFA conference, just after American Life League sent out a press release to local media about STOPP's upcoming press conference, the Hilton informed STOPP that Planned Parenthood had a rider in its contract that gave Planned Parenthood the final right of refusal of any other organization that appears in the hotel when PPFA is there.
The Hilton refused to let STOPP have its rooms, but with one cost-saving consolation. The Hilton, at its expense, moved STOPP's event to the nearby DoubleTree hotel.
After some quick work by American Life League's media department to inform attendees of the last-minute location change, the STOPP press conference turned out to be a great success. Attendees included cameramen and reporters from each of the two biggest local TV stations, reporters from three local radio stations, and reporters from the Oregonian in the Willamette Weekly.
Joining Jim in exposing Planned Parenthood's evils at the press conference were Erik Whittington and Sara McKalips from American Life League, Jennifer Perry of the post-abortion Heart Ministries, and David Bereit of the Coalition for Life based in Bryan, Texas.
See the coverage in the Willamette Weekly at: www.wweek.com/flatfiles/News3777.lasso.
PPFA Conference, Day 2: STOPP Pickets PP Event
In the early evening of March 28, STOPP's Jim Sedlak and David Bereit picketed a PP social event at the Central Library in Portland. This turned out to be an excellent opportunity because there was only one entrance to the library, it was VERY close to the public sidewalk, and the library didn't open its doors until 7:45 p.m. - even though PP people started arriving at 7 p.m.
For a picture of David and the PP crowd see www.all.org/stopp/images/protest2.jpg.
Thus, Jim and David had 45-minutes with PP as a captive audience. The two told the PP attendees about the 3 million babies PP killed since 1977; the fact that these PP abortions have brought in $900 million in income; the fact that 33% of their clinic business is abortion; the fact that more innocent Americans died last year at PP facilities than will die in the entire war in Iraq, etc.
The responses ranged from indifference, to denial, to "so what?" to "what are you doing here?" At four or five different times, PP men engaged the picketers for several minutes, trying to find something wrong with STOPP's signs that showed the statistics of PP's abortion business. The PP men could not dispute anything and just left.
For a picture of Jim educating the PP crowd see www.all.org/stopp/images/protest1.jpg.
The PP people seemed disturbed when Jim called out, "Hey David, get a picture of all the baby killers!" The two anti-PP crusaders heard many words not normally uttered in polite society and one 70-something grandmotherly-looking woman hauled off and hit David with her pocketbook. For the final 20 minutes, STOPP's dynamic duo was literally surrounded by about 250 PP employees!
PPFA Conference, Day 3: PP Honors Jane Fonda
On Saturday morning, March 29, about 10 young people went to the Hilton Hotel between 9:30 and 10:00 a.m. and asked where the American Life League conference was. Some were wearing "Abortion is Homicide" t-shirts. They all got to stay in the hotel for 10-15 minutes before being escorted out by security guards.
Later, STOPP held a training conference on Planned Parenthood at the DoubleTree hotel. About a dozen people attended the conference, including five who had driven all the way from Idaho. Jim and David talked and answered questions. American Life League treated the attendees to lunch. Everyone who attended the session - even the folks from Idaho - said that it was worthwhile and they were glad they came.
That evening, in an unprecedented display of contempt for pre-born children and our armed forces, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) "honored" Jane Fonda. The well-known pro-abortion activist who was roundly scorned for visiting Hanoi during the height of the Vietnam War received Planned Parenthood's highest award, the PPFA Margaret Sanger Award. "Every American, especially our veterans and active-duty military, should be outraged that Planned Parenthood would pay homage to Jane Fonda," said STOPP's Jim Sedlak.
Additionally, less than a week before the PPFA conference began, PPFA President Gloria Feldt released a statement entitled, "Reproductive Health Care and Rights Key to Relief and Rebuilding Efforts." Feldt advocated that Iraqi refugees be provided U.S. supported reproductive health care programs. Such programs often include contraception and abortion, both of which are in direct opposition to the Muslim religion. "Planned Parenthood's lack of integrity truly knows no bounds! The Iraqi people are embracing the prospect of real freedom from oppression, yet Planned Parenthood wants to wage its own war on Iraq's pre-born children through its dictatorial regime of abortion and contraception," said Sedlak.
