Image by The All-Nite Images (License CC BY-SA 2.0)
There is so much going on right now. So much news and information being thrown at us at every turn. It’s hard to really know what’s going on in Washington DC, much less pinpoint the specifics of every issue we are facing. One thing I do know for sure is there’s a significant issue that’s being strategically pushed to the background. This pertinent issue is being covered up with news of the ACA repeal, Trump’s Golden Showers, and Putin’s hand in the cookie jar.
The issue I’m referring to is the GOP’s intention to defund Planned Parenthood. Paul Ryan’s hard-on for attacking women’s rights is being quietly slipped into the same process they’re using for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act.
Everyone has the right to their personal feelings about whether abortion should be legal or not, but when it comes down to brass tacks, it is legal. Planned Parenthood does provide the option for abortions, but they follow the very letter of the law set forth by Roe vs. Wade. If abortions were to become illegal, Planned Parenthood would no longer provide that service.
We treat a medical institution that’s offering services our nation has legalized as if it’s some back-alley non-professional, welcoming you into their basement, holding their tool of choice, a coat hanger. Planned Parenthood is a top notch medical institution that allows ANYONE to seek medical treatment. But let’s just set the abortion issue aside for a moment and talk about what else Planned Parenthood does for the community. I’ll start with a personal story.
“Whether you’re conservative or liberal, pro-choice or pro-life, you need to understand, “defunding” Planned Parenthood is not what the big guys are telling you it is.”
“Whether you’re conservative or liberal, pro-choice or pro-life, you need to understand, “defunding” Planned Parenthood is not what the big guys are telling you it is.”
I’ve suffered, not once, not twice, but three times from Cancer, and I’m only 34 years old. I am a freelance, self-employed person, that, until Obamacare, couldn’t afford the astronomical cost of private health insurance. I also couldn’t find a plan that would cover me due to my medical history. So, I did what I knew was my best option when it came to preventative care-I went to Planned Parenthood.
Did I go to Planned Parenthood and have an abortion? No. I went to PP and had a breast exam. Lo and behold, the doctors who I was seeing found that my Cancer had returned, and with a vengeance. The money that is given to Planned Parenthood, the money Paul Ryan is chomping at the bit to take away, helped save my life. Mine is just one of thousands of stories that illustrates that Planned Parenthood is a necessity and a Godsend to people all over the country.
One thing no one seems to be asking is, what does the funding Planned Parenthood gets from the government go towards, and where does it come from? For those that think the government cuts Planned Parenthood a blank check every month-you are WRONG. The majority of “funding” that PP receives is through patients using their Medicare insurance for preventative care such as PAP smears, HIV testing, prenatal care, and the same things a woman or man gets when they see a Primary Physician or OBGYN.
It is a misnomer that there is some sort of bank flow from the government to Planned Parenthood. Most important- MEDICARE DOES NOT COVER ABORTIONS. The Hyde act of 1977 made sure that federally funded health insurance does not cover this procedure except for in “extreme dire circumstance.” In fact, no insurance company covers abortions, unless it is in the case of extreme medical emergency or you purchase separate additional insurance coverage. Therefore, not a dime of your tax dollars that funds Medicare goes towards abortions. It’s as simple as that.
Unfortunately, these loud-mouthed politicians keep throwing the words “defunding abortions” at you when they aren’t funding abortions to begin with. The main point of it all is that the conservative sector, in an effort to push their beliefs on the general populace, are blocking patients from being able to access preventative care from Planned Parenthood. They are clearly trying to force the medical institution out of business. By doing that, they are getting rid of one of the few places that provides a legal medical process to the citizens of this country.
Another argument brought up against funding Planned Parenthood is the fact that our tax dollars are used to help others who receive state-funded medical care, i.e., Medicare and Medicaid. First of all, that some people in this country are so self-centered and devoid of compassion that they complain about helping others, is just plain sad. Secondly, when you defund Planned Parenthood, you are also taking away the finances that allow them to participate in the federal family planning service, Title X. The pregnancy tests, birth control, education, and condoms that Planned Parenthood provides are not through their own programs; they are through a program created by the very government that is shouting to take it away. So, what happens if they take away the funding for Title X?
The Congressional Budget Office projects that if Title X is taken out the system, there will be approximately 57 million unplanned pregnancies in this country per year. For comparison, the current number of unplanned pregnancies per year is 3 million. This would cost taxpayers over $130 million dollars. That is way more than we are paying now to help prevent these pregnancies.
Ultimately, by attacking Planned Parenthood, the GOP and its supporters are essentially costing themselves more money. All these extra unplanned pregnancies could also place millions of children into situations that are possibly neglectful and unsafe. You can dislike the medical procedure of abortion all you want, but you are allowing your government to attack the wrong people.
Because reversing Roe vs. Wade would take more than just an act of Congress, Ryan and his cronies are instead going after the places that provide a service our country believed was needed. They are also putting millions of people’s lives at risk by trying to remove an institution that saves people’s lives.
Whether you’re conservative or liberal, pro-choice or pro-life, you need to understand, “defunding” Planned Parenthood is not what the big guys are telling you it is. If you value life, it should not just be the lives of whom you choose, but every person’s life, including someone like me, who owes my very breath to an organization that is currently being attacked from all angles.
Learn the facts, and take a stand no matter what side of the political fence you are on. Demand honesty and transparency from your officials, instead of lies and the bullshit they are feeding you. Call your representatives. Call Paul Ryan himself, (His phone number is (202) 225-3031) donate to the cause, and most importantly, spread the truth, even if it doesn’t go along with your political ideals. Change comes from the strangest places, and I employ everyone to push for changes where it will make a positive impact.
While Stephanie spends endless hours writing journalistic pieces for
several publications outlining the fight for a more fair and peaceful
planet, she is simultaneously ghostwriting novels, convincing a
nine-year-old that his Halloween costume isn’t appropriate to wear to
school in December, and corralling three crazy dogs. Underemployed is
her favorite place to talk about the crazy world of work while letting
her sass run a little wild.
You can follow her on :
Stephanie I enjoyed your article. I marched in San Diego yesterday and when I saw the swell and roar of the crowd a thought occurred to me. As women we have taxation without representation. I sincerely pledge to do my best and do something about that. Keep the faith!