“Let’s talk about what extreme is. ‘It’s not a life until it leaves the hospital.’ That’s Hillary Clinton’s position. It’s Hillary Clinton’s position that a 13-year-old girl needs her mother’s permission to go to a tanning salon or get a tattoo, but not to get an abortion. It’s Hillary Clinton’s position that women should not be permitted to look at an ultrasound before an abortion, and yet people who are harvesting body parts can use an ultrasound to make sure those body parts are preserved so they can be sold. That, Jake is extreme.” – Excerpts from an interview with presidential candidate Carly Fiorina with Jack Tapper –CNN.
There are some stories that force me to remind people that there is a difference between truth and fact. Truth is all too often the byproduct of a person’s perspective, while facts look the same regardless of the viewpoint. I have no doubt some who will respond to this article believe they are stating facts, when they are either asserting their truths or regurgitating someone else’s propaganda. Such is the case with the recent revelations regarding Planned Parenthood and the distribution of baby body parts resulting from abortions. There are two glaring facts we can no longer ignore as a country. Planned Parenthood is selling fetal tissue for profit and it is changing abortion procedures to keep the tissue intact without the patient’s permission.
The facts are disturbing, but the most disturbing element is that candidate Carly Fiorina is simply saying what is on the minds of the majority of Americans. The extreme views held by some, especially those in positions of leadership within the Democratic Party, are not consistent with basic human dignity and are counter to the views of many Americans. While some in the media choose to ignore the story, or show their “enlightened” bias on the topic, the issue is a matter we must discuss.
I have watched all the videos produced by the Center for Medical Progress (CMP). I have also read as many of the news accounts regarding this story, including the most recent New York Times editorial. I have researched this story looking for the facts, watching for the “nuance of language,” the bending of words, the slant of a meaning or the clarification based on a political bias. The simple fact, contrary to what The New York Times editorial claimed was a “Campaign of Deception Against Planned Parenthood,” is what the CMP videos showed was the underbelly of Planned Parenthood, and Americans are not comfortable with what they are seeing.
The CMP videos stripped away the niceties too often exaggerated or outright falsified by such “news” entities as The New York Times, politicians such as Hillary Clinton, Barbara Boxer, Nancy Pelosi and Planned Parenthood itself, and drops us into the middle of a business lunch. The wine is flowing in the two videos as Planned Parenthood employees, Dr. Deborah Nucatola (seen in the first video) and Dr. Mary Gatter (the star of the second video) nonchalantly discuss the transfer of baby body parts from Planned Parenthood facilities while casually eating a salad. Some would call this a surreal scene, while others will call it what it is, ghoulish.
Dr. Gatter is captured on video negotiating the sale price of aborted fetal specimens, as well as discussing the altering of abortion techniques to get intact specimens, an illegal practice. Gatter can be clearly seen discussing “less crunchy” techniques to get “whole specimens,” which would make the baby body parts, or “specimens,” worth more. At one point during the second video, Gatter jokes about wanting “a Lamborghini,” while haggling over the price of the human tissue. The simple fact is contrary to what Planned Parenthood and its allies would have us believe, Planned Parenthood is in the business of selling baby body parts.
Contrary to the misleading/false statements made by The New York Times and others CMP released the current videos in the same manner many news organizations do, a video edited for time and a full version. The videos can be found at the CMP website (http://tinyurl.com/cmpinvestigation) or anywhere on the Internet. There are other Planned Parenthood allies claiming to have “debunked” the videos (such as Media Matters, Young Turks and Daily Kos). Watch them and listen to how they present the debunking “truths,” changing verbiage, misrepresenting the timeline or just making false allegations against CMP.
There are moral and ethical issues that need to be answered, which is why eight states (at this writing) are moving forward with investigations into Planned Parenthood practices. Some in Congress are also calling for a review of the practices of Planned Parenthood. However, some Democrats in Congress are calling for an “investigation” of CMP (CBS news). The lead Democrat calling for this witch-hunt, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, has received more than $42,000 from Planned Parenthood (Center for Responsive Politics). No conflict of interest there!
At some point we need to ask ourselves whether we as Americans want to be part of a system that routinely looks at the aborted baby as a byproduct to be sold to the highest bidder. Here in New Hampshire, do we want to continue funding this very profitable “nonprofit” without a proper accounting of its procedures and practices? If, as Planned Parenthood and its allies claim, the videos are deceiving, then you would think it would welcome investigations into their facilities and a full examination into the practices. The question that begs to be asked is what is Planned Parenthood afraid of?
