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Planned Parenthood is an indispensable resource for women and men across the country. In its 700 health centers and partner organizations, it provides birth control information and devices, treatments for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), HIV/AIDS testing, and basic health services for women, including breast cancer screening. Abortion accounts for only 3% of its services.
Yet once again, Planned Parenthood is under attack as the anti-choice Republicans in Congress attempt to block this vital organization from receiving any federal aid.
The Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act's intention is the following:
"Amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Service (HHS) from providing any federal family planning assistance to an entity unless the entity certifies that, during the period of such assistance, the entity will not perform, and will not provide any funds to any other entity that performs, an abortion. Excludes an abortion where: (1) the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or an act of incest; or (2) a physician certifies that the woman suffered from a physical disorder, injury, or illness that would place the woman in danger of death unless an abortion is performed, including a condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy. Excludes hospitals from such requirement so long as the hospital does not provide funds to any non-hospital entity that performs an abortion."
The Truth about the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act
Make no mistake: this is not a law designed to prevent abortions in general.
It is only designed to prevent Planned Parenthood and similar family-planning clinics from performing abortions. Hospitals would be exempt from this law. Instead, it is another salvo in the religious fundamentalist/Republican war against an institution that LifeNews.com refers to as "Child Abuse, Incorporated" and which the bill's sponsor, Representative Diane Black (R-Tenn.) comfortably admits. She said,
"Planned Parenthood and organizations like it that profit off the destruction of innocent life do not deserve one more dime from American taxpayers. I have been proud to lead the charge against the funding of the big-abortion industry since my first days as a state legislator."
She's not alone in her obsession with destroying Planned Parenthood. In the past few months, substantive attacks against Planned Parenthood have increased. Last week in New Hampshire, an initiative to defund the state's Planned Parenthood clinics was defeated in a 216-142 vote. Those who wanted to defund the clinics claim that they don't want public funds used for abortions, but that's not their real goal, which was succinctly stated by Republican state representative Warren Groen, who said, "I'd love to see them go out of business. That would be great." Louisiana's Republican Governor Bobby Jindal is currently blocking the construction of a Planned Parenthood clinic in New Orleans.
The fact that these zealots refuse to acknowledge is that Planned Parenthood's abortion services account for only 3% of what it provides to women and men across the nation. What Planned Parenthood really does is prevent abortion by providing access to a variety of birth control methods. Why, then, is Planned Parenthood such a target?
The Real Reason for the Republicans' War on Planned Parenthood
Republicans hate Planned Parenthood not just because it provides abortion and birth control. Republicans hate Planned Parenthood because it represents freedom of conscience. This freedom is the right of all people to act on their own religious or moral beliefs without being coerced by others into following the rules of another belief system. Americans have shown time and time again that they do not want to be forced to follow the extreme religious views of fundamentalist Christians, who reject science and argue that a fetus is a human being the moment of conception. Americans do not believe that one religious point of view should dictate when or how many children a woman should have. As the Republican Party has been thoroughly dominated by the Religious Right for a few decades now, the Republicans have tried over and over again to maintain moral hegemony over American citizens.
Planned Parenthood resists that by supporting the rights of women and men to make their own decisions regarding birth control and pregnancy. That's why Republicans want to destroy it.
It's time to stop the congressional control of religious zealots who want to impose their own views of morality onto the American people. Support Planned Parenthood by signing the petition against the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act!
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