In the past couple years; the government funding received by Planned Parenthood has caused a good amount of controversy. Funding which recently was ended when Planned Parenthood and other organizations affiliated with abortion facilities were deemed no longer being eligible for funds through the Women’s Health Program. For those that may not know, the Women’s Health Program is a Medicaid initiative intended to provide contraceptives and other healthcare services to low-income women. Now normally I am against the expansion of welfare and other dependence fostering programs, yet I am not in this case. For, I believe Planned Parenthood serves a vital role in our society and is still deserving of WHP funding.
It is goes without saying that the reason many people are opposed to Planned Parenthood is the fact that the organization is synonymous with abortion. However what many fail to see is that abortions are not being done by Planned Parenthood, but in fact by entirely separate corporations. Hell, even Texas law requires that groups receiving any government funding be both legally and financially separate from abortion clinics—requirements which Planned Parenthood obliges by. But the problem that some have is that Planned Parenthood does indeed give contributions to such pro-choice corporations. Thus, it is not hard to see why a primarily conservative legislator would cut Planned Parenthood’s state funding—for they do not want the taxpayers’ money paying for abortions.
However, were taxpayers really paying for abortions? Not exactly, for when you view the situation macroscopically it no longer looks so ominous. For the abortions were in fact subsidized, not paid for in whole by taxpayers. So can it not be viewed that Planned Parenthood was helping women terminate their pregnancies in a safe manner--instead of forcing them to seek more questionable alternatives? For women wanting to end their pregnancies are going to regardless, so it is imperative that they be able to in a healthy manner.
The conservative values of legislators are obvious in their choice to exempt Planned Parenthood from the WHP due to pro-life beliefs, as well as the desire to cut government spending. But in doing so, they were extremely shortsighted. In that it is arguably cheaper to continue providing Planned Parenthood funding. Because ceasing to can only lead to a spike in unplanned pregnancies among poor women--who will in turn, become reliant on the still in place Medicaid. So we are now facing more government spending that will only increase as, even more “at risk” youth are born in to unfit homes, a situation that will no doubt clog up our prison system even more so.
Besides, Planned Parenthood offers a multitude of health services to women that many advocates don’t realize due to their focus on abortion. Among the numerous services offered, they provide annual exams, access to birth control, and even cancer screenings. So in the end, conservatives may oppose much of what Planned Parenthood is based upon, but it is an organization essential to Texas’ future—in that it promotes women’s health, a more well off population, and in fact saving tax payer’s money in the long run.
I read Robert Anderson’s article, Why Planned Parenthood Is Good For Texas, and I have to say he brought a lot of key points to the surface. Much like what Robert said Planned Parenthood is a business, or shall I say their belief in pro-choice, that causes a lot of controversy amongst different political groups. Being a person who does not identify one hundred percent with either political party, it is tough for me to take a side on abortions should be a choice. However, I do think it is necessary for Planned Parenthood to be around regardless of their stance on abortion.
ReplyDeleteAfter doing my research on Planned Parenthood I fail to see how Roberts’s statement on Planned Parenthood is accurate. In his article Robert stated, “However what many fail to see is that abortions are not being done by Planned Parenthood, but in fact by entirely separate corporations.” On Planned Parenthoods website they state it plain as day by saying, “Three percent of all Planned Parenthood health services are abortion services.” This statement proves that Planned Parenthood does offer abortion services, however, they are only offered in certain Planned Parenthood clinics, which by state law, such clinics are not funded by the state.
Planned Parenthood stated it perfectly on their website by saying, “In order to comply with state regulations effective June 1, 2005, Austin Planned Parenthood is divided into three separate but affiliated corporate entities: Planned Parenthood of the Texas Capital Region (PPTCR), Planned Parenthood of Austin Surgical & Sexual Health Services (PPASSHS), and Planned Parenthood of Austin Family Planning (PPAFP). PPAFP is supported by state funds—no state funds are used by Planned Parenthood of Austin Surgical & Sexual Health Services or Planned Parenthood of the Texas Capital Region.” With that being said it is obvious that Planned Parenthoods name backs the affiliation companies. So, isn’t it safe to say that Planned Parenthood does offer abortions, although only at certain locations that abide by state laws and regulations? And doesn’t this knowledge still make conservatives look like idiots because factually Planned Parenthood is not using the state funds for the abortion clinics, but instead are only using them for their Planned Parenthood of Austin Family Planning clinics.
