Planned Parenthood

[Pali]

The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday voted to remove all federal funding from Planned Parenthood, an organization that provides millions of Americans with primarily reproductive health services (breast exams, STD screenings, contraception, abortions, etc.). The last is what has made it a target - although no federal money that Planned Parenthood currently receives is allowed to be used for abortions, Republican Representative Mike Pence does not want federal money to go to any organization that provides abortions at all.

Millions of Americans, particularly women and the poor, depend on Planned Parenthood's services. They have an open letter of protest to Congress that can be signed online - anyone so inclined I encourage to do so.

This is not about abortions - this is about the reproductive health care of millions of people.

[Imoutgoodbye]

Signed.

[Kyzarius]

Rebublicans are truly going to desroy their own support with their mindless enforcement of the ideals held by the extreme few.

They are so focused on defaming the president and disrupting the processes of government that they have utterly failed at their jobs from the first moment they took majority back in the house.

[Demiterracotta]

Signed, tweeted, posted on facebook, also printed and hanging in the local courthouse. Granted my county only has about 6000 people in it, but it IS one of the poorest counties in Idaho. Hopefully we can bring the pimp hand down on the stupid politicians who don't know what it's like to be poor.

Thanks for letting me know Pali.

[Mali]

Planned parenthood started out as, and has always been, a racist organization aimed at the murder of black children. Its founder, Margaret Sanger, created the 'negro project', believed in eugenics, and promoted involuntary sterilization of the disabled and the poor.

I am personally pro-choice, however the mind-games, deviousness, marketing and geographic strategy of planned parenthood targets minorities.

In recent phone calls to planned parenthood, a caller stated "we just think that, you know, the less black kids out there the better"

Planned parenthood replied "understandable".

Although planned parenthood has publicly separated themselves from such doctrines, in practice they continue to promote sterilization of the most disenfranchised communities.

It's time for a new organization with community family planning services to step in and do the job. Planned parenthood, in my opinion, practices an agenda that is not consistent with concepts of ethics in science and community health practice. They absolutely should not be getting federal funding.

[jibber]

We don't have enough federal money to get us out of the deficit we're in right now as it is. Why should our taxes pay for the reproductive health services of the general population that knows they can't afford children and/or the consequences of reproducing?

Ergg. That money can be used best elsewhere. Such as drilling for our own oil so that gas prices GO DOWN.

EDIT: I want to make it clear I'm okay with the preventative stuff, too. I'm pretty certain preventative services are provided in many clinics for free anyway, if you have insurance.

[Mmm Coffee]

Less access to prevention will result in an increase of unwanted child-births...which will result in decreased quality of life for those unwanted children...which will almost undoubtedly result in an increase in crime in the next couple of decades due to children being raised in an environment where they are constantly neglected and/or abused. According to Freakonomics researchers, it was the legalization of abortion in the late 70's which led to the decrease in crime in the late 90's in major cities (for which mayor Guilliani eagerly took credit for). It makes perfect sense when you look at the environment a lot of these children (wanted vs. unwanted) are raised in.

More often than not, Republicans can't see further down the road than the end of their up-turned noses.

[jibber]

Just can't fathom how people, like you, cannot see what may come if they don't stop 'reproductive' actions, especially when they KNOW they can't afford. It's called common sense, and responsibility.

And I guess the US of A has given all their rights to responsibility to the U.S. Government and their fellow tax paying citizens when they decide to be negligent.

Oh well. Darn those up-turned nosed Republicans for thinking so well for the American Public!

[Pali]

I'd find that video a lot more convincing if it weren't coming from a couple of Pro-Lifers with an interest in seeing organizations that provide abortion services attacked (I've seen the woman speak before - she talked plenty of bull then, I see no reason to trust her now). There's also the complete lack of any factual data to support the claim that Planned Parenthood is racist in its approach. Those phone calls are about as convincing to me as the footage from a couple of years back that seemed to show ACORN helping pimps and prostitutes file their taxes under euphemisms - the video was real, but reporting on it neglected to mention how the ACORN employees involved reported this stuff to the police after talking to the people. And frankly... stating concerns about minority birth rates is a kind of racism that the Republican Party itself happily endorses, and that the Tea Party is in a frenzy over (they're the ones looking to repeal the 14th Amendment that grants birthright citizenship because of all those brown people coming here and having kids).

