Behold the Lord, Jesus Christ, who tries so hard to get our attention
In this issue:
- Planned Parenthood wants teen fornication accepted as normal
- STOPP's response to Planned Parenthood's initiative
- Planned Parenthood pushing condom holders for girls
- Planned Parenthood organizational and facility changes
- Links to recent news items on Planned Parenthood
- STOPP speaking engagements
- ALL's STOPP, Crusade and RFL groups at PPFA national conference
- Planned Parenthood closing its Plymouth, Indiana clinic
Planned Parenthood wants teen fornication accepted as normal
Planned Parenthood's battle for the lives and souls of our teenagers has begun in earnest.
A couple of years ago, PP documented its strategy in a 71-page document known as the Oregon Team Report. The report examined what Planned Parenthood considers successes in France, Germany and the Netherlands and identified what made these programs so successful. In identifying the keys to its success, PP writes:
Success doesn't really rest on programs and services alone. It is the societal thinking - the norms - that make the Dutch, German and French successes possible. It is the openness and the acceptance that young people will have intimate sexual relationships without being married and that these relationships are natural and contribute to maturing into a sexually healthy adult. It is the refusal to brand the expression of sexuality as deviant behavior or to cast it solely in a negative light. It is the determination to present sexual expression as a balance - a normal part of growing up and a responsibility to protect oneself and others.
Now, Planned Parenthood in Iowa has begun the public pushing of this agenda. In a letter to the editor printed in the Quad-Cities Times, Judith Vrana of Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa wrote about the month of May being Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month. She outlined several initiatives to reduce teenage pregnancy, and then included the following paragraph in her letter:
However, none of these initiatives can succeed without a general reassessment of the attitudes regarding adolescent sexuality in the United States. Presently, an unrealistic emphasis is placed on preventing adolescent sexual behavior, which overlooks the fact that sexual expression is an essential component of healthy human development.
WOW! Planned Parenthood is telling us that it doesn't believe young people should refrain from pre-marital sexual activity and that society should just recognize teen sex is inevitable!
As we looked at this policy of Planned Parenthood and prayed for an understanding, it became clear that Planned Parenthood is actually telling our children, and our society, that a life of sexual sin is normal. Incredible!
STOPP's response to Planned Parenthood's initiative
In direct response to this effort by Planned Parenthood to lead our children into lives of sin and put their immortal souls in danger, STOPP has developed a campaign to inform the general public of PP's intention.
Our campaign is called "Planned Parenthood Steals Souls."
As part of the campaign, we will be giving talks across the country, doing radio and TV interviews and making Planned Parenthood's thrust public knowledge. In addition, we developed a brochure (available in English and Spanish) and a protest sign (also in English and Spanish) that will allow you to educate your own communities.
We encourage you to obtain copies of the following resources (you can click on the links below or call the ALL resource department: toll-free at 866-LET-LIVE) and help spread the word about Planned Parenthood's latest attack on our teens:
Planned Parenthood pushing condom holders for girls
In its never-ending effort to sexualize all teens, Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties in California is pushing a line of condom carriers for girls. The "Pocket of Mojo" condom holder manufacturer has the following statement on its web site: "For sex in the city, island hopping or quick layovers make sure you take your Mojo with you! Pack your purse with Mojo, the Original Patented Condom Holder. From classically romantic to fabulously frisky designs take Mojo with you, remember, 'If you love it cover it!' All condom holders include a lucky Mojo fortune. Condoms not included."
Of course, Planned Parenthood will be happy to sell the girls the condoms and then make millions from the sexually transmitted diseases and abortions the girls will get because the condoms don't work. This organization needs to be STOPPed!
Planned Parenthood organizational and facility changes
- New Britain, Connecticut: PP opened a new clinic inside the hospital
- Medford, Oregon: Planned Parenthood moved its office to a new facility at 125 S. Central Ave
- Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania: Now hours of operation will be increased and it is expected to be open six days a week, with expanded weekend, afternoon and evening hours. Also, the search has begun for a new building in the Stroudsburg area. Hiring a more diverse, bilingual staff is another goal to better "serve" the area's growing Latino population.
