Solution to Planned Parenthood Video Thing

(A modest proposal to apply the probably unconstitutional logic behind Iowa's "ag gag" law to undercover videos targeting a leading provider of affordable health care to women. - promoted by desmoinesdem)

Can we please treat women’s health like industrial agriculture?

The latest attack on Planned Parenthood came in the form of an edited video, secretly taped, claiming to “expose” the practice of selling “baby parts.” But if Planned Parenthood had been a factory farm, that video wouldn’t have happened, because that video would have been illegal to make!

Since that video, Iowa governor Terry Branstad, like the internet, has been shocked! Outraged! He joined the “Truth Exposed” rally and called for an investigation into Planned Parenthood. Though no federal or state money goes to abortions, Branstad wanted to look into all money going to Planned Parenthood because he wants “to protect the interest of the taxpayers.”

Ironically, Branstad applauds an undercover video from a state that was an early “Ag Gag” law adopter, a law that essentially prevents videotaping industrial agriculture facilities in America. Violators could be charged with a Class D Felony, “Animal Facility Interference.”  

The bill makes sense to guys like Iowa Farm Bureau President Craig Hill who said that, “I think it’s malicious when [activists] show up intent on putting you out of business.”

Oh the humanity! Individuals who don’t like your organization maliciously maligning your organization? In America of all places?!? Something must be done!

And in Iowa, industrial agriculture is not to be fucked with, so we did something. In 2012, the Ag Gag law, HF-589, sailed through both houses in only a few hours (40-10 in the Senate, 69-28 in the House) before being signed by Governor Terry Branstad.  

Planned Parenthood is a different story. They aren’t a job-creator with lobbying power. PP’s national budget is $1 billion. The pork industry in Iowa alone is worth over $5 billion. A cash-strapped organization that provides legal health-care that some people don’t like, and provide it to, often, low income women is the perfect organization to fuck with!

Planned Parenthood has been under assault from individuals, organizations, and government for decades. This steady onslaught has highlighted one big difference between Planned Parenthood and industrial agriculture: secret videos about Planned Parenthood “expose” what is legal.

Several states, including non-liberal-hotbeds like Indiana and South Dakota, have already investigated Planned Parenthood and cleared them of any wrongdoing.

The group that made the video, the Center for Medical Progress, and claimed that it proved Planned Parenthood was “selling baby parts” is now being looked into for fraud. The Center for Medical progress managed to get tax-exempt status in 2013 as a “biomedicine charity,” although they have done nothing except try and entrap Planned Parenthood through a fake fetal-tissue company called Biomax. They have rented space at trade shows, offered to over-pay Planned Parenthood for fetal tissues (which is against Federal Law), yet in almost 3 years, The Center for Medical Progress has come up with nothing except an edited video. The full length version of the video actually supports what Planned Parenthood says about the legality of its practices.

By contrast, Ag Gag law’s were created in the aftermath of illegal activities being exposed. Back in 2012, an undercover video in a California meat plant showed forklifts forcing sick “downer” cows into slaughter for meat bound for the Nation School Lunch program.

That video triggered the largest USDA meat recall in US history.

That video also triggered Iowa’s Ag Gag law. The last thing industrial agriculture wants is to be exposed. Exposure, for them, can be bad for business!

And who gives a shit if the practices now going un-exposed end up being bad for consumers?

With Ag Gag laws, the wheels of justice turn against anyone who crosses industrial agriculture. In Utah, charges have twice been brought against activists who filmed industrial ag operations from a public road. Though on public property, those with cameras were arrested and charged with “agricultural operation interference.”

Charges are dropped, but intimidation remains.

Planned Parenthood doesn’t have that kind of muscle behind it. Employees and patients are routinely harassed, and even people who support a woman’s right to chose are often afraid of standing up in support of those rights.

At RAYGUN, we support Planned Parenthood and have for years. They provide affordable, legal healthcare, and often to a segment of the population that is most deserving of that healthcare. A portion of the sales from one of our shirts below supports Planned Parenthood of the Heartland. If you don’t want to shop with us any more because of that support, that is your decision (and plenty of people have!), but we support options for women’s health, always will, and will always stand with organizations who support our society’s most in need.  

About the Author(s)

Mike Draper

  • H

    How an animal that is raised to be eaten relates to a human being is beyond me. Maybe the only relatable portion is the slaughter that was conducted to the unborn humans in certain instances. Relating agriculture to human births surprises me a lot.

    But, to a broader point, I don’t think any of the budget should go to PP, or religious organizations, or lgbtq either. We shouldn’t be funding moral institutions of an capacity.

