I almost overlooked this with the Women’s March yesterday. And this is really a part of that. Today is the 44th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that freed women to make personal health choices for themselves. For me it begins and ends with Planned Parenthood. My dad, a physician, was a co-founder of Planned Parenthood of Central Oklahoma. He felt it was critically important to provide sex education, contraception, and health screening for low income women and he did exactly that with compassion and dedication. Thousands of women can thank him and the Supreme Court for the care they got.
Now Republicans seem determined to take it all away, to throw all women back to the age of coat hangers and back alley abortions. And I’m here to say you can’t get more pro-choice than I am. I am my father’s daughter. I marched for women’s rights in the ’70s and I’d have marched for them yesterday if I could. This is my litmus tests for politicians. This is where my lines are drawn. And it sets me squarely against most of the politicians in Washington today. So be it.
There’s a lot we can do: https://www.istandwithpp.org/take-action
But this day specifically celebrates the Roe v. Wade decision. In 2014 I posted this:
In the 21st Century, despite all the advances of medicine, science, law, and education, there are still some who believe they are entitled to tell others — usually complete strangers — what they can and cannot do with their own bodies. There are still those who think their religious and personal views supersede the legal and personal rights of others and will resort to almost anything to impose those views.
Roe v. Wade ensures the right of every woman in the country to decide for herself whether or not to have an abortion. It also means that any woman who opposes abortion can choose not to have one.
Today, no matter how you feel about abortion, celebrate your right to choose for yourself. And respect everyone else’s right to do the same.
I stand by every word of that.
I’m with you, PT, and with George Carlin too. America never needed George more than now. I enjoyed revisiting his candor. Kudos to your dad.
Thanks, Jim. No, I won’t stand idle and let his work and what he and I believed in be undone by a bunch of political and religious extremists. If they were all doctors giving medical advice, it might be different. But they aren’t. They have neither the right nor the expertise to be interfering in the personal, private decisions made by women and their doctors.
I saw a lot of signs at the march supported Planned Parenthood. There are plenty of people standing with you on this one.
PP does too much good for too many people (male and female) to be cavalierly shut down by a few alt-right anti-abortion conservatives. And yes, I believe the majority of Americans support PP; it’s an integral part of our health care system.
This would be a great loss to us all, if it were changed. Thank you for being part of the solution by writing and protesting!
No thanks needed. I get so wound up on the subject that if I don’t spew periodically, I’d explode. Roe v Wade and Planned Parenthood changed everything — everything! — for American women. We must never, ever let those rights be taken away.
Yes, we will need to keep close watch and walk into/call representative offices. (better than emails) Not just march.
Just one note. TX is handing some grant money previously given to Planned Parenthood to other local health care providers who provide the exact same procedures and care and are in similar locations close to clients so they can get the care they want/need.
This move has nothing to do with anti-abortion – it is being done because PP was caught multiple times in multiple locations doing fraud with taxpayers’ money. PP purchased birth control pills from manufacturers at a steeply discounted price. The PP turned around and send federal agencies/medicare that funds women’ health a bill for double what they paid for the pills and received money for their invoices. Then they turned around and charged their clients 3 times what the pills originally cost them from the manufacturers. This is fraud. An audit caught it. They were warned. It occurred again. Fraud. They did this to themselves.
I have no doubt that the pro-life people were ecstatic, but how stupid was PP to let themselves get into this situation? First the baby parts and then this. Lots of public relation damage. And it will be portrayed as the state being evil when actually…they did this to themselves.
Stupid people makes a fight so much harder.
Hadn’t heard this before. I would blame the fraud (assuming the facts are accurate) on the individuals involved, not the nationwide organization. But of course the opposition will try to smear the entire organization. The baby parts thing was out-and-out fraud by the anti-abortionists who made the video. Some anti-abortion radicals will do anything to discredit PP — fraud, threats, intimidation, bombs, even murder.
