I have to admit that my first reaction to the Planned Parenthood videos was to cringe and try to avoid the topic.
Even for those who support abortion rights, there is a stomach-churning aspect to the surreptitiously taped conversations with Planned Parenthood officials — the coldblooded discussion, between bites of salad and sips of red wine, of “less crunchy” techniques to obtain specimens, and the precise placement of “graspers” to avoid having to “crush” a valuable body part.
If you hear this and fail to squirm, there is something wrong with you.
That response is, of course, what the anti-abortion activists who posed as purchasers and prodded the officials into discussions of payment were counting on. The ensuing uproar, which is taking the congressional form of a clamor to strip Planned Parenthood of its federal funding, was predictable.
It is also not rational — whatever your position in the abortion debate.
If you are among those who view abortion tantamount to murder, I respect your belief. But consider: Defunding Planned Parenthood would inevitably result in more unplanned pregnancies and therefore more abortions, not fewer. In fact, if you really want to reduce the number of abortions, you should be lobbying to increase funding for Planned Parenthood and other organizations that provide birth control.
More: www.postcrescent.com
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