Let's Shut Something Down...
But that's where the Dems and I diverge. Harry Reid (D-Nevada), Senate Majority leader, Representative Louise Slaughter (D-New York), and others, have made much about the defunding of Planned Parenthood. They have tried to claim that defunding this organization is an attack on women; Slaughter even went so far as to say that the Republican party wants to kill women with this bill!
There are a few problems with this situation.
First, why is Planned Parenthood receiving federal money anyway? They are a member of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and, as such, are an NGO. According to NGO Watch, the governmental funding of NGO's is problematic because, "the lack of accountability and transparency in the use of government funds transferred to civil society groups...[raises] the questions of whether public resources should be used to fund NGOs and how effective NGOs are in supplement to the responsibilities of sovereign governments." The problem I see here is that by funding NGOs, and specifically Planned Parenthood, the federal government is giving an extra smack of legitimacy to such "contraceptive" methods as abortion.
Second, if there are so many people in this country that are enamored of Planned Parenthood then they should give their money to them themselves. I, personally, do not want my tax dollars going to fund some irresponsible persons abortion, and I'm sure I'm not alone in this.
Third, over the last couple of months Planned Parenthood has shown themselves to be a corrupt organization. Senator Reid has said that defunding this (dubious) organization would mean that women would not receive necessary health care services. Representative Slaughter (appropriate name or what?!) has gone so far as to say that it would effectively kill women! The thing is, Planned Parenthood doesn't provide the kind of womens' health services that a primary care physician does and it seems that their sole purpose for existence is to advocate and perform abortions (don't believe me? Check their website. The most they do is to discuss health issues with you, but you have to go to a primary care physician for the actually work).
Having viewed their website and scanned their annual report I am not comfortable with my money funding it. I believe this organization is simply a cover for zero populationists and radical feminists. If we really want to protect women then we should be focusing on teaching them to be more responsible with their bodies, instead of running out to get the cure for their mistakes. The continued refusal of organizations such as Planned Parenthood to emphasize abstinence shows that they are not genuinely concerned about the welfare of women or anyone else.
I have said it before and I'll continue to say it, you do have a choice. Your choice begins when you decide to have sex. Once you have made that choice then you must face the consequences. Abstinence is the only fool-proof method of contraception and STD prevention. When you make your choice and are presented with an undesired consequence you no longer have the right to say, "oops! My bad..." It's like driving drunk and killing another person on the street. You made your choice to drive drunk, you had the "accident" that killed the other person[s], now you must deal with the consequences, you can't say, "I take that back!" It doesn't work that way.
Yes, Congress, defund Planned Parenthood and let them find their own money to continue their fight for zero population growth and irresponsibility.
This is a new issue for me since I've become more and more pro life since being here. Some of the worst arguments amazingly come from women on the proponents side (for PP, against defunding). If I have to hear anymore nonsense about "MEN telling women what to do with their bodies!" I'm going to scream. Or that "women will always need abortions." Need? FOR WHAT?
The "brand" (PP's own CEO called it that, a brand) seems to make plenty of money so federal funding should just pull out of this. They don't provide actual care, only referrals, and the rest they do has nothing to do with promoting a public good. Emergency Pregnancy Centers can at least make that claim for themselves. Funnily enough PP proponents want to fine or heavily tax those centers for not listing an abortion as an option. Telling women to value the child their choices have led to seems to be inappropriate. I guess modern women aren't supposed to value something that transcends their own individual circumstances, so children, families, spouses etc become accessories.
"Feminist" is a synonym for stupid. The feminist movement has done more to destroy the family and the value of women than pretty much anything else.
