Planned Parenthood Under Fire The nation’s largest abortion provider faces its worst crisis ever By Jeanne Mancini Summary: Whatever your view of abortion, it’s hard not to be appalled by the recent undercover videos of Planned Parenthood personnel casually discussing how they can profi t from the body parts it “harvests.” The powerful, politically connected nonprofi t enjoys massive government subsidies, as well as invaluable aid from the mainstream media who help it pretend to be what it is not: a broad-spectrum provider of healthcare. Now it faces efforts to end taxpayer subsidies for its lucrative business. n July 14, 2015, a small nonprofi t organization, the Center for Medical OProgress (CMP), released a video that marked the beginning of a tidal wave of Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards public opposition to the nation’s largest abor- tion provider, Planned Parenthood Federation livers, and brains are being obtained? Is of America. The video was part of a much Planned Parenthood unlawfully altering October 2015 bigger, broader three-year undercover “sting” abortion procedures to obtain intact baby parts or whole babies? Is Planned Parenthood project detailing a horrifi c reality: Planned CONTENTS Parenthood harvests and sells baby hearts, performing illegal partial-birth abortions to lungs, livers, and brains. At press time, 10 facilitate obtaining those organs? such videos had been released by CMP with Planned Parenthood Under Fire more expected in the weeks ahead. The CMP videos also focus public attention on Planned Parenthood as a government- Page 1 The footage raises a number of critical legal subsidized agency and provide an insightful questions. Is Planned Parenthood involved snapshot of problems in the abortion indus- in the unlawful activity of harvesting and try. The videos follow previous undercover Briefl y Noted “sting” projects conducted by the new media selling baby parts? Is Planned Parenthood Page 8 obtaining informed consent agreements from group Live Action, founded by Lila Rose, as the mothers whose babies’ hearts, lungs, well as the startling revelations about Phila- Organization Trends delphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell, now in Control League (ABCL), which ultimately merely the breeding ground of admitted prison for life, who was convicted of mul- became Planned Parenthood Federation of misery and wretchedness. They do nothing tiple infanticides and accused of gruesome America in 1942. One of her primary goals to carry life forward. They are just the vain, mistreatment of mothers who came to him, was to do away with what she and Planned defective, imperfect repetition of all that has including at least one maternal death. Parenthood described as “unfi t” and “eugeni- gone before. Our charity to them is in reality cally unsound” populations—certain immi- a crime against future generations, against The videos are raising awareness among the grants, African-Americans, disabled people, the fi nest blossoming of the human spirit” public of the truth about Planned Parenthood, orphans, people with hereditary disease, (Birth Control Review , “World Aspects of yet they are only a small part of the story. those with lower intelligence, etc. She also Birth Control, Margaret Sanger’s Speech For years, a wealth of data and information wanted to convince Americans that women at the Meeting of October 30,” December has shown that Planned Parenthood isn’t a needed greater control over childbearing 1922, vol. 6, no. 12). benevolent healthcare provider; see, for ex- (e.g., the number/timing of children) in order ample, the April 2012 Organization Trends . to be considered “equal” to men. Believing that black Americans were a I published a background document on disproportionately unfi t group, the Ameri- Planned Parenthood in 2010 and updated it in Sanger subscribed to a body of thought, can Birth Control League, under Sanger’s 2012 (http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF12J05. eugenics, an offshoot of Charles Darwin’s direction, instituted the “Negro Project” to pdf). This essay further updates that infor- theories about natural selection, which held decrease the black population by strategically mation and provides new data, particularly that entire populations did not have dignity, promoting birth control and sterilization. on Planned Parenthood’s management and were “lesser” people, and therefore should be This involved manipulating black leaders fi nances. Most of the material is taken from eliminated. These eugenic concepts provided to teach communities that aggressive birth the group’s publicly available tax forms and a prime philosophic basis for the foundation control and sterilization were in their best annual reports. of the ABCL. interest and served the common good. In advocating this position she spoke at a Ku The Origin A number of other founding directors for Klux Klan meeting in Silver Lake, New Margaret Sanger (1879-1966), the founder the American Birth Control League were Jersey, in May 1926 ( The Autobiography of of