Planned Parenthood performs 323,999 abortions per year, according to its most recently available annual report. The organization commits the lion’s share, approximately 35 percent of the nation’s abortions. But the group’s supporters seem to attempt to avoid this inconvenient fact at all costs, instead highlighting Planned Parenthood’s legitimate healthcare services, which continue to plummet, even with increases in taxpayer funding.
One of the latest attempts at avoidance comes from Planned Parenthood supporter and well-known screenwriter Joss Whedon. In advertising Whedon’s new short film, Planned Parenthood invites viewers to say “Hell Yes, I Stand With PP!” The choice language isn’t the worst part, however. Planned Parenthood also wants viewers to “Watch. Share. Slay.”
If you didn’t know that the term “slay” was a play on Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you’d probably do a double-take. Slaying babies is what Planned Parenthood does every day (about 887 times) — it just doesn’t want anyone to talk about that inconvenient fact.
“If there’s anything we’ve learned from Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, The Avengers) over the years, it’s this — every single one of us has a hero inside; and it’s our responsibility to use our superpowers to slay,” Planned Parenthood claims.
Yes, “slaying” children in the name of empowerment is just so very heroic, isn’t it? Or not.
Planned Parenthood also calls the film”chilling” and “powerful.” No, it’s actually propaganda, and completely made-up nonsense. But I’ll tell you what’s powerful and chilling: the fact that Planned Parenthood rakes in over half a billion dollars per year from taxpayers, has been entangled in scandals and law-breaking, and kills more human beings than the population of Riverside, California, every single year.
The dramatic film is about the supposed fate which will befall America in the event that Planned Parenthood is defunded, which somehow means locations will have to close. Whedon’s film claims several supposed catastrophes will be averted if Planned Parenthood remains open, including:
- A woman celebrating her birthday with family members, instead of dying from cancer, because Planned Parenthood was able to catch it early
- A young high school couple avoids the awkwardness of STI’s thanks to peer education
- A young woman is able to attend college on a full scholarship, instead of having to deal with an unplanned pregnancy (as if she couldn’t do both), thanks to Planned Parenthood providing her with birth control
- Another young woman is also able to attend college, instead of dealing with her almost comically dramatic sobbing mother when her pregnancy test comes back positive
The film involves a lot in reverse, including the climatic moment when the young woman who couldn’t go to college because she got pregnant, shows up to a closed Planned Parenthood.
But wait! Suddenly the music changes, and the young woman and those behind her are seen walking ahead into Planned Parenthood, instead of going in reverse as they had been for the rest of the short film. In case the music didn’t make it obvious enough, viewers are supposed to rejoice! Planned Parenthood is a bright and welcoming place, with thriving and happy people inside.
The video ends by asking, “What world do you want?” along with a reminder to #StandwithPP.
Personally, I’d like a world not dominated by utterly ridiculous propaganda supporting the nation’s largest abortion chain?
Here’s a sampling of what’s wrong with Whedon’s video:
1. Defunding Planned Parenthood does not mean locations will be forced to close.
If Planned Parenthood is defunded, it does not mean that Big Government will storm through every location, kick everyone out, and put police tape around the area. What it does mean is that Planned Parenthood will have to stand on its own two feet, just like plenty of nonprofits do (and yes, Planned Parenthood claims to be a nonprofit organization). This also brings us to the fact that…
2. Planned Parenthood is already closing locations, all on its own.
As Live Action News just reported, Planned Parenthood is closing its sole remaining location in Wyoming, admitting that there are other places women in the state can go to for healthcare. While the location did not commit abortions, it did do referrals.
This is hardly the only Planned Parenthood location which has closed — Planned Parenthood has closed about 200 of its own centers in recent years. There seems to be a pattern — most of the locations being shuttered don’t commit abortions, further highlighting that Planned Parenthood is first and foremost an abortion corporation.
3. Pregnancy, parenting, and getting an education need not be mutually exclusive.
Whedon’s film certainly takes on a pro-Planned Parenthood tone, as well as a doom and gloom sense that the world will end without Planned Parenthood’s services. But it’s not very pro-woman to suggest that pregnant and parenting women need to choose between their education and having a baby. While the abortion industry, including and especially Planned Parenthood, claims that women can only get an education and succeed when they are not pregnant, the pro-life movement is there to support women and tell them otherwise. Student for Life of America’s Pregnant on Campus initiative is one source of help, and the story of Janel Lanae Young is an inspiring example.
4. There are other ways teens can learn about avoiding STI’s.
Sex education is already a part of many schools’ curricula, though it can get problematic when Planned Parenthood is involved in delivering sex education to students. Far too often, students are sold not only a false sense of security when it comes to ‘safer sex,’ but are also taught to rely upon Planned Parenthood for reproductive health services. In many cases, trusting Planned Parenthood has not panned out well for minors.
Live Action investigations show Planned Parenthood staffers giving minors sexually explicit and disturbing information, including recommending porn and BDSM practices.
5. Planned Parenthood is not the only place for healthcare services, including and especially cancer screenings.
Planned Parenthood is outnumbered by the thousands when it comes to healthcare. With 13,000 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) available in this country, Planned Parenthood’s cancer screenings are minuscule. Planned Parenthood provides zero mammograms, 1.8 percent of breast exams, and 0.97 percent of Pap smears. Women are clearly going somewhere else for cancer screenings.
Even if Planned Parenthood were to close locations, whether it’s due to a lack of demand, a desire to focus and commit more to the locations performing abortions, or any other reason, women will not be in horrific situations. There are plenty of other places to turn to for legitimate health care services.
