+
“A balm for the soul”
  review on Goodreads
GOOD PEOPLE Book
upworthy

planned parenthood

The subject of late-term abortions has been brought up repeatedly during this election season, with President Trump making the outrageous claim that Democrats are in favor of executing babies.

This message grossly misrepresents what late-term abortion actually is, as well as what pro-choice advocates are actually "in favor of." No one is in favor of someone having a specific medical procedure—that would require being involved in someone's individual medical care—but rather they are in favor of keeping the government out of decisions about specific medical procedures.

Pete Buttigieg, who has become a media surrogate for the Biden campaign—and quite an effective one at that—addressed this issue in a Fox News town hall when he was on the campaign trail himself. When Chris Wallace asked him directly about late-term abortions, Buttigieg answered Wallace's questions is the best way possible.

"Do you believe, at any point in pregnancy, whether it's at six weeks or eight weeks or 24 weeks or whenever, that there should be any limit on a woman's right to have an abortion?" Wallace asked.



"I think the dialogue has gotten so caught up on where you draw the line that we've gotten away from the fundamental question of who gets to draw the line," Buttigieg replied, "and I trust women to draw the line when it's their own health."

Wallace wanted to clarify that Buttigieg would be okay with late-term abortion and pointed out that there are more than 6000 women who get third trimester abortions each year.

"That's right," responded Buttiegieg, "representing one percent of cases. So let's put ourselves in the shoes of a woman in that situation. If it's that late in your pregnancy, than almost by definition, you've been expecting to carry it to term. We're talking about women who have perhaps chosen a name. Women who have purchased a crib, families that then get the most devastating medical news of their lifetime, something about the health or the life of the mother or viability of the pregnancy that forces them to make an impossible, unthinkable choice. And the bottom line is as horrible as that choice is, that woman, that family may seek spiritual guidance, they may seek medical guidance, but that decision is not going to be made any better, medically or morally, because the government is dictating how that decision should be made."

And that's really the gist of the pro-choice stance. Why would we want the government to be involved in our most difficult medical and moral dilemmas and decisions?

Some may try to argue that an abortion isn't "a medical decision," but that is objectively untrue, especially in the case of late-term abortion. There are thousands of different scenarios that might lead to needing an abortion, and laws that place arbitrary limits on those decisions do real harm to families who are already suffering a loss.

Take the story of sitting U.S. Senator Gary Peters of Michigan, who just shared his family's tragic story "of how gut-wrenching and complicated decisions can be related to reproductive health" with Elle magazine.

Peters and his first wife were excited to welcome their second child to the world, when his wife's water broke four months into her pregnancy. There was no way for the baby to survive without amniotic fluid, and they were told to go home and wait for the miscarriage to happen. But it didn't happen. His wife's health deteriorated, and when she went back to the hospital three days later, the doctor told them the situation was dire. She could lose her uterus within hours, and her life was at risk as well if she went septic due to uterine infection. He recommended an abortion. However, the hospital refused to allow the procedure due to its anti-abortion policy, despite the doctor's appeal to the board.

"I still vividly remember he left a message on the answering machine saying, 'They refused to give me permission, not based on good medical practice, simply based on politics. I recommend you immediately find another physician who can do this procedure quickly,'" Peters told Elle.

The couple was able to get into another hospital and get the necessary procedure because Peters was friends with the chief administrator. But the experience illustrated how an abortion isn't always the choice to end a pregnancy out of convenience—or even the choice to end a pregnancy at all. Peters' wife called it "traumatic and painful," and said in a statement, "If it weren't for urgent and critical medical care, I could have lost my life."

Savita Halappanavar, a woman who needed an abortion in Ireland and was denied one, did lose her life in a high-profile 2012 case that prompted voters to overturn the abortion ban in the Catholic-majority country 2018. And there are too many other stories of close calls or having to endure painful experiences to make drawing legal lines far too fuzzy a prospect to endorse.

Whether it's about the life or health of the mother or about the life or death of the fetus, the decisions surrounding the end of an individual pregnancy should be made by the medical professionals and families involved, not by government officials.

Buttigieg summed that idea up perfectly and compassionately in his town hall response.

Here's the full clip of Wallace's and Buttigieg's exchange.