At a time when the people of the United States were coming together to support our troops, Planned Parenthood continued the tradition of their founder, Margaret Sanger, by sowing the seeds of discord. Planned Parenthood's actions are truly shameful. It is an utter disgrace that the U.S. government provided $240.9 million towards the fiscal 2001-2002 PPFA annual budget.
See also "Hanoi Jane, Planned Parenthood and the War in Iraq," by David Brandao, American Life League Senior Policy Supervisor.
Dr. George Grant's Books on PP Posted Free Online
Dr. George Grant's classic book, Grand Illusions The Legacy of Planned Parenthood, has inspired many a pro-lifer to get active against this killing organization. This book, as well as Killer Angel: A Biography of Planned Parenthood's Founder Margaret Sanger, has been posted online, with Dr. Grant's permission, for free viewing in its entirety. See the links below.
Grand Illusions, Adroit Press, 1992
Killer Angel, Ars Vitae Press, 1995
Here's what STOPP's founder, Jim Sedlak, said about Grand Illusions in the commentary included in the book.
In this updated edition, George Grant shows how Planned Parenthood continues to spread its pro-death philosophy across the nation. He shows us why it is more important than ever that we launch a concerted effort to dethrone Planned Parenthood and have it viewed as the controversial, anti-family and anti-God organization it is. Every parent who cares about their children and the future of their nation should read this book.
By the way, newer editions of both books in print are available for order at: KingsMeadow.com.
New Study Shows Abstinence, Not Contraception, Lowered Teen Pregnancy and Birth Rates
Growing numbers of teens saying no to sex is the major cause of plummeting pregnancy and birth rates among single teenage girls, according to a new scientific study released in April 2003.
The study, published in the journal Adolescent and Family Health, is likely to generate controversy because it overturns Planned Parenthood's claims. Planned Parenthood has been declaring that 80 percent of the decline in the pregnancy rate is due to contraceptive use and 20 percent to abstinence. (See www.plannedparenthood.org/library/TEEN-PREGNANCY/teenpreg_fact.html). However, the Guttmacher research contained serious flaws, corrected by the study in Adolescent and Family Health.
The authors of the new landmark study compared the drop in the birth and pregnancy rates between 1991 and 1995, the latest year for which detailed government data are available. In 1991, the teen birthrate was 62 births per 1,000 girls. By 1995 the rate dropped to 50 births per 1,000 girls. The pregnancy rate per 1,000 girls dropped from 116 to 93 during the same period.
The research paper, titled "An analysis of the causes of the decline in nonmarital birth and pregnancy rates for teens from 1991 to 1994," analyzed birthrate statistics to determine which of four factors played a greater role in the decline - higher rates of abstinence, fewer births among married teens, a drop in the proportion of teens who were married and births to single girls.
"Our research was much more sophisticated than all previous research on the subject," said Joanna Mohn, a physician from New Jersey and the primary researcher of the study. "We took into account important statistics on girls who are married as well as those who had not been sexually involved for more than a year."
The study determined that abstinence is the primary reason for the decline in births and pregnancies among teens. Among unmarried girls, abstinence accounted for the entire decline in births and a 67 percent drop in pregnancies.
"The decline in the number of teens who were married accounted for 24 percent of the decline in teen pregnancies," Mohn explained. "This decline had previously been attributed to contraception, producing a significant source of error in earlier research."
This research is being released as Congress prepares to debate federal funding of sex education. Substantial lobbying has been directed toward Congress by groups that want a condom component added to the federal sex education program. This research may deter the efforts of the condom advocates.
This study needs to be read by elected representatives on the federal and state level who have been in favor of throwing our hard-earned tax dollars away on contraceptive-promoting, sex-ed programs being taught to our children by groups such as Planned Parenthood. STOPP urges supporters to confront such representatives with the results of this study and demand that such sex-ed programs be immediately defunded! For a listing for such federal programs see http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/Abstinence4.PDF.
