In many ways, this is the greatest time to be involved in fighting the organization that runs the largest abortion chain in the United States. This organization is in trouble and is desperately seeking ways to shore up its business. If you will take action in your town today, you can defeat Planned Parenthood once and for all.
Let me quickly tell you how we got to where we are today, and then we’ll tell you what you can do to help bring about PP’s demise.
PP has always wanted to be everywhere. Its plan was to open facilities in just about every community in the nation and to be seen as just part of the landscape—as normal as businesses such as McDonalds or Starbucks, or any other large chain. So, back in 1993, when it had 922 facilities across the country, it announced that it aimed to have 2,000 clinics by 2000.
Citizens win; Planned Parenthood loses
Citizens just like you rose up at that time to prevent this from happening. Stop Planned Parenthood International (STOPP) put together a “Plan to Defeat Planned Parenthood,” and many other organizations joined in the fight. The plan was to keep PP out of new communities and get it out of existing communities. And . . . it worked!
We were all so effective that PP reached its zenith in 1995 (at 938 facilities), but immediately began to decline. By the year 2000, much to its displeasure, it reported that it had only 875 clinics! That was 47 less than it had in 1993.
Not willing to accept defeat, PP came up with a plan to expand by opening “express clinics.” These were small, storefront operations that did not offer physical exams, but dispensed birth control and made referrals to the nearest PP facility. The idea was to get the PP brand into shopping malls, including luxury malls, and increase its name recognition and business. After a couple of small beginnings, it began this effort in earnest in 2005, when it had 47 express clinics nationwide.
STOPP, which is an American Life League program, began counseling concerned citizens on how to fight these express clinics. Since they were located inside upscale malls, normal picketing was not possible. But malls could not ban T-shirts and literature, and thus activists wearing anti-PP T-shirts and handing out pro-life literature at the clinic doors soon took their toll. By the end of 2010, all of PP’s express clinics had closed down and its express clinic experiment was declared a failure.
Under Mary’s mantle
In 2009, we at STOPP made a major shift in our strategy to combat Planned Parenthood. Inspired by much prayer, we publicly dedicated the fight against PP to Mary, the Mother of God. We asked the Blessed Mother to take control of this effort and inspire groups all across the country to expand their battle to defeat PP.
As our visible part of this renewed effort, we began our “Bringing Jesus to Planned Parenthood through Mary” campaign. This was embraced by groups and dioceses nationwide, and as a result, pro-life activity at PP locations increased.
Let me stress that it was not just the efforts of ALL’s STOPP program that increased. Pro-life groups ranging from 40 Days for Life, to Operation Rescue, to Live Action, and many more all independently stepped up their efforts to combat PP. The results have been incredible. Contrary to what PP tells the world, people have learned that women can get high-quality health care even when no PP facility is available.
In 2013 alone, PP opened 13 new facilities in the United States and closed down a whopping 48! At the end of 2013, a physical count of its facilities showed that the number had dropped to 695 facilities—less than it had when the Supreme Court decriminalized abortion in 1973 (see Celebrate Life Magazine, March-April). While this count is 243 less than it was in 1995, it still represents a tremendous number of facilities spreading sin, disease, and death all across our land. So, we need to keep moving forward.
Planned Parenthood’s newest thrust
Planned Parenthood, of course, has not thrown in the towel. It is looking for ways to turn everything around. Since current PP president Cecile Richards is, like PP founder Margaret Sanger, a community organizer at heart, she has turned to what she knows best.
PP closed a physical facility in Yuma County, Arizona, late last year. But rather than just leave town—as it has in the past—it decided to hire a “regional health coordinator,” as Rita Diller, STOPP’s national director, mentioned in the May-June issue of Celebrate Life Magazine.
We’ve included the basic job description for this position in the sidebar, but according to material released by PP, the RHC will promote PP’s new “three-fold focus”:
First, Planned Parenthood will work to expand access to comprehensive sexual health education by talking directly to leaders in the school districts about teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases in their schools and opportunities to reduce incidents by incorporating a sexual health curriculum [sic]. Planned Parenthood offers a curriculum at no cost and will train all educators and school nurses at no charge. . .
