Planned Parenthood speaks devil-speak

[dflprincess]

This is from Doug Grow's column in today's Minneapolis Star Tribune. You absolutely have to read the whole thing, I had to cut too much out.

http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4645818.html
<snip>

One woman who opposes abortion has "saved" a handful of St. Paul boys and their fathers from participating in a program designed to promote healthy discussion of sexuality.

In fact, the voice of Darla Meyers, an abortion foe from Hudson, Wis., has echoed so loudly that the YMCA of Greater St. Paul and Planned Parenthood of Minnesota/South Dakota have agreed to cancel four similar parent-child events that had been scheduled in future months at the YMCA camp just south of Hudson.

"We have to be concerned with the safety of children at the camp," said Bette Fenton, a spokeswoman for the St. Paul Area YMCA in explaining why the lease to hold the four events at the Y camp was canceled. She said the YMCA, which takes no position on abortion and has no relationship with Planned Parenthood, was committed to offering its facilities for the Saturday program. But she also said the organization had been receiving e-mails so strident in tone that it was impossible to ignore safety concerns at future events.

Saturday's program was to have been a collaboration of the St. Paul Urban League and Planned Parenthood of Minnesota/South Dakota. Seven fathers and their adolescent sons were to have participated in the program, designed to improve communications between parents and children when the subject is sex.

But no matter the mission, the organization's name, "Planned Parenthood," is a red flag to people such as Meyers. The only acceptable lesson children should hear, she.said, is abstinence. "Planned Parenthood does not teach abstinence," Meyers said. "It doesn't teach abstinence because without future customers it wouldn't be in business."

[FizzFuzz]

1. our own worst enemies

[Tank in Texas]

3. "Christofascists"

Please lose the Christian-bashing signature. Not all Christians believe the exact same thing- I happen to know Christians who work at Planned Parenthood.

ALL religions have their fundies. There are extremists in any gathering of human opinion and belief.

[thebigidea]

4. if you don't identify yourself by that label, why be offended?

pre-emptive outrage?

[Tank in Texas]

5. Because next thing you know...

...I'll be the one s/he will try to put in a little box. Stereotypes are WAY too convenient rather used by the right or the left.

[FizzFuzz]

6. sorry

Thank you for reminding me that there are Christians who don't fit the fascist mold that state-sponsored christianity has taken on. Please keep it up and let people know---thank you so much for supporting Planned Parenthood too!!! It is so terribly important in this time of authoritarian misogyny.

I'm really sorry that my by-line offends you, but I would rather keep it. Not a personal attack on you, just a reminder that there is a large powerful cabal of people using the name "Christian" to confer upon themselves an aura of righteousness, to fool and suck in the easily led.

Of course, that name has nothing to do with the true spirituality of Christianity. I think we witness our spirituality, whatever "brand" it may be, by our acts of wisdom, courage and compassion, more than we do by protesting our chosen label.

[Tank in Texas]

7. How about "neochristians?"

Thank you for the apology. I appreciate it.

[FizzFuzz]

10. more than welcome, Tank

:)

That's part of my spiritual practice.. to sincerely consider the matter when someone criticizes me, and make amends. I see so many people who can't make a simple apology, and that saddens me (ok I admit, it pisses me off, too! :P ). I consider blame shifting and avoiding self-responsibility to be very self-destructive habits.

neochristian is good too, but I gotta admit, "christofascist" has a jolt to it that I WANT. I WANT people to get jolted out of unconsciousness, to see that these people have nothing to do with Christianity or any other spiritual tradition.

[TheMightyFavog]

11. or Fundiefascists

That has a ring to it...

[MinnFats]

2. Our state's drift ....no, lurch, to the right must be reversed....

.....
I used to be so proud of my state....
Gotta love Doug Growe though. He's got his work cut out for him, huh>

God, I miss Paul Wellstone....

[Zookeeper]

8. I almost posted that article myself....

yesterday, but decided to go with "Arab-American unite to unseat President."

One thing that really struck me in the column:

How does one woman with such stunningly extremist views have such power? Meyers said she belongs to no organization. "Organizations are too restrictive," she said. Her power, she said, is from God.

*******

It's amazing that one extremist is allowed to have that much influence!

[FizzFuzz]

9. having a quick read of that article now...

How does one rabid extremist hold such power?

When one espouses the views their OWN GOVERNMENT holds; when one can easily threaten violence (no the article makes no direct mention of threats of violence. But the tone of the hate-mailers was "dark" and "frightening"); when one can enlist other hate-filled fanatics to disrupt and scare reasonable people, then yeah, its easy to hold such power.

I am so saddened that the people holding that excellent program caved in to the goddamned maniacs. Saddened is too light a word for how I feel. :(

How truly truly evil, that people claiming to have a hotline to "God", self-righteously creating lies, psychotically ignoring reality, violently thwart the efforts of people TRULY making a difference and helping others.