Sarah Palin, Planned Parenthood and I Thank You
Photo of Sarah Palin in Grand Rapids Sept. 17 by EPA/Rex Larsen Pool
Sarah Palin opposes abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. As she said in a gubernatorial debate nearly two years ago, even if her own daughter were a rape victim, she -– not the daughter, interestingly, but Palin herself -– would ‘’choose life.’’
Now there’s an e-mail making the rounds that urges people to make a gift donation to Planned Parenthood in Palin’s name.
What makes it even better, the e-mail says, is that for every donation made in her name, Planned Parenthood sends Palin a card thanking her.
And for me, the most delicious part of all – it was my idea.
Seven years ago, after George Bush was sworn in, he immediately revoked as many pro-choice policies and appointments as he could.
Bush’s wife doesn’t think Roe v. Wade should be overturned. Neither does one of his closest advisers, Condi Rice. Ditto Nancy Reagan. And Betty Ford. And Cindy McCain.
If they couldn’t make a difference, perhaps we could. So in my Los Angeles Times column less than a week after Bush took office in January 2001, I suggested that Americans make a little gift for Presidents’ Day: a contribution to Planned Parenthood, in George Bush’s name.
Every donation generated a "thank you" card. I envisioned a scene out of "Miracle on
34th Street," sacks and sacks of thank-you cards from Planned Parenthood, delivered to Bush in the Oval Office.
It worked. Boy, did it. Ultimately, more than a million dollars, I was told, was generated for Planned Parenthood in Bush’s name. George Bush became one of the biggest money-generators in Planned Parenthood’s history. The idea won me an award from Planned Parenthood, and a splash in Ms. Magazine.
So I am delighted that my ‘’Mother of All Ironic Donations’’ notion has been revived for Palin.
May her mailbox be full to overflowing.
You people are truly sick and evil. The good news is the future is for the fertile, so as you pro-abortionists kill your future, the pro-life movement will prevail. I don't know how you sleep at night after killing your child because they were considered an inconvenience or considered unwanted. But just so you know, these pro-life politicians don't get your junk mail. Their mail is sorted, so your planned parenthood trash goes where it belongs long before they ever see it. Good try though.
Posted by: Pro-Life 4 Sarah Palin | November 09, 2008 at 08:37 AM
I used to be pro-choice. No surprises there. I am female and I am college educated. But my life took some turns and I stumbled into information. What surprises me now is that reporters who are supposedly information-junkies, who spend their waking hours searching for and weighing info before they write, write badly about the abortion issue. Their articles skim the surface. Newspaper people take the statements of outspoken organizations at face value. They do not demand of them the facts and the figures. When reporters do receive second tier information, they stop looking and don’t try to ascertain if that material is accurate. They do not weigh information from opposing organizations. In other words reporters and columnists don’t investigate. (Something they would do on other issues.) Abortion is a complicated issue. The public needs a better job from reporters and columnists than we are getting.
Posted by: Nancy H. | October 21, 2008 at 10:05 PM
Suppose I give birth to a child. When that child turns fifteen and I don't particularly care how he/she has turned out, does that mean that I can kill him/her? Oh! I'm sorry...I forgot, that is murder. What makes killing them in the womb any different?
Also, if you want to make a statement donate to Planned Parenthood in your own name. Don't donate in someone else's name to prove a point. You are persecuting that person for their beliefs. How cowardly is that?
Oh! I almost forgot! What makes your definition of right and my definition of right different from each other? Is it hard to imagine that a 17 year old girl can get pregnant and actually want to get married? That's absurd! It's unthinkable! How silly! No girl would want that for herself! (I hope as you read this you inflect a little sarcasm.) I am sure that since legally Bristol Palin is an adult, she could truly do whatever she wanted regarding pregnancy and marriage.
Bristol might actually be looking up to her mother as a role model. You know, many young women do look up to their mothers. As it is a definite fear of mine to have a child that is handicapped or retarded, Sarah Palin is a wonderful person to look up to. How admirable is it of a person to keep a baby that they know is not going to be "normal" by society's standards.
I hope no one is offended by my comments. It was not meant that way. I simply put my name on this to make my statement. I will not sign it in honor of Barack, Joe, Sarah, or John.
P.S. Since we are making generalizations, what about all of the trees that are being cut down to make more and more paper so that you can send frivolous and sarcastic thank you notes to Sarah Palin. I was under the impression that all left-wingers were tree-huggers. I guess I was wrong. Wow, I can actually admit when I am wrong. Can you?