- Plymouth, Indiana: Planned Parenthood is closing this clinic (see story below) and leaving town
Links to recent news items on Planned Parenthood
We present here each month links to recent stories about Planned Parenthood. (Note that many newspapers move web pages. The links below were working at time this report was initially sent.)
STOPP speaking engagements
STOPP's directors Jim Sedlak and David Bereit regularly give talks around the country on Planned Parenthood. Our current schedule is always posted on our web site. To schedule a talk in your area, please call our offices at 540-659-4171 or e-mail us at STOPP@ALL.org.
ALL's STOPP, Crusade and RFL groups at PPFA national conference
Each year, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America holds a national conference. Attendance at the conference is restricted to those who are employed by Planned Parenthood, those who sit on their boards or invited guests. For some reason, STOPP never gets invited to the event (J). But - we go anyway. No, we can't get into the actual sessions, but we have been at the hotel for the last several years and we do mingle with the PP folks in the restaurants, lobby and elsewhere.
This year, both Jim Sedlak and David Bereit attended the first two days of the conference, then the ALL Crusade and Rock For Life teams took over with a presence inside and outside the hotel.
Below is an account of Jim and David's experience at the conference, followed by a link to a video presentation showing the activities of the Crusade and Rock For Life groups.
Report from Planned Parenthood Annual Conference
Commentary by Jim Sedlak and David Bereit
April 20, 2005
With unprecedented secrecy, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America's Annual Conference was held this week in Washington, D.C. Although this annual event is normally preceded with news releases announcing the winners of the Margaret Sanger Award, and other awards, presented at a dinner banquet, this year there has only been silence from Planned Parenthood.
In speculating on the reason for this silence, we at American Life League's STOPP International believe it is because Planned Parenthood is an organization in major trouble. We expected that this year's event would be a somber soul-searching strategy session and not a celebration of past accomplishments looking forward to a future full of promise.
Planned Parenthood entered this conference without a leader. Three months ago, its president, Gloria Feldt, resigned. STOPP has determined that, despite public pronouncements, Feldt was asked to leave. The reasons include the fact that her in-your-face promotion of abortion was raising objections throughout the organization, and her effort to tie Planned Parenthood to the presidential campaign of John Kerry backfired when Kerry lost the election.
In addition to these problems at the top, Planned Parenthood is experiencing trouble at the grassroots level all across the country. To put it bluntly, Planned Parenthood has been forced to close dozens of its facilities because they can no longer attract customers. To make clear just how devastating this has been, let's look at how the number of Planned Parenthood clinics has evolved over the years.
When STOPP first began, in 1985, Planned Parenthood operated 763 facilities around the country. This number increased annually and, when Bill Clinton was elected president of the United States in 1992, Planned Parenthood had grown to 922 facilities.
With its people in the White House, Planned Parenthood publicly revealed that it had a plan to expand to 2,000 facilities by the year 2000. It was a very aggressive campaign, but one it was confident they could achieve. Planned Parenthood actually got to 938 facilities in 1995, but then their expansion efforts stalled. Almost everywhere it tried to open new clinics, it met opposition. In addition, pro-life groups, many inspired by STOPP, began focusing on Planned Parenthood's existing clinics. The result was that Planned Parenthood began to close down more clinics than it opened.
At the close of their annual reporting period on June 30, 2004, Planned Parenthood could only state that it had "nearly 850 facilities." Since that time, their clinic numbers have continued to decline and, at the opening of this year's annual conference, Planned Parenthood operates only 836 facilities - 102 less than it operated 10 years ago. Given the fact that Planned Parenthood has opened some new clinics, it has closed down an average of one facility every month for the last 10 years! Not the sign of a healthy organization.
In addition to the facilities being closed, Planned Parenthood has been under attack by taxpayers who want to stop their money from going to the organization. Some states, such as North Dakota and Mississippi, have never given money to Planned Parenthood. Others, such as Missouri, Colorado and Ohio, have stopped funding Planned Parenthood. In what must have been a devastating blow just a month before this conference began, a judge upheld the constitutionality of a vote by the Texas legislature to deny funds to Planned Parenthood in that state. In Texas alone, Planned Parenthood estimates that this could cost the organization $13 million in taxpayer money.