The study should also be shared with school officials in an effort to have them remove sex education from the schools or in an effort to keep such education from being initiated. See also Parent Power.
To download a copy of this study from the journal Adolescent and Family Health go to:
www.physconsortium.com/pdfs/afh_journal_paper.pdf. The Physicians Consortium has in depth analysis of this study, and a copy of its April 2003 letter to Congress regarding the study at: www.physconsortium.com/pages/issues/afh_journal.shtml.
With AIDS Package, Bush Stabs Pro-lifers Twice
It is appalling that President Bush promoted a $15 billion overseas AIDS initiative that endorses the deluded theory that condom promotion is needed to stop the spread of AIDS. But condom promotion is nothing new for the Bush family. When George H.W. Bush was a Texas congressman in the late 60's, he was an avid sponsor of government-funded contraception and population control programs (see page 5 of the May 2002 Ryan Report).
Continence outside marriage and fidelity in marriage is the only true solution for the prevention of this contagious disease. While the legislation (HR 1298) does provide some funding for abstinence-until-marriage programs, it also promotes condom use. Condom use, in itself contrary to morality, ends up increasing promiscuity and free sexual activity through a false idea of safety. This leads to even more cases of AIDS.
A July 20, 2001, report from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Scientific Evidence on Condom Effectiveness for Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Prevention, concluded consistent condom use decreased the risk of HIV/AIDS transmission by about 85 percent (p.14). A failure rate of 15% is not very good for a uniformly fatal disease.
In addition to promoting condoms, Bush would allow the AIDS money to fund international groups that use non-U.S. funds to perform or promote abortion. With this AIDS package, Bush is stabbing pro-life Americans in the back, twice.
See New York Times (4/29), "Bush to Back Bill on AIDS…," and Reuters (4/29), "Bush asks for action on HIV/AIDS."
New PP Abortion Clinic Bulldozed After Pro-lifers Win Fight to Prevent Opening
STOPP recently received a dramatic photo (link below) from John O'Neill, president of Monrovians Against Planned Parenthood (MAPP). It showed members of MAPP standing in front of the bulldozed remains of a new Planned Parenthood abortion clinic that the city of Monrovia, Calif., bought specifically to tear down!
How did this remarkable event happen?
In 2001, pro-lifers from Monrovia swung into action when they found out Pasadena Planned Parenthood planned to open a new abortion clinic in their city. MAPP began their fight in prayer, and they got the local clergy involved. John O'Neill contacted STOPP's national director, Ed Szymkowiak, for advice. MAPP found out that that an existing PP clinic had been getting rent-free space at the county health department for 35 years. The pro-lifers wrote a letter of protest and only one week later the chief of the county's public health operations wrote to PP telling it to vacate the Monrovia Health Center.
MAPP flooded the city with letters opposing the new PP abortion clinic as well. They held several rallies, picketed, and spoke out at city council meetings. The crowds at these meetings became so large that they overflowed outside of the city hall. Then MAPP led a court battle against the city. Their lawsuit claimed the city interpreted zoning codes so that Planned Parenthood's plans would not be subjected to public notice requirements. As a result of MAPP's persistent pressure on the city, Monrovia ended up buying the brand new abortion facility from PP in 2002 for over $800,000 and tore it down in April 2003 under the guise of redevelopment of the neighborhood. The PP abortion facility never opened, and no babies were killed there as a result!
"These were some of the movers and shakers. In the background you can see the rubble," said John. "The clinic was bulldozed on Holy Monday. These people worked very hard, despite personal challenges of their own. They have tremendous faith in God." View the picture at www.all.org/stopp/images/monpp.jpg. Left to right, the photo shows Laura Wiles, Rochelle Lillig (hidden in back- MAPP board member), Sister Maria Albrecht (Maryknoll sister), Margarita Carrillo, Rosemary Harrahill (co-founder of MAPP), Therese Burch, Clare Chesley, Doug Ferris (MAPP board member), and Christine O'Neill (MAPP board member). John points to "Our Lady of Monrovia" and the Rosary as the source of the victory. View the Rosary on the rubble at: www.all.org/stopp/images/monros.jpg.