Posted by: C. Manuel | October 13, 2008 at 01:23 PM
Hurrah! I made my donation and forwarded the email on to many other women who want to show their political voice in a tangible and constructive way. The issues sometimes seem so muddy in a presidential campaign, this seems like a clearer way to represent my view on this particular one than voting (although of course I'll vote).
Does anybody know how much Planned Parenthood has netted so far from this idea? There's nothing on their web site and they're probably trying to be dignified about it...
Posted by: A. Anderson | October 01, 2008 at 08:42 PM
I donated and I keep going back to my thank you email to get a quick laugh! I can't wait to hear how much was donated in the name of Ms Palin!
I sent the receipt to my republican friends, too!
I am vegan, maybe I'll start an email in her name for the ethical treatment of animals!
Thanks
Posted by: wendy kirsner | September 30, 2008 at 01:34 PM
Remember, too, that it is highly probable that the next president will choose one or more Supreme Court Justices and that anyone supporting the pro-choice position and the importance of women's health needs to work to PROTECT THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE IN ALL THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT--IN CONGRESS, THE WHITE HOUSE, AND THE SUPREME COURT. Donations to Planned Parenthood will support this goal. And Sarah Palin will have to notice that many women are not on her bandwagon.
THE VOICE OF WOMEN AND OTHERS WHO CARE ABOUT WOMEN AND CHILDREN IS BEING HEARD!!!
Posted by: L. Garfield, Vermont | September 30, 2008 at 05:32 AM
Abortion is the most divisive issue in the U.S. since slavery. Governor Palin has stood up for what she feels is right. I stand by her.
The hatred of so many liberals is astounding but actually not that surprising.
She is a good moral person.
Posted by: Sarah | September 29, 2008 at 10:18 PM
Boy, I have had an education this week. I recieved the email and thought it was just brilliant! How cleaver! I immediately sent it off to friends and boy have the crazy Christians come out. I didn't realize that even mentioning Planned Parenthood makes them simply come undone. Who knew such educated, lovely people completely check their brain in name of religion? My contact list is now a bit shorter.
Posted by: TampaMama | September 28, 2008 at 05:21 PM
I am so thankful to have you and planned parenthood helping to protect my rights! I am going to encourage all my friends to donate as well.
Posted by: minneapolismom | September 28, 2008 at 07:03 AM
Are you the same Patt Morrison who wears those ridiculously stupid hats that make you look like a buffoon with a hat? If so, I think the hats have pinched off blood to your head and you are no longer capable of human thought. On the positive side; you manage to take garbage that would otherwise go into the landfill and make somehing useful out of it- a hat.
Posted by: Jeff Fenske | September 27, 2008 at 08:16 PM
I am sending in my donation "in honor of BRISTOL Palin". She is clearly a victim of her parents' control, requiring her to conform to their beliefs in regard to pregnancy prevention and consequent shotgun wedding.
Posted by: Pam Green | September 27, 2008 at 04:01 PM
I'm responding to Mitchell Young: How would I feel if something like this (or much worse) was done to me?? THAT is exactly what Palin is trying to do--what she would try to do if she were elected. She wouldn't just make a donation in my name but she would take away the RIGHT I have to make THE CHOICE!!!!
Posted by: BAKEDTATER | September 26, 2008 at 01:06 PM
Planned Parenthood is my favorite charity and I was happy to donate in Sarah Palin's name. I am a 78 year old retired RN., and I could tell you many horror stories fromn the days before Roe vs. Wade was enacted. I even have the life experience of knowing of a relative that died an agonizing death from an abortion at age 13 after she was raped by her employer when she was working as a mother's helper. Planned Parenthood is not just about abortion. They provide education about contraception, STD's, to many poor women, men and teen agers. I would rather contribute to a poor woman's education about birth control and prevention of unwanted pregnancy than contribute to the Salvation Army that would give her a bag of worn out clothes to clothe the many children that she has, that she cannot take care of. My idea of a good Reality Show on TV would be for some of the men that are the heads of these fundamentalist religions, say, the Pope ), to spend one year in Africa, to take care of, feed, clothe, and financially support, 6 or 7 small children, BY THEMSELVES. Then tell me how they would feel dictating that women cannot use condoms to prevent disease and unwanted pregnancies.
Posted by: Mimi Preston | September 25, 2008 at 09:05 PM
If you don't want to have an abortion - then don't. But if you believe that the United States government has the authority to force you to have a child you don't want, whatever the circumstances - and apparently Sarah Palin believes this - then that constitutes tyranny. The same kind of tyranny that exists in China where the government can force a woman to have an abortion she doesn't want.
