Editor’s note: The news media is reporting that Planned Parenthood has changed its verbiage and will no longer use the term “pro-choice.” Reports indicate that it will be launching a new advertising campaign making the point that abortion is too complex to be labeled with a simple phrase. Jim Sedlak, vice president of American Life League and head of its STOPP International project, reacts to this news and Planned Parenthood’s recent activities:
STOPP has noted recently that Planned Parenthood is jumping through several semantic hoops trying desperately to rebrand itself in the eyes of the public. It has been changing the names of all its facilities. It no longer, according to the new thrust, operates “clinics,” but now is calling them “health centers.” In addition, it is now abandoning its “pro-choice” moniker.
It is interesting that all of this verbal gymnastics is being done at a time when Planned Parenthood released a report saying it has done more abortions in a single year than at any time in its history. It also coincides with the implementation of its internal mandate that every one of its affiliates must have at least one “health center” that performs surgical or medical abortions.
Despite all of this wrangling by Planned Parenthood, STOPP will NOT change our language. This month, we are celebrating the 28thyear of our founding and, for all that time, we have described ourselves and our work as “anti-Planned Parenthood.” We will continue to be “anti-Planned Parenthood” regardless of how it tries to cover its operations with ever-changing names.
For all of those 28 years, we have counted among our strong supporters individuals who are against Planned Parenthood—the organization. Some of those individuals also called themselves pro-life, others preferred to call themselves pro-choice, while a third category didn’t take positions on abortion, but just wanted to put an end to Planned Parenthood’s attack on our teens and its demanding of taxpayer money to ply its trade.
STOPP has always described our mission as: “To cause such discontent with Planned Parenthood’s programs and policies that it will have no choice but to close its doors and get out of town.” The mission has not changed. Our language will not change.
In the last 28 years, we have seen opposition to Planned Parenthood grow exponentially as more and more people learn about the actual activities of this nefarious organization. We look forward to the day when America is “Planned Parenthood-free.”
Jim Sedlak is vice president of American Life League and a recognized expert on Planned Parenthood.
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