Planned Parenthood has been in the news a lot lately. Many seek its comment on issues related to abortion and human sexuality, and it advertises in large and small town newspapers. It is often portrayed as a legitimate organization that simply wants to make abortions rare, and help our teenagers. However, we feel that there is not a more destructive organization operating in South Dakota.
Therefore, we present the following facts on Planned Parenthood in an effort to give you a true depiction of this organization’s history, philosophy and direction.
•Planned Parenthood’s founder, Margaret Sanger, wrote: “Everywhere we see poverty and large families going hand in hand. Those least fit to carry on the race are increasing most rapidly. People who cannot support their own offspring are encouraged by Church and State to produce large families. Many of the children thus begotten are diseased or feeble-minded; many become criminals. The burden of supporting these unwanted types has to be bourne by the healthy elements of the nation. Funds that should be used to raise the standard of our civilization are diverted to the maintenance of those who should never have been born.” (“The Pivot of Civilization”, Appendix: Principles and Aims of the American Birth Control League.)
• Planned Parenthood has never ceased to target the poor and disabled, Sanger’s favorite examples of the so-called “unfit.” In the year 2000, almost 75% of Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) clients had incomes at or below 150% of the poverty line. In 1997, PPFA’s Plan of Action asserted that its “core clients” are “young women, low-income women, and women of color.” Accordingly, although African-American women tend to be more pro-life than white women, they nonetheless have abortions at triple the rate of white women.” (Angela Franks, “Margaret Sanger and Planned Parenthood: The Eugenics Connection”)
• The Planned Parenthood Federation of America is the single largest abortion provider in the United States. During 1998, Planned Parenthood clinics performed 167,928 surgical abortions. At an average cost of $350 per abortion, the organization grossed $58,554,300 in abortion income. (Planned Parenthood 1998-1999 Annual Report, p. 9).
• Despite Planned Parenthood’s “choice” rhetoric, it provided adoption referrals to only 4,892 women and prenatal care to 16,065. Planned Parenthood provides 34 times more abortions than adoption referrals. It provides ten times more abortions than prenatal services. (Planned Parenthood 1998-1999 Annual Report, p. 9).
• Planned Parenthood’s activity generates enormous revenue each year. During its 1999 fiscal year, the group reported a $125.8 million excess of revenue over expenses (i.e., profit). (Planned Parenthood 1998-1999 Annual Report, pp. 18-19).
• Planned Parenthood remains a significant beneficiary of federal money. In 1998, Congress gave Planned Parenthood and its affiliated organizations, the International Planned Parenthood Federation and the Alan Guttmacher Institute, $142,976,618 to support its domestic and international “family planning” agenda. (Government Accounting Office, July 18, 2000 memo to members of Congress).
• Planned Parenthood opposes the right of conscience—the right of Catholics and Catholic hospitals to abide by church teaching on health care issues. In an October 1999 speech Gloria Feldt, Planned Parenthood’s current president, outlined the group’s four-part agenda for the millennium, the fourth plank of which is “bringing justice to ‘conscience’ provisions for health care providers and facilities.” She called conscience clauses a “sugarcoated name” for “interference” in medical decisions and lamented, “your daughter might not be able to receive family planning, abortion or infertility treatments at a Catholic hospital.” (Gloria Feldt in a speech delivered at the Commonwealth Club of California, San Francisco, October 19, 1999).
• Planned Parenthood operates “Teenwire,” a provocative website aimed at adolescents, which through the use of coarse and vulgar language, educates on, among other things, masturbation, oral sex, sex, contraception and abortion. Planned Parenthood reported its website for kids received about 360,000 visits a month in 2002. (Planned Parenthood Federation of America Annual Report 2001-2002, p. 11.) This website is at the center of the controversy with the South Dakota State Library website.
• “Planned Parenthood is dedicated to spreading the doctrine of secular humanism as reflected in the Humanist Manifestos (I & II) and the Humanist Manifesto 2000. Human Manifesto I appeared in 1933. It reflected a non-theistic philosophy proposed as an alternative to traditional religion. Humanist Manifesto II was released in 1973. Alan Guttmacher, then PPFA president, signed it. Secular humanism rejects the supernatural; thus, it rejects God. It admits to no objective moral code. Planned Parenthood’s adherence to this philosophy explains why it consistently refuses to give children a clear message of “right” and “wrong.” It seeks not to educate our children in moral values, but to indoctrinate them into the secular humanist philosophy and that “right” and “wrong” can be decided solely by the individual.” (“Why We Oppose Planned Parenthood”, The Ryan Report, October 2003.)
• Planned Parenthood promotes a type of sex-education for children that denies the very truth and meaning of human sexuality. Such perverted education breaks down natural inhibitions which then leads to greater promiscuity. As a result, there is an increased demand for artificial birth control and abortion. A long-term effect of such education is that it tends to create citizens who will support Planned Parenthood’s agenda. (“Why We Oppose Planned Parenthood”, The Ryan Report, October 2003.)
• Planned Parenthood openly promotes sex outside of marriage and the use of contraceptives at any age, free from parental knowledge. (www.teenwire.com)
• In September of 2000, Planned Parenthood introduced a “Joe Sperm” costume-character to children parade-goers who were attending a Eugene, Oregon city parade. Planned Parenthood admitted that the target of its campaign featuring “Joe Sperm,” is lower income people. (Randi Bjornstad, “Birth Control Gets a Lighthearted Boost,” The Register-Guard, September 19, 2000).
• The goal of PPFA’s First Things First program is “to reduce by half...the number of adolescents who become pregnant and give birth annually.” Look carefully at PPFA’s chosen rhetoric. The goal concerns teenagers who become pregnant and give birth. The goal is to reduce teen pregnancy that results in childbearing, not the activity that results in pregnancy. The “childbearing” section of the goal may be achieved with no change in the sexual behavior of teens if the number of abortions committed at its own facilities continues to increase as it has almost every year. (www.fightpp.org)
• “In its never-ending effort to promote the gospel of ‘choice,’ Planned Parenthood mocked the Christian faith during the 2002 Christmas season by issuing a holiday card with the message, “Choice on Earth.” Since ‘choice’ is a Planned Parenthood euphemism for abortion, the Planned Parenthood card was essentially promoting abortion on earth while simultaneously exploiting the Christmas season to sell merchandise. These cards enraged Christians across America, were the subject of national news articles, and were discussed on Fox News’ O’Reilly Factor.” (“Why We Oppose Planned Parenthood”, The Ryan Report, October 2003.)