Now its Planned Parenthood who’s trying to do us in

Apparently a group of Black church leaders has decided to protest Planned Parenthoods funding due to the "genocide" it is participating in against blacks http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,352537,00.html. This pisses me off, not only because there are so many other things the black leaders could be protesting but because the rationale is ridiculous. First and foremost it is a woman's right to get an abortion if she so chooses in this country. I am all for that right. Second planned parenthoods are all across the country including many large urban areas because, wait for it, there are a lot of people in large urban areas. Third Planned Parenthood does not contact and harass all black women that become pregnant these women go here on their own accord to have this private procedure done.

This is just religion butting into the most personal of issues. I'm sure no woman is happy about getting an abortion. It's a painful and hard choice. Only that woman knows what her circumstances are. For a group of pastors to wish that this organization that provides health educational materials, contraceptives, STD and HIV tests to many young men and women that probably don't even have primary physicians is ridiculous. I completely understand the argument against abortion it's killing a baby, stopping the cells from reproducing, terminating the pregnancy whatever you want to call it. Abortion exists for a reason. Before it was legal women got them, if it ever becomes illegal again women will still have abortions.

If you don't know a series of calls were made by people posing as donors to Planned Parenthood suggesting that their dollars be used only to support the abortion of black babies, yeah you read that right. The posers were very overt and obvious with their racist requests and the planned parenthood workers who received the calls were happy to tell them what they wanted to hear to get the donation. This I will agree is wrong and anyone who agrees and encourages philanthropy based on racism should be swiftly relieved of their post. Do I believe that Planned Parenthood is trying to kill off the black race, of course not! Not too long ago there was another group of church folk who are white that complained that Planned Parenthood was apart of some conspiracy to kill off white children. Every group feels that Planned Parenthood is trying to do them in.

Birth control needs to exist, people are going to have sex, it's a fact of life. Abortions serve a purpose. If everyone who engaged in sexual activity was monogamous and married or in a stable relationship with jobs to care for themselves and their children there probably would be no need. As we all know that's <1% of people who have kids. Even if you are in said relationship and don't want to lead a Mormon like existence with 15 kids, you still want to have sex with your mate and you need to prevent the kiddies from popping out. To say that all abortions are done on poor women is completely false. It transcends race and socio-economic class.

As always I have a solution. Instead of these black pastors trying to end the "genocide" they could encourage open speech about health and sexuality in their churches. Provide classes for girls and young women that teach facts, "just don't do it" won't suffice. Go out into the community and provide mentoring and child care services for young women. Seek out young women who are pregnant or who have kids dedicate one of the many offerings to providing some help for them, doesn't have to be a lot but some diapers or formula once a month would be great. Encourage an open message of acceptance even if a woman does decide to have an abortion don't make her feel like she's some evil wicked person. Encourage the members of your congregation to "adopt" a young woman in their lives to help with their self image to be someone to turn to in a crisis. Doesn't have to be all Jesus this and God that but many young black women who wind up pregnant would benefit from positive female role models,b black or not. While abstinence is great its not realistic, be able to give accurate information on birth control and make them believe that their body is a temple that is nothing to be ashamed of. Let's stop blaming everyone else for what we as individuals decide to do. Planned Parenthood doesn't force abortions on anyone, women make that choice. If you want them to avoid that choice it's up to you to reach them first.