Racist, eugenics supporting founder or not - Planned Parenthood does a LOT of good for women and kids who otherwise would not have that support. Jibber ends his post with the "if you have insurance" caveat - millions of people here still don't, and Planned Parenthood is one of the few places they can turn.

P.S. Again - Planned Parenthood provides a lot more services than just abortions or other care for pregnant women. It provides STD screenings for millions of people every year, and breast cancer exams for 800,000 women a year. And the idea that Planned Parenthood is the source of our budget woes is laughable - Medicare, Social Security, and defense spending are the causes of our budget woes.

[jibber]

Jibber ends his post with the "if you have insurance" caveat - millions of people here still don't' date=' and Planned Parenthood is one of the few places they can turn.[/quote']

---Don't wanna write a paragraph. Simple question. What about those who pay for insurance and health care?

[J.Twendrist]

Signed.

Planned parent hood does A LOT with birth control and what not for people who DON'T need to reproduce.

[Mali]

The money should be given to community health clinics that already play a role in preventing illness and upholding health in high need areas, rather than planned parenthood.

[Twinblades713]

No planned parenthood, they're nasty for the most part in nearly all of my experiences. My grandmother works in a free counciling clinic that does most of these things also for free. I know personal anecdotes don't mean much over the internet, but PP has the right idea, just the wrong methods and people, usually.

[jibber]

The money should be given to community health clinics that already play a role in preventing illness and upholding health in high need areas' date=' rather than planned parenthood.[/quote']

Thanks for saying what I was trying to say, in less words.

[The End]

*Steps up on Podium*

Republicans can see past their upturned noses sir, we can see that social programs like Planned Parenthood are failing miserably. The goal of PP was to provide certain services to the poor that otherwise could not afford them but that is not how the program is being run. Teens and children of many ages are going to PP and getting these tests for free without parental consent from parents who could easily afford them. I think that sexually active teens should have the resources to get tested but I do not agree with how it is being handled. Abortion aside PP loses money faster than a Democratic Convention in Vegas with little to no results.

We are facing a problem larger than most people can wrap their heads around. China owns our economy at this point and could with one move deflate the dollar around the globe. We have to make huge cuts in spending if there is any hope of stalling an actual depression that would make this "recession" look like a small pot hole when you are coming up to the grand canyon with no brakes.

Things are going to be different going into the future because they have to be. It would be my fondest wish to ensure the health and love of every American but sadly I can only ask they be given a chance to do so for themselves.

[Imoutgoodbye]

Kids wont' go to their parents. Parents don't discuss sex. That's essentially been "turned over" to the public school systems.

Local health clinics don't have the money and are often as "broken" as planned parenthood in the fact that whoever heads them has their own pedagogy that is enforced subtly. Fact is there is no correct method except KEEPING IT IN YOUR PANTS!

Now, here's how I see the reason for why Republicans don't want PP on the payroll still: The more people that populate this country, the more poor people are in this country. The castes continue to exist and they still have their serfs to toil for their corporations and undermine things like unions. Yes, that's a pretty extremist view, but in terms of current economics and my lack of faith in humanity in general, it's not too far off in my mind.

I will take a little extra time to point out there are some unions I don't care for. UAW being one of them. It's an example of greediness on the opposite side that can kill a corporation. Essentially the body eating itself to death. Inverse gluttony?

However, I know little about PP in general, but I doubt Pali would give false information out. He's like the League of Women Voters. All facts and nothing but the facts. Empirically so.