STOPP congratulates John and all the members and supporters of MAPP for their efforts. Because they decided to do something, a new PP killing center was destroyed in their city, and no babies ever died there! To read more about this dramatic victory in detail, as it unfolded, see the following stories from previous Ryan Reports.
MAPP's website is at: www.mappconnect.org.
Pro-Life Wisconsin Hands PP a Big Funding Defeat
The following exciting news is from Pro-Life Wisconsin, a close associate of American Life League and STOPP. Congratulations, PLW!
As Wisconsin Gov. James Doyle, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, and a plethora of pro-abortion legislators wail over a recent common-sense suspension of the rule that implements the destructive Family Planning Demonstration Project, Pro-Life Wisconsin appreciates the culmination of six years of life-affirming vigilance. The project extended Medicaid family planning services to single, childless women aged 15 to 44 with family income up to 185% of the federal poverty level.
Since 1997 Pro-Life Wisconsin has worked with Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) to prevent this expansion of a program that includes sometimes-abortifacient contraception. Then-governor Tommy Thompson, in consort with a pro-abortion legislature, sought federal approval of the program. In 2002, once appointed Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Thompson literally approved his own 1997 request.
Having worked since 1997 with Rep. Grothman in opposition to this project that further lines the pockets of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, Pro-Life Wisconsin is grateful for the April 30 Joint Administrative Rules Committee suspension (6-4 ruling). On April 25, in Stevens Point and again on April 28, in Waukesha, Pro-Life Wisconsinites gave compelling testimony in opposition to the five-year Medicaid Assistance Family Planning Demonstration Project at public listening sessions. On Wednesday, April 30, Pro-Life Wisconsin Legislative Affairs Director Matt Sande skillfully made a clear case that contraceptive drugs and devices pose serious health risks to women and have helped fuel an epidemic of STDs and teen pregnancy.
Pro-Life Wisconsin applauds committee co-chairmen Rep. Glenn Grothman and Sen. Joe Leibham (R-Sheboygan) for suspending the project. Testifying before the committee that the rule not only works to undermine parental authority in the area of child contraception, but also that family planning is not a proven method of reducing underage pregnancies or abortion, PLW presented compelling data indicating that broad contraceptive availability may actually work to increase underage pregnancy and abortion by encouraging sexual promiscuity.
"Federal and state law prohibit parental notification of an underage child who applies for services under the Family Planning Demonstration Project," said Matt Sande, Director of Legislation for Pro-Life Wisconsin. "Contraceptive drugs and devices pose serious health risks for women, including blood clots, cancer, strokes and heart attacks. What parent would not want to know that their minor child is ingesting such potentially life threatening drugs, not to mention why they are doing so?"
PLW cited a study by Dr. David Paton of Nottingham University Business School, "The Economics of Family Planning and Underage Conceptions." Paton investigated the impact of family planning on teenage conceptions and abortions by testing data from 16 UK regions over a 14-year period. Published in the March 2002 Journal of Health Economics, the study's conclusions debunk Planned Parenthood's theory that the provision of contraceptives to teens will reduce underage pregnancies.
According to Paton, "Although family planning may make sexually active teenagers less likely to get pregnant, it seems that it also encourages others to start having sex. Some of these will get pregnant through contraceptive failure and, if anything, the overall effect of expanding family planning services for under-sixteens has been to increase pregnancies and abortions." (See www.nottingham.ac.uk/business/news/38.htm)
"By providing contraceptives to children, family planning clinics have helped fuel teen sexual activity, which leads to pregnancy and abortion," said Sande. "We therefore strongly dispute the estimated cost savings that the Department attributes to the project."
"So much of what we do at Pro-Life Wisconsin necessarily involves combating the anti-family mentality that permeates our society," stated Peggy Hamill, state director of PLW. "We're vilified by politicians, and others, for speaking out against early abortion-causing birth control drugs and devices. To make federally funded abortifacient birth control available to unmarried girls as young as fifteen, without parental knowledge, is deplorable." Continued Hamill, "We know that further battles await us in defeat of this project. We are up to it."
