Founded by Margaret Sanger in 1916, Planned Parenthood started in New York and was America’s first birth control center (“History”). When describing themselves, Planned Parenthood claims that they are “America’s most trusted provider of reproductive health care” (“Who”). This “health care” that they mention includes abortions and birth control for teenagers, without the consent of their parents (Dew). Because Planned Parenthood seems to support abortion and sexual relations outside of marriage-both of which are detrimental to families- the American government should not be financially supporting them.
Planned Parenthood, although founded almost a hundred years ago, is a relevant topic of discussion. Throughout the United States, there are around seven-hundred clinics that work to help “prevent unintended pregnancies” (“Who”). In 1970, Planned Parenthood offered its first abortions in a clinic in New York. In 2013, Planned Parenthood was responsible for 327,000 abortions in the United States (Lussenhop). The advancement of this organization is what some would call progress, but really there is more going on here.
In early 2015, videos were released of interviews with associates of Planned Parenthood mentioning the selling of parts of the babies that they were aborting (Ertelt). Not only are human parts being sold behind the scenes, but the means by which Planned Parenthood have aborted the babies are also inhumane. It has been documented that some doctors will leave the human fetus on a table alive after being aborted, and allow it to die on its own in order to preserve its fetal tissue. This practice is not legal and should not be accepted (Thiessen).
It is common knowledge that Planned Parenthood is a non-profit organization, however, not many people understand that this association receives an estimated four hundred and fifty million dollars from federal funds annually. That makes up around forty one percent of their revenue each year (Carroll). However, Planned Parenthood did not become such a huge political issue until around sixty years after it was started. In 1980, Ronald Reagan was elected as president, and was considered a “pro-life candidate”. This election brought about many heavy arguments and even violence in the United States, over whether or not Planned Parenthood should exist (Lussenhop). Since then, whether a political candidate is “Pro-Life” or“Pro-Choice” has often been deciding factor in who will be voted for during an election.
Although Planned Parenthood’s job and methods are more than questionable and often considered less than moral, the issue of this organization is much bigger than that. The issue is more than just “pro life” or “pro choice”. The philosophy and beliefs of Planned Parenthood promote ideas that are extremely tempting and dangerous. It all started with Margaret Sanger and her suggestion that “a woman’s physical satisfaction was more important than any marriage vow” (Dew).
Since Sanger’s ideas have long been accepted and promoted by Planned Parenthood, they have only grown in their ferocity. Not only is abortion encouraged by this organization, but also the means by which someone could end up in want of an abortion. This is a vicious cycle and does not make sense. Teen pregnancies, unsatisfied marriages, and diseases are all something that Planned Parenthood claims they want to stop, yet they continue to promote the actions that lead to these tragedies in the first place.
I, personally, find Planned Parenthood’s methods and promotion of abortion especially offensive because the organization makes it seem like the only options when dealing with an unwanted pregnancy are birth control or abortion. There are other options. I was born to a fifteen year old girl who, understandably, was not intending on having a child as a teenager. Even though it was never part of her plan to get pregnant, delay her high school education, and deal with pregnancy while she was still trying to deal with Algebra I, she obviously did not choose to have an abortion, or else I would not even be writing this essay. My birth mother made the decision to give me up for adoption, and I am eternally grateful that she did. She recognized that abortion was not the only choice she had, despite the constant push from modern society saying that abortion is the easy way out.
By supporting, promoting, and funding Planned Parenthood, our government is aiding illegal, immoral, and inhumane behavior. American taxes are going to this organization, in spite of all these practices. Planned Parenthood needs to quit receiving funds from the government and in order to see that happen, we, as responsible citizens, need to educate ourselves and others about the true intentions of Planned Parenthood.
This article cites:
<http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/sep/29/tom-cole/there-planned-parenthood-funding-bill-stops-govern/>
<http://www.dianedew.com/sanger.htm>.
<https://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/history-successes>.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34363358>.
<http://www.biography.com/people/margaret-sanger-9471186>.
<http://www.ewtn.com/library/prolife/pphistry.txt>.
<https://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are>
