Kudos to Congressman Mike Pence for his work to defund Planned Parenthood

(Dave's letter to the Editor)

Dear Editor,

Kudos to Congressman Mike Pence for his work to defund Planned Parenthood. The American people have spoken and according to a CNN poll, reject taxpayer funded abortion 61% to 37%. ¹

Contrary to claims made in the puff piece submitted by board chair Deborah Simon, Planned Parenthood is a substandard health care center for women. Just ask former Planned Parenthood Director Abby Johnson. Ms. Johnson has stated, "Planned Parenthood is an organization that does not provide quality health care. Our tax money should go to organizations that provide comprehensive care to women, men, and children. There are better uses of our money. Planned Parenthood provides shabby, limited health care. Why would we want women to get some health care when they can go to a different clinic, other than Planned Parenthood, and receive total health care? "²

We hear over and over that without Planned Parenthood to provide birth control, more women will get pregnant and have more abortions. Such claims are tiresome and simply untrue. Lack of knowledge and the lack of available contraception are not the main reasons women get abortions. In January 2011, the pro-abortion rights Guttmacher Institute reported that only 8 percent of women who have abortions never used birth control. Further, they found that 54 percent of women who had abortions had used contraception in the month they got pregnant.³ Part of Planned Parenthood's stated mission is "to prevent unplanned pregnancy." Clearly they are failing in this regard by their own standard. Does it make sense to reward such incompetence with continued funding? Am I the only one who finds it sick and demented that they get paid between $350 and $950⁴ to provide what they call the "solution"?

Like 61% of Americans I'm pro-choice on taxpayer-funded abortion. I choose not to pay for it and believe others should have that right as well. Who is Planned Parenthood to stand between a taxpayer and their wallet?

Congressman Pence is right. Taxpayers should not be forced to fund abortion.

Respectfully submitted,

Sources:

¹ CNN Poll (18 November 2009) http://articles.cnn.com/2009-11-18/politics/abortion.poll_1_public-option-abortion-issue-health-insurance?_s=PM:POLITICS

² Abby Johnson interview by Kathryn Jean Lopez (http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/259954/deadly-domino-effect-kathryn-jean-lopez)

³ Guttmacher Institute: "Facts on Induced Abortion in the United States" (http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html)

⁴ Planned Parenthood: "What Happens During an Abortion" (http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/abortion/in-clinic-abortion-procedures-4359.asp)