Planned Parenthood, was born and raised likewise advocates of eugenics, including Margaret Sanger, W.W. Norton, 1938, pp. in New York and was one of eleven children. Lothrop Stoddard, Dr. S. Adolphus Knopf, 366-7). She and the Klan saw eye to eye, for In 1921 Sanger founded the American Birth and Dr. Harry Laughlin. Years later Dr. Alan she reports, “I believed I had accomplished Guttmacher, who succeeded Margaret Sanger my purpose. A dozen invitations to speak Editor: Matthew Vadum as president of Planned Parenthood from to similar groups were proffered.” Publisher: Terrence Scanlon 1962-1974, also acted as vice president of the American Eugenics Society. Organization Trends So one can understand why in August is published by Capital Research 2015, a group of black pastors requested In describing her work and goals, Margaret Center, a non-partisan education and that a bust of Margaret Sanger be removed research organization, classifi ed by Sanger once said, “Before eugenists and the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity. from a temporary Smithsonian exhibit in others who are laboring for racial better- Washington, D.C., named “Struggle for Address: ment can succeed, they must fi rst clear the Justice” which featured other persons like 1513 16th Street, N.W. way for Birth Control. Like the advocates of Washington, DC 20036-1480 Martin Luther King, Jr. The pastors argued Birth Control, the eugenists, for instance, are that Sanger’s eugenics focus and the Negro Phone: (202) 483-6900 seeking to assist the race toward the elimina- Long-Distance: (800) 459-3950 Project in particular were racist and that she tion of the unfi t. Both are seeking a single should not be upheld as a heroine for justice E-mail Address: end but they lay emphasis upon different in the United States. [email protected] methods” ( Birth Control Review , “Birth Web Site: Control and Racial Betterment,” February http://www.capitalresearch.org 1919, vol. 3, no. 2). Today African-Americans are the ethnic group most disproportionately targeted for Organization Trends welcomes let- ters to the editor. Similarly, expressing her visceral opposition abortion. The Centers for Disease Control Reprints are available for $2.50 pre- to charity generally, Sanger once said, “Our and Prevention report that black Americans paid to Capital Research Center. world is overcrowded with masses who are make up 36 percent of all U.S. abortions 2 October 2015 Organization Trends while constituting a mere 13 percent of the Yet an analysis of Planned Parenthood’s data extensive the service or procedure is.” In re- population (CDC Abortion Surveillance- tells another story. ality, it is estimated that Planned Parenthood 2011, November 2014). Another way to see makes over $150 million a year performing this disproportion: each year, the number of In its last annual report Planned Parenthood abortions, which is hardly a negligible part abortions among black Americans is larger reported performing 327,653 abortions, of its budget or mission. than the number of deaths from all causes approximately one third of all abortions in suffered by black Americans who have been the United States in 2013. Over the course Ironically, despite the “parenthood” in its born (Guttmacher Institute; National Center of the past three years, Planned Parenthood name, parenting has little to do with what the for Health Statistics). provided close to one million abortions, group does when a pregnant woman comes to equivalent to the entire population of Austin, a clinic. In reviewing services available for The Product Texas. Why? Because abortion is good expectant mothers to resolve their pregnancy To understand Planned Parenthood’s modern business, and business is booming. (procuring an abortion, putting the child up mission, consider an anecdote that highlights for adoption, or keeping the baby), abortions the organization’s priorities. In 2011, a Former clinic workers describe a quota make up fully 94percent of the services pro- former Planned Parenthood employee told system for abortions because they are so vided to pregnant women. Prenatal care and a conference about her experience working lucrative for the organization. Planned Par- adoption referrals account for the remaining with a small Planned Parenthood clinic in Iowa. She explained that her fi rst workday involved the diffi cult task of watching hours of abortion procedures. This requirement was necessary because her supervisor wanted assurance that new directors could handle the reality of appalling abortion procedures. Prior to the fi rst abortion, she was advised to steady herself against the wall to have support should she faint. She admitted that her fi rst day was her most unforgettable one on the job, and ultimately led to her leaving Planned Parenthood. She is currently a enthood frequently advertises that “abortion 5-6 percent. Put differently, Planned Parent- whistleblower in a sealed lawsuit related to is only 3% of the services provided,” but hood performed 174 abortions for every 1 Planned Parenthood’s potential fraud.