It is against this backdrop of activity that the Planned Parenthood national conference opened in D.C. The mood inside the Washington Hilton seems somber. As we watch the Planned Parenthood people arrive, we do not see any of the outward exuberance we witnessed in previous years. While we may be reading too much into body language, it appears that this year's conference is serious business.
On the first day of the conference, the silence was finally broken as Planned Parenthood issued press releases about its celebration awards banquet and its prayer breakfast. Interestingly, this year's award banquet was moved from its usual place on Saturday night, the last day of the conference, to Thursday night, the first day of the conference. STOPP believes this was done because Planned Parenthood recognized the low morale of the attendees and decided to do something right from the start to boost morale.
It may not have worked, however, as Planned Parenthood announced that is highest award, the Margaret Sanger Award, was being given to Gloria Feldt. This did not seem to be popular among many of the Planned Parenthood people in attendance. In one conversation we overheard in the hotel restaurant, one Planned Parenthood person said, "I can't believe the hypocrisy in giving her the award. It is incredible that she would come back to receive it. I am certainly not going to applaud when they make the announcement." As the Planned Parenthood gala event was beginning, we observed a large number of Planned Parenthood people piling into cabs to go elsewhere for the evening.
Let's be clear, Planned Parenthood has not given up. It's scrambling for plans to revive the organization.
For one thing, one of their greatest priorities will be an effort to win over the soul of America. Now, lest you think this is simply using rhetoric, let's look at some facts.
We told you in our Special Report about the new book, written by the head of the clergy board for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, entitled Sacred Work: Planned Parenthood and Its Clergy Alliances, and how Planned Parenthood is already beginning to implement its recommendations.
In another area, Planned Parenthood publications have stated that the organization is ramping up efforts to aggressively push its sex-education programs into schools all across the country with new zeal and expanded funding. Let's keep in mind years ago author George Grant documented that, according to Planned Parenthood's own survey conducted by Louis Harris pollsters, teens who have taken their so-called "comprehensive" sex-education programs have a 50 percent higher rate of sexual activity than those who did not go through the programs. Increased promiscuity leads to increased birth control and abortion business for Planned Parenthood. These programs push kids away from their own parents, break down sexual inhibitions, and use shock value and cartoon pornography to "educate."
Finally, we can expect Planned Parenthood to renew its efforts to open more facilities and to keep the ones it currently operates profitable. It will also surely try to stop the exodus of taxpayer dollars from its coffers.
We expect Planned Parenthood to emerge from this annual conference more determined than ever to fight for survival in the churches and schools of this country. The bad news for Planned Parenthood is that these are just the areas where committed and concerned parents and clergy can be most effective. As Planned Parenthood people strategize on how to turn around its fortunes, we call on all concerned individuals to dedicate themselves to increasing resistance against this truly evil organization. With dedication and perseverance, Planned Parenthood can be defeated. Wouldn't it be great if this year's Planned Parenthood annual conference was one of the last?
Pro-life evangelism at Planned Parenthood DC conference recap video (Time 1:58)
The efforts by the Crusade and Rock for Life members at the PPFA conference can be seen in a short video clip. In addition to letting you know what was done at the PPFA conference, we hope the video will give you ideas on what you can do at Planned Parenthood events in your community. For more information on the Crusade or Rock for Life, just go to their respective websites.
Planned Parenthood closing its Plymouth, Indiana clinic
To the delight of local pro-lifers, Planned Parenthood has announced the closing of its clinic in Plymouth, Indiana. The clinic has been open in Plymouth for 25 years, but recent cost cutting and a lack of customers has forced the closing.
This closing should give encouragement to those fighting Planned Parenthood all across the country. Just because PP has been in your town for 25 years or more does not mean it will always be there. If you will aggressively educate the local community on the truth about Planned Parenthood, people will stop patronizing the organization and it will have no choice but to close its clinic doors.
To learn more about how to successfully fight Planned Parenthood in your town, just visit the STOPP web site.
