Planned Parenthood, What next?

There was a little tidbit in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Friday about a daylong event called an African-American Day of Action "organized by Planned Parenthood" which would take place on Saturday 7/29 at the Urban Underground. The purpose was to teach skills to begin their pre-election campaign. The skills were "how to operate a phone bank and how to collect signatures for a petition" so it sounds like this is political advocacy.

First, I believe the law states that any organization that accepts federal funding, and Planned Parenthood receives millions, cannot devote more than a minimal percentage of their activities to political advocacy. Now I already know that Planned Parenthood in WI has a political action arm with a membership and a link to its website on the PPWI.org site. I already know that they distribute position papers to "educate" legislators on the bills before them as well as testify at all hearings en masse. I also know they have fancy mailings to districts where they want a candidate defeated, the "Shame on You" series. They also have Emails and newsletters to further their views. Maybe they have diversified their services so much (they do seem to be involved in everything), all that advocacy comes within the federal law parameters.

Although the focus of their campaign is protection of women's reproductive rights, this will impact the education of children. They are recruiting and training people in the black community to advocate for the agenda they promote and financially benefit from. Planned Parenthood staff actually teach condom/contraception education in the Milwaukee Public schools, receiving government funding to do so. The public schools teach abstinence education only through voluntary programs such as Best Men and Best Friends which are offered at a few sites. There are some additional after-school programs in school space but they are not offered by MPS. So lets not get the idea that some great change has occurred; all MPS students receive condom and contraception sex ed.

As of July 1st, the law changed in WI and now the expected behavior objective of sex education is abstinence for unmarried school pupils stressing the fact that abstinence is 100% effective in the prevention of STD and pregnancy. This is the only change in the status quo of sex education. So what is all the hubbub about? Comprehensive education wasn't outlawed; abstinence education didn't become the law of the state. Can thinking adults possibly be arguing that, even though teens are the most vulnerable to the consequences of sex, they should not be encouraged to wait? Unfortunately, as was noted in an earlier blog, lots of people of influence do take exception to anyone being encouraged not to have sex no matter how dire the reasons.

So is Planned Parenthood training advocates just so their contract with MPS is secure? Believe me, I have seen nothing in practice before or after this law that would indicate a change of heart in DPI, MPS or DHFS (where the State Abstinence Consultant is employed). Yes, DPI is writing a new framework for abstinence instruction. But Planned Parenthood, as the guardian of free choice, should have no problems with what I have previewed--it is primarily role plays for getting out of sexual situations. Learning refusal skills is just protection of free choice; its not abstinence education. However, since it isn't, the state cannot use federal abstinence dollars for that curriculum. Aha! So now those state employees need a funding source to create, train teachers in, distribute and evaluate the curriculum they want to develop. That would be a different grant than the funds currently used by Planned Parenthood. So it is all about money and salaries!!!!

Planned Parenthood is probably spearheading an assault because its proposed Responsible Sex Education Act failed. That would explain Rep. Tamara Grigsby's key role in the event--it was her bill. I just can't understand how they can take the same vulnerable minorities that have suffered the most from sexual behavior gone awry...the same people who "benefit" from free condom and contraception accessibility through multiple Planned Parenthood clinics in their neighborhoods, and USE them yet again to further their agenda. If they are so sure what they are doing is best for kids then try convincing those adults picking up the pieces of broken lives to be their advocates. There are many leaders in those neighborhoods that feel Planned Parenthood has done far more harm than good in their community.