Life Advocacy Briefing

Planned Parenthood Caught on Tape

PLANNED PARENTHOOD HAS BULLIED AN 18-YEAR-OLD COED over videotapes she produced covertly while conducting an undercover investigation of a PP shop in the Los Angeles area.

Lila Rose posed as a pregnant 15-year-old impregnated by her (also impersonated) 23-year-old boyfriend in a visit to Planned Parenthood. She was probing PP for her student magazine, The Advocate, which is circulated at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), where she is a sophomore.

“‘If you’re 15,’” says the staffer in the videotape, quoted by Nathan Burchfiel for Cybercast News Service (CNSNews.com), “‘we have to report it. … If you’re not, if you’re older than that, then we don’t need to.’ ‘Okay,’” replies Miss Rose, quoted by CNSNews.com, “‘but if I just say I’m not 15, then it’s different?’ … ‘You could say 16,’ the worker replies,” writes Mr. Burchfiel, “later adding, ‘Just figure out a birth date that works. And I don’t know anything.’

“Other parts of the video clip,” reports Mr. Burchfiel, “show the manager of another PP clinic encouraging [Miss] Rose to seek an abortion” and relating her own regret at having given birth at the age of 17.

Planned Parenthood’s first reaction was to accuse Miss Rose, in an interview with CNSNews, of entering the PP shop “‘with an objective to manipulate our staff … [in order] to discredit Planned Parenthood.’” (Retorts Family Research Council president Tony Perkins in his Washington Update, “When it comes to discrediting Planned Parenthood, the organization needs no help.”) The next reaction was to threaten to sue Miss Rose if she did not, writes Mr. Burchfiel in a follow-up report, “stop the undercover investigations, remove existing clips from online video sharing site YouTube, and turn the original tapes and all copies over to Planned Parenthood.”

Miss Rose has reportedly complied with the demand to turn over the tapes in her possession, but “Cybercast News Service,” reports Mr. Burchfiel, “obtained a copy of the video and audio before the cease-and-desist letter went into effect and has preserved it for [CNSNews.com’s] readers’ benefit.”

Miss Rose’s attorney David French, who is associated with Alliance Defense Fund, “accused PP,” reports Mr. Burchfiel, “of ‘engaging in a campaign … to bully an 18-year-old to distract attention from the fact that their employees were engaging in unlawful behavior. …

“‘Nothing changes the truth of what’s contained in those videotapes,’” said Mr. French in the CNSNews report. “‘Planned Parenthood was advocating that a patient lie, advocating a way around mandatory reporting requirements for statutory rape, and nothing that Planned Parenthood does, as far as trying to bully her regarding the tapes themselves, can change those facts.’”

Victim Sues P.P. in Ohio

PLANNED PARENTHOOD IS RESPONDENT IN A CINCINNATI LAWSUIT, in which a teenager is suing for $25,000 for damages “‘to compensate her for the severe harm she has suffered,’” states the complaint, quoted by Nathan Burchfiel for CNSNews.com, “‘as a direct result of [PP’s] breach of their duties owed her.’ She also,” Mr. Burchfiel writes, “asks the court to levy punitive damages against Planned Parenthood.”

The lawsuit “alleges that when the girl sought an abortion in November 2004,” writes Mr. Burchfiel, noting that “she was 16 years old at the time, she told Planned Parenthood staff that her father was the baby’s father and that he had been raping her since 2000.”

Ohio law requires medical personnel to “report suspicion of rape and incest to authorities,” notes Mr. Burchfiel. “The suit charges,” he writes, “that failure to report the rape led to another year and a-half of abuse.”

The president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio told CNSNews.com “that she feels sorry for the girl who is suing her organization, calling her a victim of pro-life activists.”

The girl “was attacked for five years by her father,” writes Bob Unruh for WorldNetDaily.com (WND), “who eventually was sentenced to five years in prison. However,” he writes, “that came only after she reported the abuse to Planned Parenthood and was ignored, so the abuse continued for another 18 months,” according to her attorney.

“Authorities say she was forced to sleep with her father from the time she was 13 until she was 18,” reports the Associated Press citing the Cincinnati Enquirer as source, “when she confided to a coach about a year ago that she was being abused. The coach,” reports AP, “reported the abuse to authorities.”

