Yesterday Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, joined a coalition of left-wing groups in Florida to protest pro-life Republican Governor Rick Scott and to show support for the larger Occupy Wall Street movement taking place nationwide.
Awake the State, which organized the rally, was accompanied by Planned Parenthood and Occupy Orlando at Senator Beth Johnson Park to stand “in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street and the larger Occupy movement against corporate greed and control over government.”
In an email to supporters Planned Parenthood noted they strongly opposed 18 pro-life bills that have been filed since Gov. Scott took office in January. Planned Parenthood accused pro-life Florida lawmakers of “playing politics with women’s health by introducing legislation that allows government bureaucrats to interfere with decisions that should be made by a woman in conjunction with her doctor, her family and her faith.”
Some of the measures signed into law by Gov. Scott include allowing a woman the opportunity to view an ultrasound prior to an abortion, strengthening Florida’s parental notification law and prohibiting taxpayer funding of abortion in the healthcare exchanges established by Obamacare.
The Occupy Wall Street movement has become the subject of public skepticism after numerous well-documented cases of anti-Semitism, sexual assault, drug abuse, public masturbation, public defecation, vandalism and violence. Among the movement’s supporters and sponsors are the Communist Party USA, the American Nazi Party, Socialist Party USA, Industrial Workers of the World, International Bolshevik Tendency, Marxist Student Union, 9/11 Truth groups and more.
The fact that Planned Parenthood would encourage its supporters to attend a rally “in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street and the larger Occupy movement” despite the widely known abuses taking place at Occupy sites and ties to such disreputable organizations, just further calls into question Planned Parenthood’s credibility. It’s unconscionable that an organization, which receives millions of American tax dollars each year, would encourage supporters to rally alongside groups like the American Nazi Party.
Additionally alarming is that by participating in a rally in solidarity with the nationwide Occupy movement, Planned Parenthood, which purports to be pro-woman, has turned a blind eye to widespread cases of sexual assault at Occupy sites. On Sunday, a 24-year old Occupy Dallas protester was arrested after sexually assaulting a 14-year old girl.
A striking contrast to the protests endorsed by Planned Parenthood is the prayerful 40 Days for Life campaign. For 40 days, pro-life advocates of various faith backgrounds gather in their communities, often outside of abortion facilities, to pray for an end to abortion. In 361 documented cases, mothers have opted against abortion during the currently ongoing 40 Days for Life campaign. Unlike the Occupy protests, 40 Days for Life has not seen one case of anti-Semitism, sexual assault or violence on the part of pro-life advocates.
Abortion advocates are quick to point out violence that has taken place at abortion centers in the past, noting particularly the death of late-term abortionist George Tiller who was shot by a self-described pro-lifer in 2009. Tiller’s assassination (as well as violence of any kind) has clearly and thoroughly been condemned by every major pro-life organization in the country.Pro-life advocates disavow violence of every kind because ultimately the pro-life struggle itself is against violence. Abortion is the violent taking of an innocent human life.
It is unfathomable the amount of ridicule pro-life advocates would face from the media if demonstrations like the March for Life or 40 Days for Life racked up the types of abuses seen at the Occupy protests. If Planned Parenthood continues to willingly associate with these groups, it may provide further impetus to revoke their federal funding.