Pete Buttigieg on late term abortionwww.youtube.com

Once again, well said, Mayor Pete. Being pro-choice isn't about being pro-abortion, but rather pro-keep-the-government-out-of-my-personal-medical-decisions and trusting women and medical professionals to make those difficult choices for themselves.

More

Joss Whedon made a video to explain why Planned Parenthood is important. In 3 minutes.

Two different outcomes powerfully explain what happens when Planned Parenthood isn't around.

Ever wonder what would happen if the people who want to get Planned Parenthood shut down got their way?

In 2011, Texas cut off most of Planned Parenthood's funding in the state. Planned Parenthood served around 50,000 patients there at the time. The result? One-quarter of publicly funded health clinics shut down. And there was a 35% drop in claims for long-acting birth control. As a result, there was a 30% increase in Medicaid-paid births.

Women in Texas, particularly those in poverty, have seen a significant loss of access to health care services and birth control — which would prevent them from getting pregnant and potentially needing an abortion.


Texas isn't the only state where this is happening. Other states are following in its footsteps.

This powerful three-minute film by director Joss Whedon shows just how much of a difference Planned Parenthood makes in people's lives.

In the video, Whedon ("The Avengers," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog") shows just what the world would look like if those attacks on Planned Parenthood are successful. The film follows three women but shows two different versions of their lives: one where Planned Parenthood provides the family planning and health care they need, and another in which Planned Parenthood is shut down.

Take three minutes and watch it.

Planned Parenthood is a lifeline for millions of people.

4 in 10 U.S. women rely on health centers like Planned Parenthood as their only source of medical care. And the services they provide save us over $10 billion a year.

Women deserve access to safe health care. This is not a bold statement. This is basic common sense.

If you really want to decrease abortions, here's one common-sense way to do it.

All you have to do is copy what Colorado did. The state funded access to education, health services like Planned Parenthood, and long-term birth control access. From 2009 to 2014, teen pregnancy rates plummeted by 40%. And abortion rates plummeted too — by 42%.

Do the math. And share their story. We can't afford to go backward anymore.

You can learn more about Planned Parenthood's video here. And you can learn more about the issues at Planned Parenthood's resources site.

Before the Emmy nominations come out in July, production companies spend a small fortune advertising their best TV shows.

These "for your consideration" advertisements in trade magazines, newspapers, and on billboards are common.

But this year, the popular CBS sitcom "Mom" is pushing back on this expensive tradition.


Anna Faris as Christy (left) and Allison Janney as Bonnie. Photo via Robert Voets/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.

Instead of the traditional Emmy ad campaign, "Mom" will donate $250,000 to Planned Parenthood.

The show's star, Emmy-winner Allison Janney, and Executive Producer Chuck Lorre appeared on the "CBS This Morning" to discuss the forward-thinking idea.

"Our show is all about women, and we don't shy away from dealing with all issues that affect women and families," Janney said in the interview. "Planned Parenthood is such an important organization that helps give health services to millions of women and families, and it's in danger."

Image via CBS This Morning/YouTube.

The generous donation couldn't have come at a better time, as Planned Parenthood's federal funding is threatened.

Planned Parenthood provides reproductive health care to 2.5 million patients each year, many relying on the organization for all of their care needs. But the latest health care bill seeks to defund Planned Parenthood, which really means blocking patients who rely on public health programs from getting the care they need at Planned Parenthood locations. This move would greatly affect people of color, people in rural areas, and people with low incomes.

Madison Tolchin visits Paula Glass, an advanced registered nurse practitioner, for a health checkup at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Wellington, Florida. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.

Every donation will help the organization provide care, education, and advocacy. That's why "Mom" isn't stopping at $250,000 — they're encouraging fans to donate as well.

Image courtesy of CBS.

"It's such a critical time," Janney said. "It made sense that we stand up now and say something and encourage other people to donate to Planned Parenthood and help this organization."

"Mom's" break from tradition may be seen as controversial, but Janney and Lorre are steadfast in using their celebrity and money for good.

"It's not a statement about the Emmys. We'd loved to be included," Lorre said. "It just seemed like a better way to put that money to work."

Let's hope their generosity catches on.

Family

Planned Parenthood's brilliant ad features an unexpected supporter: Donald Trump.