[Kyzarius]

*Steps up on Podium*

Republicans can see past their upturned noses sir, we can see that social programs like Planned Parenthood are failing miserably. The goal of PP was to provide certain services to the poor that otherwise could not afford them but that is not how the program is being run. Teens and children of many ages are going to PP and getting these tests for free without parental consent from parents who could easily afford them. I think that sexually active teens should have the resources to get tested but I do not agree with how it is being handled. Abortion aside PP loses money faster than a Democratic Convention in Vegas with little to no results.

We are facing a problem larger than most people can wrap their heads around. China owns our economy at this point and could with one move deflate the dollar around the globe. We have to make huge cuts in spending if there is any hope of stalling an actual depression that would make this "recession" look like a small pot hole when you are coming up to the grand canyon with no brakes.

Things are going to be different going into the future because they have to be. It would be my fondest wish to ensure the health and love of every American but sadly I can only ask they be given a chance to do so for themselves.

Yet you make your cuts in programs that are designed to help society. While at the same time condoning tax breaks to the rich, standing in the way of work to close tax loop holes designed specifically for those who do NOT need the breaks, and attacking proposals because of who presents them...and not for their value.

There is no debate that change needs to be made, but striking social programs is asinine while billions could be retained by taxing the rich equally to the sundered middle class. Yet the vision of change and retention grows fuzzy when the pundants are backed by the very people who need to pay up.

[Mmm Coffee]

but sadly I can only ask they be given a chance to do so for themselves.

And one day you'll wake up and realize this line of thinking is precisely why we're in this mess. It doesn't particularly matter if one is Rep/Dem, Liberal/Conservative...when a solution to a problem does not escape the money sequence, it is no solution at all. You either respect life or you respect money - there's hardly a gray line.

[Twinblades713]

Even though it has little to do with the op, I'd rather people who know how to succeed in an economy be the ones with the resources to make that happen for as many other people as possible. I don't minding helping the poor, but 'making ends meet' for them for one more day isn't a solution.

[The End]

Yet you make your cuts in programs that are designed to help society. While at the same time condoning tax breaks to the rich, standing in the way of work to close tax loop holes designed specifically for those who do NOT need the breaks, and attacking proposals because of who presents them...and not for their value.

There is no debate that change needs to be made, but striking social programs is asinine while billions could be retained by taxing the rich equally to the sundered middle class. Yet the vision of change and retention grows fuzzy when the pundants are backed by the very people who need to pay up.

Let's say you give 1 million dollars to the government to spend. On average 40% of that money will get to the people.

Now, give that same million dollars to a rich man. He is going to spend/invest that majority of it.

The idea behind taxing the rich sounds great until you actually see how it affects the economy. The top 10% of the people in the united states pay over 50% of the taxes for the entire United States and you want to tax them more? Nope, you give them tax breaks so they can spend that money somewhere else and they will do it much more effectively.

Social programs need to be cut out of the Federal budget and that burden should be placed on the states. They have the ability to better control these programs and fund them accordingly. The state lottery is an awesome example of this. Texas in particular had a large deficit in teacher retirement and health care so they created a state lottery that caused people to open their pocket books and took care of the problem. And one lucky SOB get's the money and pays taxes on it. You just took money from the state, paid it into the state and taxed it twice for the opportunity to win big. It was an amazing solution that came from a business owner who had something like that at his work regarding Xmas vacation.

[Imoutgoodbye]

Let's get back around to planned parenthood. They're trying, but their funding just got cut. No funding. Period. For anyone. Is the current reality. Do you really want to let that happen?

As for how to tax, etc....that's all theoretical like any source of economics. Economics is like snowflakes. There are no two identical situations and what worked in one place may not work in another and I guarantee you no matter how identical the situation, there's always a tripwire somewhere to screw the perfect plan over.

[Demiterracotta]

You know, I had a long response typed out about how ridiculous this has become.

But I think Valek said it much nicer than I was going to. (Both times.)

So props to Valek for being more tactful than I am.

Also, both democrats and republicans are gigantic morons. Make a decision based on the specific issue, not based on a donkey or an elephant. Seriously, who goes 'Hey guys, they picked an Elephant/Donkey as their mascot! We need to have an Elephant/Donkey as ours!'.