    • Missing the point, dude.

      The relatable portion, as you put it, is that undercover videos are legal for some but not for others.  We could say it depends on the message of the video being crafted, which means it is a free speech issue.

  • No

    No, dude.

    He is upset PP was caught by use of trickery. Hence his statements of support for PP and hiw thy have operated legally is now under fire, same as ag facilities in the past.

    The difference is idiots care how something is killed that will be eaten, but don’t share the same thought regarding PP.

    • I'm not sure what . . .

      . . . PP might have been “caught at” other than showing a rather disdainful image of one person’s attitude.

      It seems that thus far PP have only been proven to have followed all laws, while despite your moral disapproval of abortion it still is at this time, the Law of the Land.

      • I think the big problem

        with the videos is that most people are not exposed to how doctors (especially surgeons) talk about the human body. What they say can sound shocking or crass, because most of us don’t think about body parts in the same way.

        But as you say, all investigations so far have shown PP to be in full compliance with laws regarding fetal tissue donations.

  • And

    Back the fix for the problem. Create an atmosphere of personal responsibility.

    PP should only be there for emergency use, not plan b. And people need to understand that difference.

    • so much wrong with this idea

      Who are you to make such personal decisions on behalf of others? Or to decide whether it’s ok for them to fall back on PP because of “an emergency” rather than “plan B”?

      The Supreme Court has said Americans have a right to access birth control, and women have a right to access abortion services in most circumstances. No caveats about “only for emergencies.”

      • Who?

        One of the many footing the bill for such an organization.

        I never said anyone doesn’t have the right, just that I don’t think we should fund them. If someone needs that service, any service from PP, fine. But make them pay for it, or have PP seek funds elsewhere, not off the backs of taxpayers. No matter how much.

        And the only thing wrong with those ideas, is it removes someone’s liability for their decisions, and before you twist my words, I am not saying someone (victim) Is liable or responsible for being raped.

        Do you know why parents make decisions for the children? It’s because children are not responsible enough. Let’s remove rape abortions, or abortions due to health concerns. If you can’t afford birth control, and you don’t have obamacare, do you think you should be behaving in a manner that may have repercussions you can no afford?

        Now explain to me if there is something wrong with that. Explain to me what is with people thinking about their decisions and paying for it themselves.

        • Plenty wrong

          So you get to decide who gets medical care in this country based on whether you think they deserve it?  

          • Read

            Point to where I said ‘I decide who should get medical care’ or the statement in which even loosely alludes to that, and I will give you a dignified response.

        • Entropy, ?

          Would our perceptions be very far from fact if we believe you attach some level of negative connotation to sexual activity other than for procreation? And likely-so then too for any sex outside of man-woman marriage?

          • You

            You would be far off. Sex can and should be recreational as well. Heck, there’s a whole book of positions, why stay on page one!?

            And let’s be honest, sexual connection is just as important as emotional or intellectual and should be tested prior to marriage!

            What I am saying, alluding to, or giving a negative connotation towards, is if you do get pregnant, and want an abortion or birth control day after or preventative, go for it (keep in mind, I’m NOT against abortions, but it is something the couple or the individual decides and lives with, not me) that I should not b responsible for paying.  

            • Well I'll be dipped

              I have been reading you wrong.

              • Thats

                That’s just it.

                When it comes to money, welfare (except old, veterans and mentally disabled) and personal responsibility, I’m far right. Fsr far right.

                When it comes to lgbtq, religious, drugs, sex, abortions or other social issues. I’m left sorta, do what you want, just don’t expect me to pay for you.

            • you're not paying

              for any abortions at Planned Parenthood.

              No taxpayers are paying for any abortions at Planned Parenthood. The federal and state funding is all for contraception, well-woman care, STD testing, etc.

              • Naive

                You are naive to think that.

                Whether you want to call it slight of hand, playing the books, it doesn’t matter the name. You go into a store with $100. $25 in your left pocket for fruits and veggies and $75 in the right for milk bread and meat. You are still spending $100 dollars.

                If $1 frees up 25¢, its still money we are subsidizing for them. Which back to my point, why are we providing any funds? Given obamacare and the inherent low cost of birth control, I fail to see why we provide it.

                • How d'ya like. . .

                  . . . corporate welfare?

                  • I

                    In the instance of companies literally paying 0 in taxes, or the financing of green tech or new tech, I am against it. I am against most forms of welfare. Corporate and personal.

                    If the private sector can’t, won’t or hasn’t done it, there’s probably a legitimate reason and the Government is not and should not be in the business of business. If they were, it’d be gone by now.

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