Planned Bullyhood: A Book Review

“Planned Bullyhood,” Karen Handel’s clear-eyed analysis of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure funding battle with Planned Parenthood, is vindication for all pro-lifers who already know that Planned Parenthood is a deceptive, vicious organization.  Handel, former Senior Vice President of Komen, just had to learn it the hard way.  Her book, released in early September, has been met with – wait for it – deafening silence from the media.  Well-written and compelling from beginning to end, it presents a tale of two organizations, both ostensibly concerned about women’s health, who ultimately go to war with one another.  Komen, unwilling to fight and unsure of their message, is no match for Planned Parenthood, who enlist the media, politicians, and vocal feminists to bully the breast health organization into submission. 

Handel, an intelligent, capable woman whose many career successes – both in business and politics – positioned her perfectly to manage Komen’s public policy team, joined the organization in late 2010 after a bruising run for governor in Georgia.  Her experience in the Georgia legislature as Secretary of State established her as a git-r-done kind of woman, a problem solver who liked challenges.  Komen would be the biggest challenge of her life.

The foundation sought someone to tighten and clarify the quality of grants given out to organizations so that all would be going directly towards helping women affected by breast cancer or helping to prevent the disease.  The concern with Planned Parenthood, who had been receiving grants from Komen affiliates for two decades, was that the organization should have already been disqualified as a grantee due to their lack of direct services (“pass-through” grants whereby money is given for services provided not by the grantee, but by an organization they refer clients to) and the fact that they were under investigation for fraud in multiple states.  Changing the grant strategy to reflect this new focus was an agreed-upon tactic of Komen’s higher-ups, specifically Founder and CEO, Nancy Brinker, and President Elizabeth Thompson.  Other players, such as Mollie Williams, managing director of community health and overseer of nearly $100 million community grant portfolio, Leslie Aun, vice-president of communications, and Katrina McGhee, executive vice-president of marketing, would emerge as either hostile or phlegmatic and confused, to the point Handel wondered whose side they were on.

That Planned Parenthood had been a thorn in Komen’s side for years is an eye-opener.  Komen feared losing support from Catholic organizations who objected to grants going to the nation’s largest abortion provider.  They also wanted to be free of the controversies associated with Planned Parenthood – multiple investigations into its policies that supported child predators, sex traffickers, sex selective abortions, and misuse of government funds.  Komen had a pre-existing policy that halted grants when an organization was under investigation.  Handel’s suggested strategy, to hammer away at the need to direct funds where they could do the most good for women, was a no-brainer.  She warned of mentioning Planned Parenthood specifically, saying numerous organizations would be affected by the new policy.  Unfortunately for her, vacillations over this policy, as well as leaks to the press suggesting Planned Parenthood would be targeted by Komen’s new policy led to a firestorm.

If any of you missed that particular brouhaha, shut my mouth.  Planned Parenthood’s collective screeching was heard the world over, with CEO Cecile Richards repeating the lie ad nauseum that millions of women would be denied important services should Komen cut off Planned Parenthood’s funding.  Among those services trumpeted by Richards were mammograms, something NO Planned Parenthood facility is equipped to do.  The funding she so feared losing amounted to $700,000, a drop in the bucket of Planned Parenthood’s annual intake of $1 BILLION, more than half derived from U.S. taxpayers.  What’s interesting is to read this through Handel’s eyes.  With every betrayal by Komen staff, every lie by Planned Parenthood, and every complicit move by the media, we the readers see the scales falling.  Unfortunately, she ends up as the sacrificial lamb of both organizations; but wiser, definitely wiser. 

It’s incredibly gratifying to read Handel’s summation of Planned Parenthood’s reason for being:  “Planned Parenthood is about politics as much as it is about abortion and reproductive health.  Specifically, Planned Parenthood’s politics is about money – government funding, actually, because without the government funds, Planned Parenthood would be forced to pursue a different revenue model.   The rhetoric on health, and especially women, is a smoke screen to hide its underlying political agenda – ensuring the continued flow of nearly $1.5 million a day in government funding and to elect pro-Planned Parenthood policy makers who, in turn, work tirelessly to keep the cash flowing.”  Here’s someone in the public arena, not affiliated with any pro-life group, who finally gets it.