Millions of women rely on Planned Parenthood for lifesaving care.

In 2013, Jaime Benner discovered a lump in her right breast. She credits Planned Parenthood with saving her life.

Her primary care provider couldn't get her in for a screening for three weeks. Not only was Planned Parenthood able to get her in for an appointment that day, but they stood with her through the process of getting a referral for an emergency mammogram and beyond.

[rebelmouse-image 19473195 dam="1" original_size="750x390" caption="Image via Planned Parenthood Action/YouTube." expand=1]Image via Planned Parenthood Action/YouTube.


"The radiologist report came back inconclusive," she says. "But Planned Parenthood refused to accept that answer and sent me for further testing."

Two and a half weeks later, she underwent a complete radical mastectomy. "By the time I had my mastectomy, which was only a few weeks later, my cancer was spreading into my lymphatic system," she adds. "A day could have been the difference between the stage 3b cancer I had and stage 4."

Benner is the face of a new campaign to help save the organization's federal funding in a video that features an unexpected voice of support: Donald Trump.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, then-candidate Trump occasionally toed the Republican Party line in opposition to Planned Parenthood while other times he spoke frankly, sharing a important truths about just how vital the organization's services are to millions of people.

In a new 30-second ad for Planned Parenthood, Benner tells her own story, accompanied by clips of Trump, speaking in his own words about why Planned Parenthood matters. The video includes the notable moment from a Republican primary debate when he said, "Millions and millions of women — cervical cancer, breast cancer — are helped by Planned Parenthood."

[rebelmouse-image 19473196 dam="1" original_size="450x252" caption="Fact: 2.5 million people will visit one of Planned Parenthood's 650 locations this year. GIF via Planned Parenthood Action/YouTube." expand=1]Fact: 2.5 million people will visit one of Planned Parenthood's 650 locations this year. GIF via Planned Parenthood Action/YouTube.

That wasn’t  the only time Trump defended Planned Parenthood. In an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity in August 2015, Trump debunked the idea that the group is first and foremost an abortion provider — a claim that serves as the source of much of the controversy surrounding the organization — correctly noting that abortion is "actually a fairly small part of what they do."

If Planned Parenthood weren't around, people like Benner couldn’t just go somewhere else. There aren’t other local health clinics that can cover that patient load.

An analysis by the Congressional Budget Office found that defunding Planned Parenthood would have a disastrous effect on women’s health care options, especially those who rely on Medicaid.

[rebelmouse-image 19473197 dam="1" original_size="450x253" caption="GIF via Planned Parenthood Action/YouTube." expand=1]GIF via Planned Parenthood Action/YouTube.

"Not only did Planned Parenthood get me the testing I needed to find out I had cancer, they got everything together to get me Medicaid so I would have coverage," Benner says. "I'm not sure if you've ever looked into the costs associated with cancer, but one shot I used after chemo was $7,000 a syringe each time. I'm sure most average people couldn't afford to purchase one of those every two weeks."

[rebelmouse-image 19473198 dam="1" original_size="750x377" caption="Benner underwent aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Image via Planned Parenthood Action/YouTube." expand=1]Benner underwent aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Image via Planned Parenthood Action/YouTube.

Benner isn't alone. It's estimated that 1 in 5 women in the U.S. has visited a Planned Parenthood health center. While Republican politicians have the organization in their crosshairs, a majority of Americans (including a majority of Republicans, as a group) oppose cutting off funds to Planned Parenthood, with a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll finding that 75% of the public opposes cutting the group's funding.

Planned Parenthood is a lifeline for people of all political ideologies, and Donald Trump — clearly — knows it. The question remains, however, whether he and others will cut it off anyway.

"We have to help women," Trump said during the 2015 interview with Hannity. "A lot of women are helped [by Planned Parenthood]."

Now stuck between his pledge to "help women" and his promise to defund Planned Parenthood, Trump needs to choose one or the other. Benner, and millions of women like her, hope he’ll stand on the side of survivors.

GIF from Fox News/YouTube.

Using Trump's own words to make a point about why it's necessary to save Planned Parenthood is a pretty genius — and hopefully effective — move.

Watch Brenner and Trump make the case for protecting Planned Parenthood in 30 seconds below.