The AP report notes PP is “fighting a second [Ohio] lawsuit, in neighboring Hamilton County, over its treatment of a minor. PP has appealed a judge’s ruling,” reports AP, “requiring it to release records of abortions performed on patients under age 18. In that lawsuit,” notes AP, “the family of a 14-year-old girl claims she was able to get an abortion without parental consent.”

The attorney in the Cincinnati case told Mr. Unruh “he represents another victim, who was assaulted by her soccer coach at age 14 and taken to Planned Parenthood for an abortion.” [Though Mr. Unruh does not connect this case with the AP report, one might conclude this is the same as the Hamilton County case cited by AP.] The 14-year-old “identified herself with a junior-high school ID,” writes Mr. Unruh, “and the 21-year-old coach paid with a credit card and driver’s license, but still,” notes Mr. Unruh, “there was no report. …

“‘My guess,’” said the attorney in Mr. Unruh’s report, “‘is that this is just the tip of the iceberg, and that is why Planned Parenthood will do anything to prevent us from seeing its records.’”

And concerned citizens have come forward in Michigan, reports WND’s Mr. Unruh, complaining that no investigation has been launched after pro-life activists “discovered two 11-year-olds” had undergone abortions at one Planned Parenthood facility without any reports to state child welfare authorities.

“‘We are here demanding a proper and thorough investigation,’” said Ann Norton of Operation Red Sea during a news conference in front of a Michigan PP shop, quoted by Mr. Unruh, “‘of all under-age girls who have been denied protection and whose bodies have been violated for others’ selfish gain.’” Anybody in Congress care to open an investigation before handing more millions of our tax dollars over to this outfit?

Bullet Dodged

ONE OF THE CASUALTIES of the House Republicans’ stalling tactics slowing deliberation on the Defense Dept. (DoD) Authorization bill last week was the planned amendment by Rep. Michael Michaud (D-ME) to force US military facilities to stock and dispense “morning-after” pills as part of the “basic core formulary” in base pharmacies.

Rep. Michaud forewent his opportunity to have his amendment considered in the US House when it was called up after a long, contentious day of partisan wrangling over various sections of the massive bill.

One of our sources on Capitol Hill tells Life Advocacy Briefing “a great deal of concern [had been] expressed among Members about the lack of conscience protection” for personnel operating the pharmacies and serving in the military health facilities. The same point was highlighted – with reference to “changes to the DoD formulary” – in the Statement of Administrative Position issued Wednesday by the White House.

Though the Michaud concession can certainly be counted a victory, our Capitol Hill source cautions that his abandoned amendment is just “the first of many attempts by pro-abortion Members to promote the morning-after pill.”

Anti-Abstinence Campaign Growing

THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES [sic] UNION IS ON THE MARCH against educating our youth to the benefits of sexual abstinence. Claiming that abstinence education “endangers the health of teens,” an ACLU spokesman, reports Focus on the Family’s Citizenlink, announced earlier this month “its intention to target abstinence-only curriculum in at least 11 states.”

Focus on the Family Action’s analyst for sexual health, Linda Klepacki, countered the ACLU claim with a charge that “curricula from Planned Parenthood … ‘[are] endangering the very lives of adolescents.’” Such curricula, she said in the Citizenlink story, “suggest that anal and oral intercourse can be defined as abstinent behavior and therefore is safe. … ‘Oversight of these potentially deadly curricula is long overdue by our federal government,’” she said.

Planned Parenthood’s partisans in Congress, led by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), are demanding more evaluations of actual abstinence curricula and seeking to defund the various teen health initiatives which teach abstinence until marriage. Yet, as suggested by Ms. Klepacki, PP’s own heavily subsidized programs are not subjected to evaluations or close Congressional oversight.

The state-level campaigns planned by the ACLU are timed to coincide with the Waxman campaign in Congress and need to be met with engaged resistance by parents and others who care about teens. Targeted states, reports Citizenlink, “include Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Texas.”

Introduction to Abstinence

A PIONEER IN THE ABSTINENCE EDUCATION MOVEMENT will host a Capitol Hill reception tomorrow (Tuesday) from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Room B-339 of the Rayburn House Office Building. Attendees will be offered refreshments and hors d’oeuvres as well as conversation with young leaders and teens who will, promises the Project Reality invitation, “articulate their views on the ‘reality’ of abstinence.”

Featured at the Project Reality event will be Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, and Taylor Moore, a 17-year-old award-winning motivational speaker and youth advocate from Chicago.