Difficult situation involving the big regional center here – has to be bad hires, but it damages the entire organization. The investigation was very cautious and slow ( several years) as Planned Parenthood is so protected. There was reluctance for the state to do anything, but fraud of public money can’t be ignored.
At least there are other healthcare providers available and willing to step in.
We’ll see if Planned Parenthood promises to replace people, install safeguards/audits and basically promises to be good if they can continue. Not appreciated that the group instantly tried to flip the message to banning abortions which is not true.Sigh. Bad all the way around
PP jolly well better replace people. Can the ones involved in the fraud, put new hiring practices and office procedures in place to ensure it can’t happen again, etc. Anything less is simply unacceptable.
I think local PP offices operate independently of the national orgranization and if a local one is truly a bad apple, it should be shut down.
This is a huge national office for the region in a 4-5 story former bank building they picked up in foreclosure- a wise purchase as it already had a great deal of security, big fenced parking garage, even heliport. Lots of complaints about it when it was revealed PP purchased the property as it sits between UH and historically black TX Southern and both traditionally black and hispanic neighborhoods right there. Racism was screamed loud and long. Difficult for that to continue as some areas are now becoming gentrified with new towering townhouses N of the building on the other side of the fwy.
I thought is was wise both clients and staff could be easily sheltered and protected from nut jobs there.
Seems perfectly logical to me that they would locate between two groups/neighborhoods they serve most often. Low income and underserved individuals are often either black or Hispanic. How would it be better to locate 10, 15, 20 miles away from the people they serve? And yes, considering PP clinics have been attacked, bombed, etc., security is always a consideration.
People said they were locating to target minorities and talking them into abortions.
Why can’t people just mind their own business and leave other people alone.
Logic is so rare now, right?
Logic? Common sense? Minding one’s own business? Where? Who?
Must have been a dream…
Looked up Johnson v. Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas (if that’s the case you’re talking about) and find it interesting that Johnson had worked for PP but didn’t file suit until after she left PP and turned pro-life. Just sayin’ …
Not sure of the name, but case ongoing – for 4+years now – bad all the way around – honestly no one here locally (Democratic stronghold) wants to take on Planned Parenthood – but the state (and pro-lifers) jerked the mess out into the public view so now with real fraud of public money something has to be done.
Even for the best of reasons/causes, can’t commit fraud
Law has to apply equally to everyone (did you notice the case against the baby parts video people was dropped – as it was decided there was no case/crime? About that laws must apply to everyone thing…odd?)
Of course fraud cannot be tolerated.
As for the baby parts case, there were two grand jury indictments.
Just recently on news, at least one dismissed – some guy.
Now they are trying to insist all aborted material must be buried rather than burned. Maybe there should be a choice by client, but there seems like there’s a lot of other problems elsewhere that need to be focused on. Obsession-like
Hadn’t heard about dropped charges. (One story here.) Well, maybe at least they’ll think twice before doing that again.
What, bury the waste so the wingnuts can dig it up?? I think it’s pretty standard to burn biological waste for sanitary reasons.
You know, if people do things and there’s no consequences …The guy was from CA, I think. He was smiling as he walked out of the courtroom.
Yeah, I don’t see the difference, (and definitely the potential) But I do know women who have had caskets and funerals for early miscarriages. It’s another personal belief thing I guess. Some are very against cremation.
Have to be sensitive, but really? (A whole lot easier to not get pregnant rather than to have to deal with all the consequences…)
Well if the woman thinks of it as a miscarriage and wants a proper burial, they should abide by her wishes. I’ve been to funerals and services for miscarriages. Very sad.
I’ve no objection to thoughtful dissenting opinions, but they do need to comply with the comment policy.
Missed this the first time, but very well said. Thanks for posting. Your father sounds like an incredible man. ~nan
Thank you! Yes, my dad was the best. I wish I could do even half as much as he did for this very important, very basic women’s right.