Indianapolis, Indiana (The Weekly Vice) -- Planned Parenthood of Indiana has reached a new low by using the holiday season to promote it's services. It now offers an assortment of gift certificates options, touting the new certificates as an 'unusual but practical gift option'.
The organization has announced that gift certificates will be offered in $25 increments. They can be purchased and used for exams, insurance copays and medication at any of the 35 Planned Parenthood locations throughout Indiana.
Oh and yes, the certificates are redeemable for abortion services, which remains the organization's primary service in terms of scheduled procedures.
"People are making really tough decisions about putting gas in their car and food on their table, so we know that many women especially put health care at the bottom of their list to do," said Crystal Struben-Hall, Vice President of Planned Parenthood - Indiana.
The Weekly Vice Opinion:
No matter where you stand on the issue of the abortion, packaging it as a "gifting" option doesn't just tip-toe into the halls of bad taste. It arrives like pair of hermaphrodite prostitutes who accidentally show up at a baby shower with whips and a hand-held blender to chase each other around with.
If you're pro-choice, then this organization is increasingly biting you in the ass, by throwing your views out into traffic for opponents to run over. If you're pro-life, then this organization is simply trying to pour acid into an already open wound.
If you aren't pro-anything, then perhaps you might find it interesting to know a tiny bit of your paycheck goes to funding this organization's nonsense - which seems to get more and more tasteless each year.
Yes, we realize Planned Parenthood touts itself as a "health care" service, but we aren't buying it. 'Health care' makes up an exceedingly small portion of it's business. To represent itself as a health care provider is disingenuous at best.
A family physician can dispense prescriptions for birth control pills and other health care items just like a PP doctor can. If you want to give a woman the gift of "health care", it should be given for a doctor who will treat a woman's needs on a regular and ongoing basis. The best doctor is one that will know your long-term history, not an abortion oriented merchant.
Danny Vice
The Weekly Vice
www.theweeklyvice.com
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12 comments:
Yeah,When I was initially informed of this,my immediate response was....uh,how odd. Having said that,I doubt if anyone is giving these out or purchasing them for an abortion-given the $25 increment offer. Of course,I could always be wrong.
About abortion itself.As a male,I'll never have one-nor will I ever ask/suggest to a woman to have one.
As far as having a primary care physician,a lot of people don't have one. Unfortunately,health care IS a luxury for many people. I do know health care is a BIG industry in Indianapolis, while simultaneously (at least in recent years) also having a birth mortality rate worse than many third world countries. Indianapolis was number one a few years ago for syphilis infection. Yes,there's more than corn in Indiana.
If anything can be said,I guess this is indicative of the idea of gift giving,gift certificates,etc has become so out of hand.
You're kidding right?
Everyone knows what the certificates would be for - and I agree with the argument of not having a health provider. You can go into any doctor and have them prescribed.
And besides, show me 10 people without health care and I'll show you at least 8 of them have plenty of alcohol and/or cigs at their disposal.
A $15 - $20 per week smoking habit just about pays for a single person health insurance plan all by itself.
Go get a job that provides health care - even WalMart has that and you can take your $20 a week and go back to your cigarettes and beer.
I get so damn sick of arguments like this. I know there are exceptions to the rule, but it shouldn't BE the rule.
I'm glad Taggardy used Wal-Mart as an example of a comany providing health care for their employees....Because the truth is,many of their employees are receiving government assistance. And I'm not kidding.
Hermaphrodite prostitutes at a baby shower? lol... did you really HAVE to put that thought into my head for the day? Funny.
But I think this is a dumb idea. A woman having things like that done certainly doesn't want it to be paraded around as a gift. It's worse than giving your wife frying pans for Christmas. Exceeding bad taste indeed.
I am not at all trying to justify why they are doing this, but I do understand it to a point. Let me explain...
I have a brother who is a recovering addict (been clean about 2 years), there came a point when I wouldn't give him cash anymore (still don't, just in case). If he said he was short for the rent, I wrote a check to his landlord, groceries; a gift card for the supermarket, etc. (I think you catch my drift). If he was female and said he needed money for birth control pills, I might have used this.
Look, I don't care what your views are on their abortion services, the fact is, they provide low-cost gyn services, as well. Do you WANT women to die of breast cancer and uterine cancer for lack of health services because they can't AFFORD a regular GYN?
Get real, people. This is not about abortion - it's about healthcare.
yeah, the health care provider who just got caught for like the 5th time failing to report a child rape. This is not health care, it's a chop shop.
Wal Mart has more employees on govt assistance (welfare benefits) than any other company in America. They hire and technically work people up before the hour that automatic benefits kick in. During the orientation, they inform the employees how to get insurance through the gov't.
I'm glad Taggardy is sick of that because its a falsehood. Now that he's informed maybe he'll go out buy a few certificates for his sweetie.
Planned Parenthood's main legislative issue may be abortion, but by volume, it provides other health-care for women seven to one over abortions.
The PR behind this is horrible. The need is there.
Planned Parenthood is a wonderful organization, regardless of where you stand on abortion. it's not just a place to get birth control - you DO get a gynecological exam and a PAP smear, which screens for cervical cancer, and as a young urban woman, PP was a godsend to me when I had no health insurance. I have no problem with my tax dollars going to them. I wish more people would get their heads out of their asses and realize that sexual health is important for women of all ages, regardless of their ability to pay. get over this antiquated view that Planned Parenthood is a place where dirty whores go to pick up condoms - it's a HEALTH clinic, first and foremost.
and also, to the gentleman (and I'm assuming it's a man) who said people without health insurance should go "get a job" - we do have jobs. a lot of jobs do not provide health benefits, especially in this economy. I know a lot of people, myself included, whose employers have cut their benefits to avoid laying off staff. and I also used PP when I was a broke college student and also not covered. do you have any idea how much a gyno exam costs? how much a PAP smear costs?
bottom line is, all women need exams and PAP smears in order to be fertile, produce healthy children and keep the human race going. but not all of us can afford $300 a month in health insurance or in exams, especially not a woman in an urban area who's husband does not have benefits, or who is single and uninsured.
Is a condom and birth control used in conjunction very very reliable?
And I think MEN should shut then hell up about Planned Parenthood and women's rights! If you had a brain, you would know there are several different uses for birth control in which to improve women's health. And I believe it is her right to choose whatever she wants to do with her body. Planned Parenthood is a fantastic organization and people need to get over it! After all, this IS supposed to be land of the free! Obama 2012!
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