I would have picked a Manticore, or like a Manbearpig.....

[Pali]

---Don't wanna write a paragraph. Simple question. What about those who pay for insurance and health care?

Frankly, I don't think anyone should have to pay for health care - I think that it should be included for all among other government provided services like education, police/firefighter/emergency services, etc. Being part of a country that views human health care as a for-profit industry makes me sick sometimes.

But to more directly answer your question - what about them? They have the resources to obtain these things themselves. That's fine. But not everyone has those resources. If you don't want to be helping out the less fortunate, then how do you feel about your tax money going to educate kids whose parents can't afford private education? Do you have a problem with kids of poor parents receiving half-priced or free school lunches? As much as we like to say it is, the economic system in America is not a place where everyone can make it big if only they try hard enough - that's only slightly less a fairy tale than Jonah and the whale is. There are lots of people who work their butts off just trying to make rent by the end of the month and put food on the table for their kids - these people don't deserve to be screwed over for getting sick, for getting an STD, or for accidentally getting pregnant, and without organizations like Planned Parenthood they ARE screwed over. Keep in mind here the rationale for targeting Planned Parenthood in the legislation - that federal money should not go to any organization that provides abortions. If this reasoning is allowed for P.P., then abortion services across the country will effectively disappear - that's the goal here, not keeping your money from going to help disadvantaged people.

And as Valek mentioned - kids don't talk sex with their parents. I never had a sex talk with mine, nor has almost anyone I've known. I have personally taken numerous friends or girlfriends to Planned Parenthood for STD screenings and pregnancy tests specifically because they were too embarrassed to talk to their parents on the subject. You may say community health clinics are the way to go here - hey, they're great too, and I've love to see more of them. But Planned Parenthood providing a specific set of reproductive health-related services is valuable because those services are a lot more hit or miss elsewhere. Lots of community clinics will not provide abortions, or even birth control, because of the religious beliefs of individuals working at them.

In the end, a lot of this isn't really the issue at stake here. This is a political issue, not a budgetary one or a question of Planned Parenthood's effectiveness - this is an attack on an institution that provides abortion services, and primarily to people who tend to vote Democrat (edit: although, in the end, the true effect would simply be anti-woman). This is an anti-choice and anti-Democrat move - not an anti-Planned Parenthood one. Planned Parenthood's just a convenient target. This is part of a concerted effort by Republicans to ensure their continued political dominance - the attack on unions going on here in Wisconsin and in other states is another part of that.

[Nekky]

I am unsure of the exact workings of the American medical system, so someone kindly fill me in.

I have been injured playing basketball before, and I have simply gone to a hospital right away and shown them my Medicare card. Then they sort me out. Medicare is free and available to any citizen.

What would happen if a similar thing occurred in America?

[Pali]

Depends on your situation. If you've got insurance (edit: this should be read as "if your job provides either insurance as part of your pay or enough pay otherwise to afford it"), you'd show your card, and eventually you'll get sent the deductible bill (insurance here usually requires you to pay for services up to a certain point, or a percentage of service, in addition to regular dues). If you don't have insurance, you'd get treated - and then get a bill that you will likely spend years paying off (as well as the interest on this bill). My coworker accidentally cut his hand two years ago - he just finished paying off the bills.

EDIT: By the way, for chronic conditions: if you don't have insurance, you either pay out of pocket the exorbitant costs of doctors visits and drugs - or you suffer and run to the emergency room whenever it becomes immediately life-threatening, again racking up more bills. If you don't have insurance, things like regular doctor visits very likely will not happen - I personally have not set foot within a hospital or doctor's office in years. Things like long-term psychiatric care are entirely out of the question.

EDIT 2: By the way... this doesn't just affect negatively the health (I'd love it if we could ignore the pocketbooks a moment) of the people without insurance. People without insurance also tend to not get immunizations - and immunization works through herd immunity, not individual immunity. Diseases that used to be pretty much gone in America are making a comeback - and this is not just because of the insanity of the anti-vaccination movement.