By TIM BARTO
A national movement is afoot to defund Planned Parenthood. On Wednesday, while the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, a case testing whether a state can withhold Medicaid funding from organizations that conduct abortions, pro-life people across the country rallied to stop taxpayer money from going to Planned Parenthood, the organization that conducts 42 percent of the nation’s abortions.
Alaskans are a part of that movement, as evidenced by a Defund Planned Parenthood event in front of the Anchorage Planned Parenthood office on Lake Otis Boulevard. Mary Kemper of Pro-Life Alaska organized the event, with help from Students for Life and Alaska Family Council.
Kemper has an ever-present smile and is one of the kindest human beings a person could meet. A devout Catholic, Kemper has committed her heart to save pre-born children. She spoke at the event, as did Student for Life leader Francis Bird, Alaska Family Council president Jim Minnery, and longtime sidewalk advocate and pro-life activist Windy Perkins.
The crowd of approximately 55 supporters listened on, waved signs, sang hymns, and prayed.
Across the street, a group of a half dozen counter protesters showed up with signs reading, among other things, “No Forced Pregnancies” and “Find a New Hobby,” the latter presumably directed at the folks attending the much larger Defund gathering. Saving babies is apparently not an effective use of one’s leisure time.
Other than a few motorists flipping the bird or yelling unintelligible or obscene comments at the group, it was a calm gathering. Honking horns and thumbs up greatly outnumbered the naysayers.
During her talk, Kemper mentioned the Medina case as well as the fact that Alaska is among several states to which President Trump has cut Planned Parenthood funding. At issue is the abortion mill’s failure to abide by the new restrictions placed on organizations that fail to follow the administration’s DEI guidelines. The combined money being withheld from the states totals “only” about $27.5 million, but every dollar counts.
Minnery told a story about questioning a pro-abortion activist about the definition of the term elective abortion. The activist’s response, after a long pause, was that they do not know what that means. The implication being that all abortions in their eyes are not elective; rather, they are considered medically necessary.
Labeling all abortions as medically necessary is, besides being untruthful, a convenient way to get funds into the hands of the abortion providers. After all, if the procedure is medically necessary, it is less controversial, even among many pro-life supporters who are willing to make exceptions in the cases of rape, incest, or the life of the mother.
Labeling all abortions medically necessary clearly shows how fundamentally important abortion is to those who support it. The Clinton doctrine of “safe, legal, and rare” has been replaced with “shout my abortion” . . . and shout down anyone who dares to put value on the lives of the pre-born.
In response to an email sent out by Alaska Family Council to announce the event, one recipient wrote back to inform us that Planned Parenthood is evil, so it is encouraging to see so many people, especially teenagers and young adults, gather together in Alaska, and across the country, to stand up for this noble cause.
Tim Barto is vice president of Alaska Family Council and a regular contributor to Must Read Alaska.