It’s also gratifying to read through the end notes and see whom she has cited for all the dirty facts about Planned Parenthood.  It gives credence to LifeNews (specifically Steve Ertelt), Jill Stanek, and Lila Rose of LiveAction as some of the ONLY news outlets who are reporting on Planned Parenthood’s numerous and egregious deceptions.  Her omission on the abortion/contraception-breast cancer link is disappointing, given that it is a chief complaint by pro-lifers against most breast cancer organizations, including Komen.

Through the brutal treatment by Planned Parenthood, Komen is nonetheless revealed as an organization whose leaders are indecisive, with no clear vision of what their organization stands for.  They might have ridden out the storm, stared down the bully, and emerged victorious. That’s what Handel suggested.

--
Moira Sheridan
Secretary, Delaware Right to Life

Protesting Planned Parenthood: "There are too many people in the world. They should die!"

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to share with you all about Friday night..

It was a life changing experience for me in my work in the pro-life movement. 

Friday night about 12 of us protested Planned Parenthood of Delaware's annual chocolate festival fundraiser. This was the first time I had protested at such an event. And truly, I was scared to go. I didn't know what to expect and was frightened at the thought of being close to people who could support such evil. I found myself making excuses that afternoon of why I couldn't go. 

Thank God I offered it up to the Blessed Mother. She gave me strength! I went, and I remember on first sight of fellow pro-lifers and my friends (especially Moira and Dave) already lined up with signs at the entrance of PP's venue, I was filled with courage and conviction and even excitement. We were bringing truth with our witness!

We had signs showing various financial facts - " PP of Delaware made $2.4M from abortion services in 2012" etc. We also had a beautiful, large sign of the baby in the womb at 8 weeks of conception. 

We were asked why we were there by one attendee. In his words, "you're not going to change anybody's minds!" 

"Maybe not," we answered, "but we're showing you the truth of what you're supporting. We're making you uncomfortable." 

Quick synopsis of happenings that night.. We were told WE should have been aborted by a man. One woman, after approaching us and speaking very softly trying to explain that PP offered many services for women, not just abortion, and being refuted by us with the hard facts, walked away and when she got to the door turned, clenched her fists, and screamed (this is not exaggerated): "There are too many people in the world!! They SHOULD die!" Others made classless comments and crude gestures. 

Finally, the most powerful observation for me that night was I noticed the uber-wealthy status of the attendees to the gala: Porsche, Audi & Volvo SUVs, Mercedes, BMWs - a continuous stream of luxury cars pulling into the parking lot. (Though you should have seen their faces fall while pulling in as they realized what our signs stated.) And I thought of the disparity between the transparent wealth of those funding PP and the transparent poverty of the girls/women utilizing PP's services. Just the contrast of the women walking in Friday night drenched in diamonds wearing beautiful designer dresses with their husbands escorting them vs. the young girl limping out of PP after having an abortion, a haunted look in her eyes - all alone, with only a folder and a lifetime of regret and sadness after having made a tragic decision she can never take back. Perhaps a boyfriend leaning on a wall smoking a cigarette is the only support she has.

My other observation was the average age of the gala attendees was 75 years. Really. People old enough to know better, sometimes even walking in with canes and walkers, hobbled over, paying money and eating chocolate to enable the slaughter of little babies, of our youngest generation. 

I just wanted to get these thoughts out there before too much time passed. 

For Life,

Delia

Stories from the Sidewalk- 40 Days for Life Fall Campaign 2012

Dear Friends, 

I am writing this before leaving to go to Planned Parenthood on Day 2 of the Fall 2012 40 Days for Life campaign against abortion. I wanted to be more diligent in documenting our prayer vigil this time around. Yesterday was a beautiful day, both weather-wise and participant wise. Today the skies are cloudy and an hour ago it was pouring rain. I am not looking forward to going out in this, so I thought I'd cheer myself up by posting some pix from yesterday's event.

Most of these are posed photos. Only a few of them show us at prayer, but prayer was the heart of yesterday's vigil. It is the heart of every vigil. We had one woman who had never been to a 40 Days vigil before, and was apprehensive. She had come with her husband on days that the Knights of Columbus pray and vigil outside of PP, so she was not completely new to sidewalk witness and public prayer. Still, she felt nervous but believed that the Lord was calling her to be more visible in her witness to the goodness of life and the intrinsic evil of abortion, So she came. And prayed. And will return.

