Comments on: The middle ground on abortion?

By: Tamara

Tamara — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:52:59 +0000

And again, that does not answer the question I asked.

Less than 20 percent of all pregnancies in Minnesota end in abortion. At PP, more than 95 percent of pregnancies end in abortion.

Providing “basic health care” should include prenatal care and support for parenting and adoption. If PP truly supports all the choices available for pregnant women, they should be happy to answer the question and tell us about the thousands of women they have helped with parenting and adoption options.

By: sarah stoesz

sarah stoesz — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:54:15 +0000

Tamara, Our standard of care requires that 100 percent of our patients receieve a full range of education about all of their options. We believe in educating patients about options and respecting their decisions.

By: Tamara

Tamara — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 01:13:48 +0000

Sarah, Thanks for responding to my comment. However, you did not answer my question:
Compared to how the 3900 abortions PP performed last year, how many women received prenatal care or adoption referrals from PP as part of “basic health care?”

By: J

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:57:58 +0000

From the comments here, perhaps a middle ground isn’t possible. For those of you anti-abortion folks, I’m glad that you support pregnancy resource centers and charitable organizations dedicated to helping underprivileged women and children. By all means, continue. For those who are pro-choice: I’m with you. I hope I never am faced with the difficult decision of terminating a pregnancy. But I could never vote to take away that option from someone else. Thank you Planned Parenthood for taking care of women who can’t always take full care of themselves.

By: sarah stoesz

sarah stoesz — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:16:10 +0000

Tamara, Thanks for the question about adoption. We do offer on-site adoption counseling and referrals. At Planned Parenthood, our philosophy is that women are entitled to full, complete and accurate information so that they can make the responsible decsions that are right for them and their families. As a MN health care provider for over 80 years, we’ve work hard to ensure broad access to the comprehensive and essential care that women and men need.

By: sarah stoesz

sarah stoesz — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:07:08 +0000

Scott, You are totally accurate when you say that SD is a pro-life state. It certainly is, and it is also a state that respects families over government intrusion into personal areas. I agree with you.

By: sarah stoesz

sarah stoesz — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:04:57 +0000

Hi Willpo, The only point I’m trying to make is that families, not the government, should be in charge of their personal decisions. This is a position that most folks agree with, even when they self-identify as pro-life. I’m not asking you to give up any of your beliefs, and I respect you for having them.

By: Willpo

Willpo — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 23:02:31 +0000

Sarah … we’re still waiting. The head of Planned Parenthood has been given a perfect public forum in which to promote her new “solution” to the abortion issue, and she is nowhere to be found. Did she expect everyone to agree with her because her own organization has given her an award? Sarah — show us your mainstream approach. Explain to use how aborting 800 babies in S.D. and 3,900 babies in MN every year is Planned Parenthood’s new “common ground” on the issue. Help us understand! Speak to us! Where are you, Sarah?

By: Scott Fischbach

Scott Fischbach — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 22:47:36 +0000

We can get into a he said/she said situation but the fact remains that you created this story. When you have the major pro-life groups in a state opposing a referendum and agreeing with Planned Parenthood that is your “common ground.” This story has no basis in reality since the pro-life and pro-abort groups were in agreement on the referendum. And to suggest in the same story that President Obama is maybe/kind of finding a middle of the road approach on killing embryos is laughable. Obama just authorized the spending of my tax dollars to disect human embryos . . is that middle ground? Of course not. You had written your story before you called me — and even after I blew huge holes in all of your propoganda — you and your editor thought it all sounded nice enough to print — not the truth — but a “good read.” Your editor asked me 7 times what I wanted him to do since your story had already been printed . . if he knew it was all 100% accurate — which it was not — why did he make the offer? I think the two of you need to talk. You got took by Planned Parenthod Josephine, admit it and move along to cover other issues so that you will not get made a fool of again.

By: Josephine Marcotty

Josephine Marcotty — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 22:24:30 +0000

Scott, you either misunderstood or misinterpreted what I said. In fact, I spent weeks persuading the people at Planned Parenthood to speak with me about the campaigns. My editor Dave Hage specifically asked you to cite anything in the story that was inaccurate, and you were unable to identify anything. The story also quoted you saying that other anti-abortion groups did not support Vote Yes For Life. JM