Opinion – On 20 May 2011, the Colorado Springs Gazette reported, “Free pregnancy testing, counseling and ultrasounds will be offered near local Planned Parenthood centers again.” The report related that a donation was given to the Catholic Diocese of Colorado Springs to purchase a recreational vehicle which could be converted into a clinic on wheels. After the vehicle is remodeled to its new purpose, it will be operated by Life Network staff and volunteers.
When the Gazette sought comment from Planned Parenthood, the response by spokeswoman Monica McCafferty was less than congratulatory. McCafferty told the Gazette, “We provide comprehensive, unbiased information on parenting, adoption and abortion.” McCafferty continued, “Often, these pregnancy centers are not legitimate medical centers and provide very biased information and women are really walking into a trap.”
The comments by McCafferty implied that Life Network counseling is misleading and an unethical trap, while Planned Parenthood provides totally unbiased counseling with no hidden agendas. According to Planned Parenthood's records for 2009, their “unbiased” counseling resulted in the treatment of over 322,000 pregnancies using the reproductive health care technique of abortion. To demonstrate their balanced commitment to life options, Planned Parenthood revealed that they provided prenatal services to 7,021 women along with the referral of 977 women to adoption services.
The comparison of these figures means that only 2 percent of Planned Parenthood's “unbiased” counseling results in life, while 98 percent results in the death of a child prior to birth. Planned Parenthood's assertion that women who avail themselves to Life Network's services are walking into a “trap” means that women are somehow being trapped unethically into allowing their child to mature through birth.
McCafferty stated to the Gazette, “Sometimes the advertising tactics they deploy are deceitful and women don’t know it has an agenda to force them to make a decision that’s in line with their ideology.” In other words, if a women is encouraged to allow their child to mature past birth, it is “forcing” a woman into a “life” ideology based decision. There is apparently no ideology behind encouraging a women to kill her child prior to the child's birth.
According to the web site of the Colorado Springs based Life Network, “Life Network exists to enforce the value placed on human life by our Creator, from conception to natural death.” Life Network states that they accomplish their mission by, “Offering hope to anyone who has been or may be adversely impacted by an unplanned pregnancy,” and, “Providing positive alternative choices to abortion with the specific goal of preserving the lives of the unborn.”
According to the Planned Parenthood web site, “Planned Parenthood is America’s most trusted provider of reproductive health care.” While their web site states that, “If you are pregnant, you have options,” the discussion appears to place abortion consistently first. Planned Parenthood lists the pregnancy options for a mother as “abortion, adoption and parenting;” in that order. To make abortion sound acceptable, the Planned Parenthood web site states, “Abortions are very common. In fact, more than 1out of 3 women in the U.S. have an abortion by the time they are 45 years old.” In other words, “a lot of women do it, so, why not you?”
As the “most trusted provider of reproductive health care,” Planned Parenthood's statistics reveal that their prime method of “reproductive treatment” for pregnant women is abortion. Planned Parenthood could not achieve a 98 percent rate of pregnant women “choosing” abortion if Planned Parenthood did not have an agenda, ideology and bias of their own.
As a public service, Planned Parenthood warns, “beware of so-called 'crisis pregnancy centers.' These are fake clinics run by people who are anti-abortion. They often don't give women all their options. They have a history of scaring women into not having abortions.” Again, the emphasis is upon abortion. To protect women from being deceived into a life decision, Planned Parenthood goes on to provide advice as to how to “avoid a crisis pregnancy center.”
According to the Gazette article, Christine Reyes, executive director of Life Network, stated, “I’m not here to fight; I’m here to minister to women who need the help. I’m not about being political but about true choice.” Reyes also stated, “Abortion is legal in our country. The goal is to help a young person make a positive choice. We can’t force somebody to do something. It has to be their choice.” According to the Gazette, Reyes also related that of the approximately 6,000 clients Life Network sees each year, about 86 percent of those who are pregnant will carry their child to term.
Comparing statistics and messages, there is no doubt as to the differences between Planned Parenthood and Life Network. The difference is not revealed in the words, but by the results of life and death. What hangs in the balance are the lives of innocent children, conceived, but not yet born.
Cited Articles and Posts
Gazette.com (20 May 2011)
http://www.gazette.com/articles/diocese-118488-parenthood-planned.html
Guardian Angel Store (9 Mar 2011)
http://www.guardianangelstore.com/article428.html
Life Network (Not Dated)
Planned Parenthood (Not Dated)
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are-4648.htm
Planned Parenthood (Not Dated)
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/abortion-4260.asp
Planned Parenthood (Not Dated)
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/pregnancy/standard-21507.htm
