By Jim Sedlak
Planned Parenthood has been taking some major hits in the last year—both to its image and to its ability to achieve its goals. In this commentary we will take a quick look at what is happening to Planned Parenthood and offer at least one reasonable explanation.
First, let’s look at the facts.
There is no person, on either side of this struggle, who can deny that the entire fight against Planned Parenthood has taken a dramatic turn. Thousands of people across the country have been motivated to enter this fight against Planned Parenthood.
The former director of a Planned Parenthood abortion mill, Abby Johnson, who left Planned Parenthood in 2009, received the grace to write a book and reveal inside secrets about Planned Parenthood. Her book was released in January 2011 and is now a major weapon in the fight.
Against all odds, workers at Planned Parenthood facilities continue to fail to recognize Lila Rose and her Live Action films team. As a result, she continues to be able to capture undercover video at Planned Parenthood locations and make public what goes on there—the covering up of statutory rape, the willingness to fund abortions of African-American babies, and even the willingness to provide abortion and other services to people who claim to be involved in sex trafficking.
States across the nation continue to investigate Planned Parenthood’s filing of false claims for government money. From New York and New Jersey to California and Washington state, Planned Parenthood has been found to have overcharged the taxpayers millions of dollars.
In January 2011, STOPP’s annual survey of Planned Parenthood locations showed that the organization closed down more than twice the number of clinics over the last year than it had done in any previous year.
In addition, the House of Representatives went from having 182 votes in favor of defunding Planned Parenthood in 2009, to 241 votes this year. The major cause of the shift was all the new Congressmen elected in November 2010.
For the first time in history, the United States Senate had an up-or-down vote on funding Planned Parenthood (by name) and, although we got just 42 votes, it was historic and meaningful. We note that, of the 58 votes in favor of Planned Parenthood, at least 25 of those Senators face an election next year.
Emboldened by the events in Washington, states all across the nation are actively trying to cut off taxpayer funds from Planned Parenthood. As I write this, Indiana and Kansas have already passed legislation, and many other states—including Minnesota, North Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin—are aggressively seeking to do likewise. Planned Parenthood has enlisted the aid of the Obama administration and it is desperately fighting to keep these funds, but the fact that it has to fight at all is showing how the organization’s fortunes are waning.
The number and diversity of groups that now view the fight against Planned Parenthood as one in which they must be involved have increased tremendously.
Why? What is different in 2011?
There are many people who will offer their own answers to these questions, but I would like to put forward one that makes the most sense to me.
It was just about a year ago that the fight against Planned Parenthood took a dramatic shift.
On Saturday, May 15, 2010, American Life League launched the Bringing Jesus to Planned Parenthood through Mary campaign with a rosary procession from the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, DC to Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington’s facility on 16th Street NW—where we consecrated the battle against Planned Parenthood to Our Blessed Mother. You can view the video of the event at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veekx2W0Fvc.
On that day, we consecrated the entire fight against Planned Parenthood to our Blessed Mother and implored her to use the power granted to her by God to close down Planned Parenthood. I firmly believe that this act of faith, which was repeated in many parishes and in front of Planned Parenthood facilities all across the country, is behind what is happening to Planned Parenthood.
Yes, there are many secular aspects to this battle. There are many, many people and organizations involved and each is working in his or her own way to contribute to the demise of this demonic organization. The work of everyone is needed to use all the resources at our disposal to bring attention to Planned Parenthood’s evil work and to stop it.
But, as we acknowledge the great work of all those involved, we must recognize that the fight against Planned Parenthood is a spiritual war. That war is being directed by our Lord, Jesus, through his mother, Mary. Let us say a prayer of thanks, and move forward to bring about the ultimate end of Planned Parenthood.
Jim Sedlak is vice president of American Life League and a recognized expert on Planned Parenthood. Jim is the author the book, PARENT POWER!! and appears on numerous local and national radio talk programs. In 1993, Jim was identified by Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) as one of the 15 “most active” fighters against PP sex education programs. Jim cofounded and was director of STOPP (Stop Planned Parenthood) from 1986 to 1994. He founded and was president of STOPP International from 1994 to 1998, when it merged into American Life League.