Co-hosting are Democratic Representatives Danny Davis and Daniel Lipinski, both of Illinois, and Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA). Information is available by contacting Project Reality at 1-847/729-3298.

Telling the Pope Off

REP. ROSA DeLAURO (D-CT) HAS GATHERED 18 COLLEAGUES’ SIGNATURES on a statement rebuking Pope Benedict XVI for declaring that abortion-backing Catholic politicians have excommunicated themselves from the church and should be denied communion. The statement charges the Pope, reports Peter J. Smith for LifeSiteNews.com, with “offending ‘the very nature of the American experiment.’”

The Members signing the statement are: Rep. DeLauro and Representatives Joe Baca, Anna Eshoo, Linda Sanchez, Hilda Solis & Mike Thompson (all CA); Joe Courtney & John Larson (CT); Betty McCollum (MN); Bill Pascrell (NJ); Tim Bishop, Maurice Hinchey, Carolyn McCarthy & Jose Serrano (all NY); Tim Ryan (OH); Patrick Kennedy & James Langevin (RI); and Jim Moran (VA). All are Democrats.

CNN Cover-Up?

CABLE NEWS NETWORK (C.N.N.) OBSCURED RESULTS OF A POLL released May 9, according to Internet “blogger” Joel Johannesen, whose analysis, posted on ProudToBeCanadian.ca, was quoted by Gudrun Schultz for LifeSiteNews.com.

The lengthy questionnaire, submitted in telephone interviews to 1,028 adult Americans between May 4 and May 6, contained this question addressing abortion: “With respect to the abortion issue, would you consider yourself to be pro-choice or pro-life?” Though CNN reported the poll showed, reports LifeSite, “‘Americans are divided over abortion rights,’ and ‘abortion-rights opponents have intensity on their side,’” the actual response to the generalized abortion question showed some 50% of respondents “indicated they considered themselves to be pro-life,” reports LifeSite, “compared to 45% who said they considered themselves to be pro-choice.”

The poll sponsor “also failed,” reports LifeSite, “to report that 66% of those questioned said the government should make partial-birth abortion illegal, compared to just 28% who said the procedure should be legal.”

Parents Prevail over Perry Prescription

TEXAS GOV. RICK PERRY (R) HAS LET A PRO-FAMILY LAW TAKE EFFECT without his signature after the legislature overrode his executive order requiring every sixth-grade girl in the state to undergo administration of Merck Company’s vaccine against some strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), seen as the leading cause of cervical cancer.

The governor’s order was an early bow to Merck’s campaign to mandate the vaccine among adolescent girls through state actions across the country. His action created a backlash which slowed the major pharmaceutical company’s drive and produced strong objections from parents who insist their daughters’ health – and their sexual behavior – is a matter for family decision, not state action. In Texas, the legislature responded with prompt action producing overwhelming majorities in both houses to overturn the governor’s directive.

Dr. Falwell, R.I.P.

THE REV. JERRY FALWELL PASSED INTO ETERNITY last Tuesday, never regaining consciousness after being found apparently lifeless in his office at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. We recall with respect and appreciation his remarkable efforts, beginning in the 1970s, to stir America’s Christians to confront the coarsening culture of our nation, particularly in resisting the normalization of commercialized abortion and the hyper-sexualization of our youth. We are thankful, too, for his family-affirming fight against the so-called Equal Rights Amendment, and for his elevation of the pageantry of patriotism. We thank God for his ministry and his legacy of leadership.

Redeemed

A FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, ABORTUARY IS ON ITS WAY TO REDEMPTION, with the “Women’s Health Clinic” [sic] having been purchased by a pro-life activist with plans to open a “Culture of Life Center” in the building.

“‘We will be involved in commemoration, communication and litigation in support of natural law and pro-family issues,’” said the building’s new owner Bryan Brown, quoted by WorldNetDaily.com (WND).

Mr. Brown is a former leader, reports WND, in the Wichita-based Operation Rescue, but before moving to Kansas, where he participated in OR’s 1991 “Summer of Mercy” campaign, Mr. Brown had been fined some $61,600 for protesting at the very abortuary whose building he has now purchased for, reports WND, “about the same [price] as the fines earlier ordered against [him] for protesting there.”

OR president Troy Newman, quoted by WND, described the Fort Wayne purchase and OR’s 2006 purchase of a Wichita abortion facility as “‘an amazing picture of God’s redemptive power.’”