{"id":8500,"date":"2024-11-19T19:36:23","date_gmt":"2024-11-20T00:36:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cento.centre.edu\/?p=8500"},"modified":"2024-11-19T19:44:50","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T00:44:50","slug":"anti-planned-parenthood-booth-appears-outside-cowan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cento.centre.edu\/index.php\/2024\/11\/19\/anti-planned-parenthood-booth-appears-outside-cowan\/","title":{"rendered":"Anti-Planned Parenthood Booth Appears Outside Cowan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Jenna Nicodemus<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A pro-life informational booth has taken Centre students by surprise as of this morning, November 19th. Sponsored by the Centre Republicans Club, the organization Students For Life of America \u2013 an anti-abortion group \u2013 set up a table complete with infographics and merchandise to advocate for the pro-life movement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The booth seemed to focus on the ethicality of the organization Planned Parenthood, a nonprofit organization which provides services for women\u2019s health in the United States, which includes abortions. In particular, the Students For Life of America booth argued that Planned Parenthood \u2013 which it dubbed an \u201cAbortion Goliath\u201d \u2013 does not support women\u2019s health, and may actually perform medical malpractice. The booth also argued that Planned Parenthood spends much of its money lobbying, and that the organization has racist, eugenicist origins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three infographics stood on the sides of the table which discussed how Planned Parenthood allegedly “routinely fails health inspections,” and “fights to remove \u2026 laws that protect minors from sexual abusers who use abortion to cover up their misdeeds.” One of the infographics also stated that \u201cPlanned Parenthood was founded by racist eugenicists, such as Margaret Sanger and Lothrop Stoddard, and their organization continues this legacy to this day.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More generally, the infographics also contained statements such as “abortion is the number one cause of death in the Black community,” and “86% of [Planned Parenthood] locations are in minority communities.” One infographic stated that abortion pills are “more than four times more dangerous than surgical abortion,\u201d and that \u201cabortion pill-related emergency room visits have skyrocketed 500% over the past decade.\u201d On pamphlet cards offered to students, there were also statistics stating that “97% of [Planned Parenthood] services to pregnant moms are abortions,\u201d alongside the statement that \u201cabortion is not healthcare.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In addition to this, the booth had a suitcase on display which contained visualizations of the development of a fetus in the first trimester of pregnancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Several anonymous students shared their thoughts about the information booth with The Cento.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe fact that they\u2019re not doing it in Cowan without any jurisdiction does make me happy, y\u2019know? They\u2019re out here, they\u2019re doing it properly, I guess. It\u2019s not like they\u2019re putting chalk everywhere and screaming and putting up papers, like last year. As somebody who\u2019s come from a place that\u2019s really pro-life and disrespectful about it, I do appreciate that they\u2019re doing it in a way that is more respectful than it could be. And I feel like on a campus that is highly liberal and hasn\u2019t been inundated with super conservative Republican beliefs, it\u2019s hard for people to realize that it could be so much worse. But I don\u2019t appreciate the fact it\u2019s all lies. I don\u2019t like that, because I think if you\u2019re gonna have an opinion, at least say stuff that\u2019s true, y\u2019know? That pisses me off. But they\u2019re always gonna be here. It feels the same as when the Bible people are here; I just straight up ignore it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think it is purely rage-baiting and not actually an intellectual conversation. They\u2019re currently arguing with people that abortions have never been medically necessary, when we know for a fact that women in Texas have died from sepsis \u2013 a young teen recently died from sepsis because she was denied an abortion. And if they argue that \u2018restrictions have exceptions,\u2019 those exceptions are not defined well enough for doctors to feel empowered to perform abortions, so women end up dying or losing their babies to begin with, so ultimately the entire measure is counterproductive. The information is also incredibly rude and misinformation, and also exploits different communities. Apparently they take issue with Planned Parenthood lobbying, when they also lobby; there are pro-life organizations that lobby. Also, there\u2019s the fact that Planned Parenthood helps people have children too, and makes it more affordable to have those appointments and to have ultrasounds. It\u2019s really counterproductive considering that the Republican party deliberately defunds healthcare, child support, child education, preschool and anything that helps an actual family, so if they wanna do something about it, they need to actually stick to their work.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cY\u2019know, conservatives are really good at isolating themselves from the rest of the world and calling everybody else crazy. So it\u2019s that. It\u2019s just a measure for them to pat themselves on the back and be like, \u2018Yeah, we\u2019re the rational ones! They\u2019re the crazy ones for asking for healthcare and rights.\u2019 And so, either way, you kinda need that in order to justify your own beliefs, because, if people are telling you nicely and debunking your arguments that way, you don\u2019t have anything left.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think that, if someone believes in something, he or she ought to defend it, even and especially if it is unpopular. If one believes a woman has a right to an abortion, they should defend that belief. If one believes the unborn have the right to live, they ought to defend that as well. Alexander Hamilton once said, \u2018if you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for anything.\u2019 Those words are as true now as they were during the founding of our country \u2013 and it is the liberty to stand up for what is right that defines our nation’s spirit.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey have the right to be there, as long as they\u2019re not waving it in people\u2019s faces and shoving it down their throats. They had to schedule to be there, and they have freedom of speech. I just have a problem when people start shoving their beliefs down other peoples\u2019 throats. I know I personally have been yelled at on university campuses, not for who I am or for any of my beliefs, but I was walking across campus and they were literally on a milk crate and they were standing there yelling. But yeah. Was it a little unnerving that they were there? I mean, yeah. But I feel like it\u2019s a very controversial topic, and I\u2019m not sure why they brought it up on campus so soon; I think people are still sore after the election. I feel like if they had done it in a quieter manner people would have been more accepting.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of how one feels about the Students For Life of America booth on campus today, it has certainly stirred stimulating academic and personal discussion amongst the student body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To conclude, we offer a nonpartisan fact check about some of the claims made by the booth, in the interest of promoting truth and objectivity on the Centre College campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n