The healthcare provider is under attack. Let’s rally the troops.
Imagine someone who always looked out for you was getting beat up by the school bully, or was getting smeared by an enemy at work who was telling vicious lies about them. You’d leap to their defense, right? After all, if they’ve been there for you — no matter what — you’d want to return the favor.
Planned Parenthood is that friend, and they need us right now more than ever.
Of course, attacks on Planned Parenthood by anti-choice extremists aren’t anything new, but this latest set of attacks using so-called “sting” videos — videos captured by imposters using hidden cameras, which have been edited to make it seem like Planned Parenthood was selling body parts from aborted fetuses for a profit, which it unequivocally does not do — is particularly hateful.
It’s all part of a long game, something LOLGOP highlighted in his excellent overview of this issue last week. That’s why Republicans wasted no time calling for a vote in Congress to defund Planned Parenthood, a vote that could happen any day. They don’t care about the truth. Anti-choice extremists want to systematically end access to legal abortion by crippling any health center that offers it.
Never mind that abortion only accounts for 3% of the services Planned Parenthood offers. Anti-choice advocates don’t care about the 97% percent of services Planned Parenthood provides to women and men — such as life-saving cancer screenings, HIV testing and counseling, and, of course, birth control that can prevent pregnancy in the first place.
Planned Parenthood’s supporters want to protect 100% of the services it offers. That’s why 92 organizations signed a letter to Congressional leadership, which starts out like this:
The undersigned 92 organizations stand with Planned Parenthood Federation of America during this time of vicious political attack. And we stand with the millions who rely on Planned Parenthood for health care. Planned Parenthood has provided compassionate and critical health care to women, men, and young people for over 100 years and is an integral and necessary part of our health care system.
In Michigan, organizations like Progress Michigan have been vocal in their support of Planned Parenthood, too. Here’s what Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan, had to say:
Even for anti-choice extremists, this latest campaign against Planned Parenthood is a new low steeped in lies and deception. These extremists’ only goal is to prevent women across this state and country from having access to safe, affordable reproductive health care services. In their zeal against a woman’s ability to make her own reproductive decisions, they’re calling for the defunding of Planned Parenthood, an organization that provides critical health screenings and contraceptive and abortion services to millions of women and men. Progress Michigan is proud to stand with Planned Parenthood against these deceitful and misleading attacks.
Now, it’s your turn. We all need to raise our voices and say we stand with Planned Parenthood.
It couldn’t be easier. Visit the Stand With Planned Parenthood website, where you can:
- Add your name to the millions of others in a letter of support telling Congress you are on Planned Parenthood’s side.
- Share your personal story of how Planned Parenthood has helped you or read stories others have shared.
- Send a note of thanks to the doctors, nurses and other staff who care for patients every day.
- Get the graphic to “pink” your Facebook or Twitter profile picture — then tweet and post using the #StandWithPP hashtag.
But don’t stop there. Call your U.S. Representative and Senators to say you stand with Planned Parenthood — even if you know they agree with you.
A vote in Congress to defund Planned Parenthood could happen any day, so don’t wait.
Planned Parenthood is dedicated to providing care, no matter what. They’re always there for us. Let’s be there for them, no matter what.
[Bus photo by Anne Savage Photography.]