We talked to a lot of folks passing-by today, and to some of the clients going in to Planned Parenthood, One of the pix above shows Pat Radell, our Fearless Leader, explaining the Our Lady of Guadalupe image to a gentleman who stopped by to query its meaning, and snap his own photos of it. Brother James, an artist working at Creative Vision Factory, stopped to offer first encouragement, and then prayer. 

And then there was L. L. is a thin, pale, freckled 15 year old who came yesterday to Planned Parenthood for a pregnancy test. Julie talked to her about going to Birthright for a free pregnancy test, and she thought that was a good idea so I drove her.

On the way she asked me, "What day is today?"

I said, "September 26."

"I had sex on the 23rd. Do you think they can tell yet if I am pregnant?"

I didn't think so, but I asked instead why it was so important to her to find out immediately - had she had unprotected sex and was she extremely worried?

"No, I want to be pregnant. I hope the test is positive." 

Her story came out in pieces. She was 15, until recently she had resided in a state mental facility, she was a ward of the state, she had run away from her mother and she wanted to prove that she could be a better mother than her own, who had told her, "You should never have been born." She was lonely, had nobody to depend on but her boyfriend, who was excited about becoming a father and who had asked her to marry him. She had been with him for 3 weeks, but knew him growing up. He is 21. 

Pray for L., please. She believes that a baby is just what she needs in her life, and was very upset when the pregnancy test came up negative. She is going to keep in touch with the good folks at Birthright, and she and I exchanged information. She just wants something to turn out right for her, she says. 

Pray that she stays in touch, that she finds the resources she needs to make it through a tough, impetuous adolescence. That her case worker is both compassionate and wise. That she navigate the streets of loneliness and find shelter for her body, mind and heart. That she will look out for herself, and be looked out for, safely. She is stubborn (self-admittedly) and is tired of everyone telling her what to do. Isn't that true of all 15 year olds? Pray that she not be lost in the shuffle, and that we act properly as Christ for her, respecting her freedom while offering her connections to support systems that will help. 

Rae Stabosz - Newark, DE

Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rally!!!

Check out the photos from our freedom rally we held on Friday, June 8th!
25o attendees!!


Video of the event coming soon!

Nicole Collins, President of Delaware Right to Life

Fr. Leonard Klein of St. Patrick's Parish

John Radell, President of DE's Faith and Freedom Coalition

Deacon Bob Cousar, St Joseph's Catholic Church, giving the closing prayer for the event

Pastor Steve Smith, First Alliance Church

Nicole showing the crowd our new billboard!! "Birth control for your lifestyle? Don't make 

me pay for it!"

Morgan Burris, Miss DE's Outstanding Teen, sings God Bless America

The crowd!

More of the crowd!

Morgan getting ready to sing

Stand Up for Religious Freedom!

Pastor Steve: "This is not just a Catholic issue"

Fun fact: Morgan's platform is Adoption.. A Loving Option!!! Yay for Morgan!

Morgan Burris with DRTL's P/R Coordinator, Jessica Ferraro

Morgan chatting with some young attendees of the event!

250 people attended the rally!!!! But surprise, no mention of this in the News Journal. 

A HUGE thank you to all who came and rallied with us! You made our event a success!

Delaware Right to Life would like to thank all the speakers and special guests for taking the time to stand with us in support of religious liberty! 

Shout out!: Most of these photos were taken by the beautiful and talented Cate Parella

A new graphic from Delaware Right to Life!

New Billboard, New Logo!!!

Be on the look out for our new billboard scattered throughout New Castle County!!!

Our new logo designed by the beautiful and talented Janell Brake Miank!!! Check out her website here

A Mother Speaks Out On Down Syndrome: "There's Nothing Down About It!"

While I was pregnant I would sit on my bed and look at Riley’s name printed on the wall. I felt that something was a little off. Nothing was wrong, but something wasn’t right. How neat it was that I knew she was special before I even met her…

Meet Riley!

Jennifer peaks her head into the living room where her three daughters are playing house.Sarah and Jaimee giggle as they push their little six month old sister, Riley, around in a carriage that is supposed to be for their baby dolls. Riley simply smiles at all the attention. “Mom, come look at Riley!” they suddenly exclaim, “she is smiling!” From the doorway, Jennifer can’t help but smile herself at the scene. In her eyes it is nothing less than picture perfect. Her children are right where they should be… with her. But, if some people had it their way Riley wouldn’t be here. Why? She has Down- Syndrome; Trisomy 21 to be exact. Which somehow labels her as less deserving of life by many in today’s society. What a loss for them. They have no idea of the joy that comes from having a child with “special needs”, but Jennifer does.

