Alice Paul’s birthday was celebrated earlier this month. Born in 1885, Paul was a feminist icon whose career spanned two continents.
Like many of her peers, she opposed abortion, calling it “exploitation.” Her main struggle, however, was over voting rights. A century ago, some felt women simply couldn’t handle political arguments, but thankfully such backward, paternalistic ideas can now only be found in history books… and on Tumblr:
“Safe space” feminists seem to think that women, much like small children or kittens, are traumatized by intellectual debate and need to be protected from it. Considering the ladies in my life range from attorneys to war vets, I’m a little skeptical about this. I’m also skeptical about disagreement being “a slippery slope to misogyny and abuse.” I know something that is, though.
Planned Parenthood is America’s largest abortion chain, performing over three hundred thousand abortions every year. Its staff aren’t too picky about who they perform them on, either. In 2014, a Colorado clinic employee admitted under oath that “being thirteen and pregnant alone is not a red flag.” Timothy Smith discovered this when he brought his 13 year-old stepdaughter there after getting her pregnant. When the evidence was gone, the abuse resumed.
Gary Cross also visited Planned Parenthood after his wife noticed that her 13-year-old daughter was gaining weight. Once again, staff set up an abortion instead of contacting the authorities. Cross went back to raping the girl when they were done.
Denise Fairbanks’ father went to Planned Parenthood for help, too. So did fellow child predators John Blanks, Jr., Adam Gault, Joseph Coles, Kevon Walker, Edgar Ramirez, and Grey David Woods.
Alleged Arizona serial rapist Tyler Kost apparently got a hand without even knowing it. When a teenage victim went to Planned Parenthood, a staffer said that reporting the rape would involve too much paperwork. Local law enforcement have indicated an investigation could have been opened “months before” if the report had been filed.
But a trip to Planned Parenthood isn’t just a good way to avoid rape charges; it can also get you out of having to pay child support. That’s why you can find this sort of advice from “bro-choicers” on the web:
Of course, not every woman can be convinced. Many are swayed by things like fetal pain research or the links between abortion and suicide, so some men use violence instead of arguments. There’s evidence that more than half of women who abort feel pressured to do so. Women have been shot, stabbed, bludgeoned, burned and smothered for refusing abortion, which might help explain why the CDC lists homicide as a leading cause of death during pregnancy.
Planned Parenthood’s political friends aren’t overly concerned. When legislation was proposed in Texas requiring that abortion facilities offer a private room equipped with a telephone to contact law enforcement, NARAL Pro-Choice Texas condemned the idea as “not needed.”
If you want to help stop “misogyny and abuse,” then here’s something you can do: tell Congress you want Planned Parenthood’s half billion in annual funding redirected to federally qualified health centers (FQHC) instead. With more than nine thousand locations nationwide, FQHC are a more accessible option for those in need of care. Unlike Planned Parenthood, FQHCs provided women over five hundred thousand mammograms last year. What didn’t they do? Help cover up rape.
If they were alive today, I don’t think many feminist pioneers would want to be shielded from conflicting opinions. Rather, shutting down an outfit that aids pedophiles and abusive partners sounds a lot closer to their style.
