Why do rational people come up with stupid suggestions?

[DFW]

I know a guy, not exactly traditional, libertarian, lives alone with his pets, vegetarian, successful in business, perfectly pleasnt guy to talk to. He just suggested that Planned Parenthood "spin off its abortion business" so as not to run afoul of ant-abortion-right people.

SPIN OFF its "abortion business???" PP is not in the abortion business!! Holy crap, and people actually believe this BS?


Here, for the record, was my response:

Fer Pete's sake!! PP's "abortion business?" Where in the world did THAT one come from? PP provides a whole range of women's health services, of which only a tiny peripheral sliver is abortion, and none of that is federally funded. This is like asking you to spin off (a very peripheral area of his own) business from the rest of your dealings. It's a ridiculous emphasis on something they do not emphasize. Cecile is a friend of mine. Too bad I can't introduce you. She could set you straight on what they do for real. My wife's life was just saved because a heads-up German gynecologist spotted a deadly uterine cancer before it had the chance to spread. That is mostly the kind of thing that PP does, but the ant-abortion rights crowd would rather shut PP down and let women like my wife die. I feel about them as I do about any other murderers.

I should have added that anyone who is NOT a vegetarian and is cool with the death penalty has NO business calling themselves "pro-life." He IS vegetarian, and I don't know his views on the death penalty, so I didn't bring it up.

[Warpy]

1. Well, since he's anatomically exempt from needing women's health care

we know what his opinion on it is worth and where he can stick it. You can't "spin off" an essential part of our health care. Although we regret having to use abortion services, we know they save lives. After all, we regret needing other life saving things like gallbladder surgery, too. None of it will make anybody's day.

Now notice I don't call your friend an idiot, he's unlikely to be one. He's just going to sound like one when he steps too far out of his area of expertise, something I think we've all experienced from time to time. You might caution him about this, or you might not. Women's health is not his area of expertise and I suggest he do more listening than talking.

[WePurrsevere]

2. PP also isn't just for women's health issues. They offer services for men too...

It's just not as well known although they should be IMO.
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/men

Men’s Sexual Health Services at Planned Parenthood

Services offered at Planned Parenthood health centers vary by location. Some of the services include
checkups for reproductive or sexual health problems
colon, prostate, and testicular cancer screenings
condoms and vasectomy
erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation services, including education, exams, treatment, and referral
general health care and routine physical exams
jock itch exam and treatment
male infertility screening and referral
STD testing and treatment
urinary tract infections testing and treatment

Their services have literally saved the LIVES of women and men. Compared to all the other important and needed health services they provide, abortion is a very small percent of their health services.

[JI7]

3. he is libertarian and in my experience they have less concern for others

than the republicans.

[Doreen]

4. Less than 2% of their.....uhmm....."business" has to do with actual abortion.

Are there ANY men or women who realize that they have men who get care from PP also? You would think that if men realized they can get tested for testicular cancer....You know...to save their life...and...oh keep their damn penis healthy they would not want to close it so quickly.

[milestogo]

5. "lives alone with his pets, vegetarian"

Let's unpack this. What exactly is it you are implying here?

You don't like his view on PP, fine. Why can't you just stick to the subject instead of broad brushing the person who is apparently different than you?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. I think the OP was simply trying to point out

that the guy doesn't fit the stereotype of the PP hater.

Relax.

[DFW]

7. Thanks for that!

I'm not used to the fact that all-consuming anger and the need to lash out isn't limited to Republicans

[milestogo]

10. DU apparently tolerates bigotry when directed towards single people.

Both of you have legitimized and trivialized it.

[kimbutgar]

8. He probably is such a loser he doesn't have a woman in his life to explain things to him

The biggest critics of planned parenthood I have encountered are men who have no relationships with women outside of their mothers or sisters.

[Amaryllis]

9. Mostly it's ignorance. LIke i have one friend that when I said they stole the election, he said

"I don't think that happened." He knew NOTHING about any of the RUssia stuff or any of the R dirty voter suppression tricks. This was several months ago...he might feel differently now; i got him watching RAchel at least occasionally. Before that he got all his info from NPR.