This is her story…

We tried for nine months straight, after just having a miscarriage two months prior. Then, it happened. I knew I was pregnant because of the dreams I was having. I’m a very vivid dreamer and I find out many things in my dreams. On December 23, 2010 at 12:30 AM, I got out of bed to use the bathroom. I then decided to take a pregnancy test, because I was a few days late. It was such a methodical routine: pee cup, pee, dip, wait, negative, smile, try again. Nine months of that routine resulted in thirty tests bought in that time span. Yea, I tested a lot! This time was different, though. Even though there was a faint line, I threw it out because I had had so many negatives in the past. I had grown accustomed to being disappointed. Then, I thought, “Let’s take a look at that again.. just in case”. I can still see my hand reaching back into the garbage can to retrieve it. There it was. Positive. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I stood in the bathroom looking at it from every angle for at least fifteen minutes. I kept saying to myself, “It doesn’t matter how faint a line is. A line is a line!” Best Christmas present ever!

Fast forward to my fourteenth week of pregnancy where an ultrasound detected my placenta was low and they needed to watch it. If it didn’t move I was told I would have to have a c-section. As they were monitoring my placenta monthly they found “soft markers”, which can be an indication that the baby could be born with Down- Syndrome. (Both non Down- Syndrome and Down -Syndrome babies can have these markers). Immediately, I responded with, “They are going to go away.” And they did.

After my doctor informed me I had those markers, I had blood work done to see if I was “high risk” for Downs. It turned out I was, so the doctor took the liberty of informing me that I still had time to kill her. Are you kidding me?! I’m twenty-two weeks along and I have THE RIGHT to kill my baby? Who gives me that right? Needless to say I couldn’t even find words to say back to him at first; then I almost vomited. My response is what you can imagine if you know me. To this day it makes me sick that I had the choice to end my child’s life because she might have Down- Syndrome. I shouldn’t have that right no matter what the case is.

Along the way people would tell me that I needed to read about Down Syndrome and all the “bad things” that go along with it, to prepare myself. NO! I was prepared. Negativity was NOT in my plan for Riley.

On Monday, August 15^th, 2011, I was thirty-six weeks and six days along when an ultrasound detected that my amniotic fluid was pretty low. Riley was likely to come that day! I told my husband, Brett, who was still at work, to wait for my call just in case they decided it was not time yet.

But, no, it was happening! I called Brett and the nurse prepped me for the surgery.

The trip to the OR seemed like it took forever, but we finally got there. Instantly, about five different people started working on me at once. (The spinal was WAY different than the two epidurals I had with my other two girls). I was strapped and drugged when Brett came in. Slice, cut, pull and she was here!!!

I do not remember being wheeled back to my recovery room because I was so heavily drugged. I DO remember, though, my poor husband coming into the room crying. The NICU head doctor had just informed him Riley had Downs. Brett had forgotten that I was at “high risk”. Apparently, he was admiring Riley through the glass as they were bathing her. The doctor came up to Brett and said “ You’re aware of her condition right?” I was so upset the doctor did this to my husband. That’s how you tell someone? In an abrupt and cold manner, while they are not with their spouse? I remember being mad and certainly distressed for Brett’s sake, but I told him he had to try to stop crying. Our two young daughters were going to be coming in and I didn’t want to worry them. Yet amidst all of this confusion, I just sat there smiling. As I looked down at my precious baby I couldn’t see anything different about her at all. She was perfect from head to toe. Then, they took her from me.

“She’s not eating”, they told me. Well no kidding! She was just born, tired and wanted her MOTHER. I kept begging the nurse to tell the doctor to bring her back to me so I can feed her. The doctor who knocked my husband through the floor would not bring me my child. That darn spinal took hours to wear off, so I couldn’t drag myself down there to get her myself. I had delivered Riley at 5:25 PM and it wasn’t until after 2:00 am that a nurse took compassion on me and brought me Riley.

At 10:00 AM they heard a murmur in Riley’s heart and said it could be a hole. They stood there telling me how Downs children are known to have heart defects. (blah blah blah) “ Not listening, I’m not listening ”After crying for about 45 seconds I pulled myself together and told them she is going to be just fine. Well, later that day around 6:00 PM I was informed that the tests showed a normal murmur. Her heart was fine.