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ReplyDeleteThese clinics, not the ones that perform abortions, help hundreds of people a year, and in turn deserve the necessary funding. Planned Parenthood has abided by the rules and kept clinics of controversy separate, so why cut their funding when they are doing it the right way. Just because this company believe in pro-choice, and has unrelated clinics that allow the exercise of pro-choice, does not mean that the state should cut their funding for the specific clinics that are providing so many other services. Planned Parenthood states, “Planned Parenthood provides sexual and reproductive health care, education, and information to nearly five million women, men, and adolescents worldwide each year. Nearly three million women and men in the United States annually visit Planned Parenthood affiliate health centers for trusted health care services and information… Planned Parenthood health centers focus on prevention: 76 percent of our clients receive services to prevent unintended pregnancy. Planned Parenthood services help prevent more than 584,000 unintended pregnancies each year. Planned Parenthood provides nearly 770,000 Pap tests and nearly 750,000 breast exams each year, critical services in detecting cancer. Planned Parenthood provides more than four million tests and treatments for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.” Are the people of our state blind? These clinics are necessary for so many Texas citizens.
By the state cutting Planned Parenthoods funds they are only hurting the people they are claiming to represent. I think Planned Parenthood is doing a wonderful job at keeping the services they provide separate, as well as using the funds, or should I say the funds they use to receive, for what the government intended it for. I think the controversial issue is just that, controversial. People let their own beliefs affect the lives of some many others. I am not one to agree with abortion, however, I do think woman should have the right to choose. So many men simply walk away from their responsibilities as a parent, and are only held accountable if and when the courts get around to it, while woman on the other hand are usually stuck with the responsibility for the rest of their lives. To me this is not fair. I believe that allowing a person the choice, whether I believe it to be the right choice or not, is what makes the American way of life so appealing to others.
Planned Parenthood, like Robert said, is a good organization for Texas. Abortion is only one aspect of what Planned Parenthood represent. The other aspects, which are stated above, should prove just how important the provided services are to the citizens of Texas. One service alone should not outweigh all the good that Planned Parenthood is doing. Their services help so many people many to stay healthy, stay informed, and to have choices!
"Board of Directors." - Planned Parenthood. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2012. .
"Planned Parenthood at a Glance." Sexual & Reproductive Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2012. .
In reading Robert's post, I found myself agreeing with Robert’s overall choice that Planned Parenthood should continue to be funded, but I did not find all of his facts to be correct. For example, I agree that taxpayers were not really paying for abortions through Planned Parenthood. However, I did more research on how abortions were handled through Planned Parenthood, and I did not find that abortions were “subsidized” by the organization as Robert explained. According to The Washington Times writer Stephen Dinan, Planned Parenthood is not allowed to use any of the taxpayers’ money for abortions. It would have been beneficial if Robert had provided an embedded link to an article that stated that Planned Parenthood does in fact subsidize abortions. This would have provided more credibility.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, Robert states that “Hell, even Texas law requires that groups receiving any government funding be both legally and financially separate from abortion clinics—requirements which Planned Parenthood obliges by.” Again, I found this statement to be false. Dinan wrote that Planned Parenthood’s “clinics account for about a quarter of abortions in the United States.” Furthermore, Robert Pear, a writer for The New York Times, states that the organization provides more than 300,000 abortions per year.
Robert also explains that continuing to fund Planned Parenthood is “arguably cheaper,” because “ceasing to can only lead to a spike in unplanned pregnancies among poor women--who will in turn, become reliant on the still in place Medicaid.” There could be some truth to this statement, but I highly doubt it after discovering how much money Planned Parenthood receives from government funding. According to Suzanne Sataline, an author for the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Planned Parenthood receives a million dollars a day from taxpayer funds.
Overall, the only two arguments that Robert makes that I found true after my research was that conservatives do want to defund Planned Parenthood based on financial concern and pro-life beliefs as well as that many people at Planned Parenthood receive multiple health services, such as contraceptives, cancer screenings, and testing for sexually transmitted diseases.
Robert does make a lot of valid points, and if I had not researched more, then his writing would have easily persuaded me. However, his lack of providing sources where he found his facts that support his argument leaves the article as a whole non-credible, and I am unable to see if maybe his facts are correct according to the sources he found.