Day Thirty-Six - 3 Lies Planned Parenthood Tells Us

Today's Reflection
by Grace Chaffins

Planned Parenthood, America's largest abortion provider, tricks millions of people with the lies they spread. Let's review a couple of the big lies that Planned Parenthood says:

Lie One: Abortion is only 3% of what we do.

Eric Scheidler, the executive director of the Pro-Life Action League, explains how this 3% number is a myth:

"[Abortion] is far more significant at Planned Parenthood than that would suggest. It’s as if a company, like a car dealership, were to say that when you go there for a car, you also get a cup of coffee and a donut and maybe you have something from the vending machine---say a package of M&M’s, and there’s 25 M&M’s in the package. Add up all those little items, and they’re not really a car dealership at all, are they? They’re in fact a candy company because most of what they sell are individual M&M’s, not individual Cadillacs. It’s that kind of accounting that leads them to claim that abortion is only three percent of the services they provide.”

In other words, Planned Parenthood counts additional services (such as counseling, ultrasounds, and contraceptives) as a separate service, even if they are part of the abortion process. This 3% figure is misleading and incorrect, and it shouldn't be believed.

Lie Two: Abortion has nothing to do with race.

Planned Parenthood was founded in 1921 (originally called the American Birth Control League) by Margaret Sanger. Sanger was a racist and eugenist set on eradicating the black community through abortion. Her quotes, including the following, are startling and truly disgusting:

"We don’t want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population..."
- Margaret Sanger in her letter to Dr. Clarence J. Gamble

"The most merciful thing that the large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it."
- 'Woman and the New Race', Chapter 5

“More children from the fit, less from the unfit — that is the chief aim of birth control.”
– Margaret Sanger

Planned Parenthood now argues that they do not hold to the racist and genocidal beliefs of their founder. However, it is hard to believe that. Research for the Life Issues Institute reports that 86% of Planned Parenthoods are located in or near African American and Hispanic communities. Sanger herself admitted that the point of abortion and birth control is to produce a "cleaner race." Does that sound eerily familiar? Anyone even slightly familiar with Nazi Germany should recognize that language, and point out abortion for what it is: a modern holocaust.

Lie Three: If Planned Parenthood didn't exist, women would have nowhere to go for healthcare.

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCS) are government-funded health care centers that provide health care services to communities. Most importantly, they offer more services than Planned Parenthood, and without abortion. The chart below demonstrates the differences between Planned Parenthood facilities and FQHCS.

According to Students for Life of America, "If Planned Parenthood were to disappear, Federally Qualified Health Centers would only need to absorb two extra patients a week. Re-allocating Planned Parenthood’s $500 million to this budget would allow the funding of 1,078 additional FQHCs that would provide quality medical care to the underserved."

We do not need Planned Parenthood to provide women's health services. FQHCS and pregnancy resource centers can help provide pro-life alternatives in greater abundance. Planned Parenthood focuses on abortions. Contrary to popular belief, they do not even offer mammograms. You can find you local FQHCS here https://getyourcare.org/locations/.

Knowing the truth about Planned Parenthood and sharing it with others helps us to spread hope and light in the darkness surrounding us. We cannot ignore the injustice and horror of abortion. But we must always have hope, knowing that truth must always triumph over lies.

Prayer for Those Considering an Abortion

Heavenly Father, You who breathe life into creation by the power of the Holy Spirit and make each and every person in Your image and likeness, send forth the Holy Spirit anew upon those who are contemplating an abortion.  Dispel their fears, comfort them in sorrow and grant them courage to choose to bring forth this new life into the world, which is a precious gift from You.  Provide for them love and support from those around them to help ease the burden they carry at this time.  Help them to see the light of Your face and Your joy.  Delight in them and their child and grant them a spirit of wisdom and understanding to direct their path.

Mother Mary, you experienced misunderstanding for your unexpected pregnancy.  Pray for your children who are contemplating an abortion.  Intercede for them before the throne of God that they might have the grace to give life to their children and teach them how to give of themselves in self-sacrificial love as you did.  We ask this through Christ our Lord.  

Amen.

Prayer written by The Marians of the Immaculate Conception and the Association of Marian Helpers.