Members of the Knights of Columbus and pro-life advocates from Louisiana rally outside the entrance to the Pepsi Center in Denver, on Monday Aug. 25, 2008 on the first day of the Democratic National Convention.
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Posted on Thu Sep 18 2008 Christian Post
Leaders from over 20 pro-life groups will meet in Illinois today to brainstorm a massive strategy to shut down an organization that has become the epitome of everything they are against.
The pro-life advocates represent lawyers, students and veterans of the cause who have dedicated their lives to defend the lives of "unborn" or "pre-born" babies, otherwise known to the other camp as merely fetuses.
Meeting in Rosemont for "Planned Parenthood: BAD for America," representatives will each bring to the table a different strategy emphasis that will contribute toward a draft joint resolution, which is expected to outline a plan to de-fund and shut down Planned Parenthood, according to an announcement this week.
Planned Parenthood is the nation's single largest abortion provider. The organization receives $300 million taxpayer dollars a year for reproductive health services that in many cases include abortion. Many pro-life advocates have criticized the background of Planned Parenthood as being founded by eugenics supporter Margaret Sanger.
Eric Scheidler, communications director of the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League, which is organizing the meeting, said the growth of Planned Parenthood is cause for concern.
"Even as the abortion rate declines nationally, Planned Parenthood's abortion numbers are on the rise - and now Planned Parenthood has launched a major expansion, aggressively targeting the young and vulnerable of our nation," stated Scheidler in a statement.
"Today more than ever, the pro-life movement must stand together to oppose Planned Parenthood."
Scheidler is no stranger to efforts aimed at uprooting local branches of the organization. Last year, he led protests directed at a massive new Planned Parenthood facility that was up for installment in his group's backyard, Aurora.
On Thursday, Scheidler is taking his campaign against Planned Parenthood to an unprecedented level as he joins in coalition with leading advocates in the pro-life movement, including his father, Joe Scheidler.
The meeting will include addresses by several renowned pro-life advocates.
Tom Brejcha, chief counsel of Thomas More Society/Pro-Life Law Center, will share his group's experience in handling both state and federal court cases against Planned Parenthood in a session entitled, "Fighting Planned Parenthood in the Courtroom."
In "Exposing the True Face of Planned Parenthood to the American Public," Kristan Hawkins, executive director of Students for Life of America, will discuss Planned Parenthood's willingness to accept racially motivated donations through a series of widely viewed YouTube videos.
The pro-life roundtable will also devote time to hear from Jim Sedlak, executive director of STOPP Planned Parenthood, the nation's leading Planned Parenthood watchdog group, as he talks about the abortion provider's expansion effort in "Planned Parenthood's Vision for the Future."
For Scheidler, there is strength in numbers.
"Planned Parenthood is a huge organization, flush with cash," he said, "but no enemy is too big when we work together."
Congress Members Discuss Defunding Planned Parenthood
Pro-life Congress members gathered on the House floor this past week to take a stand against what they said was a senseless waste of taxpayer’s dollars that has been propping up the nation’s largest provider of surgical abortions – Planned Parenthood.
"I rise today to highlight the practices of an industry that is characterized by death, deception and depression: the abortion industry," said Rep. Joseph Pitts of Pennsylvania in a statement.
According to figures released by Planned Parenthood, the group raked in over $1 billion in profits and received over $300 million in taxpayer funding last year – a significant proportion of which is used to help elect pro-choice candidates into office.
"Planned Parenthood is using your tax dollars to raise more money to run against your candidate, to elect someone who will give them more tax dollars,” explained Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan in a statement on the need to defund the organization.
While the efforts by pro-life Congress members this past week represented the voice of only about a dozen lawmakers, the American Life League said that it was encouraged to see that popular opinion was gradually swaying against the organization.
"We are elated that members of the House are officially condemning Planned Parenthood and hope this will translate into the end of taxpayer funding for the nation's largest abortion chain,” the group said in a statement.
“Forty-five percent of the House voted against Planned Parenthood funding last year, and clearly the outpouring of sentiment against Planned Parenthood in the Special Order shows that members of Congress are beginning to understand the evils of Planned Parenthood," the group added.
Currently, Planned Parenthood is responsible for about one of out every four abortions performed in the country, according to recent figures. During the 2006-2007 period, 289,570 abortions were performed throughout its 860 locations - an increase of nearly 25,000 from the previous year and the highest figure on record.
Founded in 1916 by Margaret Sanger, Planned Parenthood operates in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, describing itself as "the nation's leading sexual and reproductive health care advocate and provider."
Discussion: Pro-Life Coalition Strategizes to Shut Down Planned Parenthood
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