The next morning they took her from me again. This time she was admitted to the NICU, because she hadn’t truly pooped yet. My mother-in-law was with me at the time and we walked down to the NICU together to see what was going on. Once again they began telling me how some infants born with Down- Syndrome have bowl problems and that she may need an operation if she didn’t poop soon. If this operation had to take place, it would be weeks before we could really start to feed her. After hearing this, my tears started to flow. Yet, I refused to believe what they were telling me. “I can’t hear you” I said to myself, “It’s all rainbows and butterflies”. I looked up at them and said that she was not going to need an operation. Two hours later, she pooped! Riley still needed to stay in the NICU until we went home with her, but I was able to start feeding her about twelve hours later.

The next few days were a blur. They were filled with countless hours spend in the NICU trying to get Riley to drink some breast milk so she could go home. I remember the nervous looks on everyone’s faces during those days; but I just smiled and knew that all would be fine. I was so excited to have a child with Downs, and I made sure everyone knew it!

I told doctors, nurses, friends and random people who I passed in the hospital. Didn’t matter if they wanted to listen or not, I told them anyway! You should have seen all the doctors’ faces when I would talk to them. It was like I was consoling THEM! It was great! They didn’t know how to react to me. Everything they had to say about Down- Syndrome was negative. So, with every one of their negatives I came back with at least 3 positives. It felt so empowering. I was like a rainbow on steroids!

After six days, Riley was finally able to come home. I will never forget where I was when I got the call. If anybody was to ask me if I have ever won anything, my answer would be yes. I won the lottery the day Riley was able to come home. Having to leave the hospital without my baby was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my entire life.

As we were being discharged a doctor told us that they had received the chromosome blood work back. With this scared look on his face he confirmed that Riley did in fact have Trisomy 21. My immediate reaction was a great big “YES!” with a fist pull down through the air. I can still see the doctor’s face. At first he thought I was confused and misunderstood him. Oh no, he was the one confused, not me. He and my husband both looked at me a little funny, but hey I’m used to that.

Riley is now six months old and she is the happiest baby I have ever known. She has defied all the books and the people that said she would be “delayed”. My daughter is right on track. She does physical therapy, speech therapy and a little massage therapy throughout the week. (Her physical therapist is continuously amazed by her and can’t believe she has Down-Syndrome) Riley loves music, swinging in her swing and being talked to. But, she absolutely detests baths! She also has two awesome big sisters who take such good care of her. I couldn’t be a more proud mother.

So, if you are blessed to have been chosen to have a baby with “UP” Syndrome, or you know someone who has… SMILE! It’s the best thing that will ever happen to you. It’s a shame that our society and doctors are blind to this. Oh well, Riley will open their eyes!

Jennifer has started a support group on Facebook for all who have been touched by children with special needs. Check it out and join the movement!

-Jessica Ferraro

Jessica is the Media Coordinator for Delaware Right to Life

January Marches for Life

The Wilmington March for Life will be held on Friday January, 20th from 12:00pm to 1:00pm, beginning at Rodney Square in Wilmington. Delaware Right to Life will provide signs for the event. We ask that participants maintain a peaceful presence during the march. If you have any questions or concerns, contact Janet Grayson.

The March for Life in Washington, D.C. is fast approaching and Delaware Right to Life has reserved a bus for the event! The march will be held on Monday, January 23rd, 2012. We will be departing from the Christiana Mall Bus Depot at 10:00 am that morning, and returning by 8:00pm. The cost is $25 per person, $50 per family and $10 per student. Reservations are being taken by Janet Grayson. You may contact her by email at randjgrayson@hotmail.com , or by phone, 302-661-1877. Please mail your payment to the address below:

Janet Grayson

603 S. Broom St.

Wilmington, DE 19805

Lila Rose to speak at St. Thomas More Academy

St. Thomas More Academy in Magnolia, Del. will be hosting a Pro-Life guest speaker on Thursday evening, January 26. The speaker, Lila Rose, is the founder of LiveAction and has received national attention for her eye-opening investigations into Planned Parenthood clinics across the country.

The schedule time for the speaking engagement is 7pm on Thursday, January 26, 2012. St. Thomas More Academy is asking for a donation of $10 for each person attending that evening. Light snacks and refreshments will be available. More details will follow.

This is part of the school’s commitment to the Pro-Life cause and is being held during the week of the March for Life (which is scheduled for Jan. 23). St. Thomas More Academy is located on 133 Thomas More Drive in Magnolia, Delaware.