Second, Planned Parenthood will facilitate access to hard-to-find sexual and reproductive health serviceswith the on-the-go ability to book health care appointments. For example, the coordinator might be approached by an audience member after a talk requesting a referral. The coordinator would immediately be able to book the appointment at [another facility] with a tablet [a small, portable computer]. The organization will also have funds available to help people connect with needed health care. For example, if certain services are only available outside the county and a woman needs gas money or help with the cost of child care to get there, the organization will help pay her expenses.
Third, it will promote health care education among community organizations and the general population.Planned Parenthood hopes to partner with local groups, including civic and social organizations. Among the topics that can be discussed: how parents can have “the” conversation with their child or what family planning options are available. (Yuma Sun, December 2, 2013; emphases added)
So, the RHC is going to push sex education, contraception, and abortion (that’s what “hard-to-find sexual and reproductive health services” means to PP). And if necessary, PP will pay for a woman to travel to a PP abortion mill to have her baby killed.
Take action!
The STOPP program is currently working with ALL’s Associate group in Yuma to take specific action against Planned Parenthood’s new push there. However, PP has said that it is a trial for this approach, and it hopes to roll it out all across the country. We’ve learned that if you take action now to stop PP from coming to your community, it will be a much easier fight than trying to get it out later. So, here is what you can do to protect your community:
1. Pray that the Blessed Mother and the Holy Spirit will guide your efforts.
2. Educate everyone about PP (information and videos are available at STOPP.org). Subscribe to the Wednesday STOPP Report for the latest information.
3. Circulate petitions letting your schools know you do not want PP anywhere near your children.
4. Get a free copy of Parent Power!! from the STOPP website, and learn how to determine whether offensive sex programs are in your schools and how to get them out.
5. Circulate petitions letting your local government know you do not want them funding or referring people to PP for any reason.
6. Contact ALL’s STOPP program to get personal advice and help from Rita Diller or Jim Sedlak (jsedlak@all.org) on what you can do. Jim and Rita are also available to give talks in your town.
7. If you already have a PP facility in town, do all of the above and begin a “Bringing Jesus to Planned Parenthood through Mary” campaign.
8. If you already have a pro-life group, join ALL’s Associate Program by contacting Rey Flores, and get ongoing help for all of your pro-life efforts.
9. Pray that God will protect your community and your children from the ravages of PP!
You can stop Planned Parenthood if you act today. We are here to help!
SIDEBAR: Job description for Planned Parenthood’s regional health coordinator
Editor’s note: This is an abridged version of a Planned Parenthood job announcement previously posted on its website. The emphases have been added.
Planned Parenthood Arizona currently has openings for a full-time Regional Health Coordinator in Yavapai and Yuma Counties. Starting salary range for this position is $35,221 to $44,026 DOE with excellent benefits.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Associate’s degree (A.A.) and three years of related work experience, preferably in a non-profit setting or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Experience with community engagement and/or education preferred.
Expert proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Ability to maintain organizational files and daily projects in a systematic manner. Ability to prioritize daily, weekly and monthly projects and to meet deadlines.
In-state travel of up to 25% may be required.
MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:
Under the general supervision and direction of the Vice President of External Affairs, the Regional Health Coordinator is responsible for coordinating access to PPAZ’s mission and services in his/her assigned region. The Coordinator expands access to comprehensive and accurate sexual health information, facilitates access to hard-to-find sexual and reproductive health services and identifies, engages and mobilizes community activists and financial supporters who want to move Planned Parenthood’s vision forward.
Under the guidance of the Director of Education, identifies target school districts and works with school leadership to move toward adoption of a comprehensive sexual health curriculum policy in these districts to advance the Sexual Health and Responsible Education (SHARE) initiative [see Rita Diller’s article in Celebrate Life Magazine, May-June].
Through standing “office hours” and at public events, provides appropriate referrals to either local health care providers or to PPAZ’s health care facilities for community members who have questions about, or are seeking reproductive health care.
In collaboration with the Community Engagement Coordinator, recruits and develops a cadre of community activists that can be deployed to advance PPAZ’s mission and goals. Ensures these activists stay informed about PPAZ’s activities and achievements, as well as keeping them connected to the organization and to each other.
Under the guidance of the Director of Public Policy, implements the agency’s public policy goals and grassroots organizing efforts in the assigned region.
Collaborates with Communications & Marketing to develop and implement community engagement campaigns and events to reach targeted communities.
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