Posted by: Stacey | September 25, 2008 at 06:18 PM
I hate to stop the author from doing too much self-congratulatory back-patting, but I actually happen to know a person (for all I know, several people could have come up with this idea simultaneously as it's not so incredibly unbelievably creative to be that unique) who crafted (not copied or forwarded) an email like this and sent it to all her friends suggesting they do it and I can assure you without the slightest of doubt that she is completely unaware of the prior campaign or the author who is claiming that it all all their idea.
Posted by: RGH | September 25, 2008 at 04:46 PM
Such a great idea! Even though I'd just recently made a donation to PP, I quickly made another, in honor of Ms. Palin, and then started the long process of forwarding the suggestion to everyone I could think of! I'm happy to say that I received many positive responses and thank yous.
Posted by: Oregonian | September 24, 2008 at 05:46 PM
Don't worry about "OhPlease." He's just frustrated he didn t think of it first! Kudos to you!
So what s the best link to send a PP donation in the name of Sarah Palin? I'll get on it.
On a similar topic, a friend of mine went thru a termination because of birth defects that would not have allowed the baby to live long without extreme medical intervention (which is, by the way, true for Down's Syndrome babies. The steady operations required to keep them alive for any length of time are extremely expensive. Funny how those that think we should all be forced to give birth to severely birth-defected babies never consider (a) the pain & medical measures the baby must go through to be keep *artificially* alive, and (b) the COST we all pay in higher insurance premiums and taxes for the luxury of repeated open-heart and lung operations (i.e. Downs syndrome children).
Meanwhile, Palin not only wants to think of herself as a hero for this action, but condemn all women to have no choice in the matter.
It is not only a disaster for rape and incest victims, but for many others to not have a voice over their bodies and lives as a result of being born FEMALE-- something that we, ahem, did NOT choose.
As many have said before me, If men could get pregnant, abortion would be immediately convenient, available, and free of political insult everywhere!
Posted by: Maureen | September 23, 2008 at 11:16 AM
Well Mitchell Young, the problem with McCain/Palin/GOP is that they're happy to give the right to differ, but not happy to give the right to choose.
If Democrats wanted to abort all fetuses and babies, I'd say absolutely send Operation Life donations in their names.
I hope PP does some majoring campaigning in the last few weeks exposing McCain's deceiving stance on abortion rights (or rules rather).
Posted by: Linnae | September 22, 2008 at 11:13 PM
I'm not sure the intent here is to elect Obama, Peggy. Regardless of WHO is in office, reproductive rights will be precarious and in a constant state of crisis.
I have two eyes. One can be on that prize, and the other on this one.
Posted by: Tera Powers | September 22, 2008 at 07:18 PM
Great idea, Patt. I just contributed $25 in Sarah's name.
Posted by: hfisher@socal.rr.com | September 22, 2008 at 06:35 PM
I'm making a donation to Planned Parenthood in Ms Palin's name. This is a great idea to turn a negative (candidate) into a positive for PP. Anyone who thinks it's a bad idea wouldn't donate to PP anyway so WHO CARES what you think!
San Diego reader
Posted by: Mr. Mitch | September 22, 2008 at 03:32 PM
I am a 33-year-old woman. I am pro choice. I have never had an abortion. I never will. I was recently married an incredible man and we are actively planning children.
I attended both Christian and Catholic School and was taught Sex Education in the ladder. The one class we were required to take in 9th grade saved me. It taught me that there were consequences to sleeping around at an early age. This information paid off. Again, I have never had an unwanted pregnancy and to add to that, I have never had a sexily transmitted disease. I cannot say this about my friends who stayed in Christian School where they did not have a Sex Ed program. Almost all of them became pregnant in their late teens and entered wedlock as a result, much like Palin's daughter. To boot several had picked up herpes along the way. Most of them are divorced today.
I want to say that voting for Obama and being pro choice does not make me a baby killer. Actually, I am a vegetarian and don’t even want animals to die. I often feel guilty about the mousetrap in the kitchen. But I am pro choice because in certain cases of rape and incest, not being able to make that choice has the potential to destroy more lives than it saves.
I donated to Plan Parenthood today in the name of Palin. This is the best kind of activism. It makes a point and saves lives at the same time. You are my hero! Many Thanks!
Posted by: CC | September 21, 2008 at 09:52 PM
Best $25 I've spent this month.
Posted by: MrsFun | September 21, 2008 at 12:16 AM
I know of at least 14 friends who have donated with the average donation ranging between $35 and $50. Sarah Palin, you can kiss are collective feminist asses.
Posted by: Amanda Lang | September 20, 2008 at 03:56 PM
Planned Parenthood will put any donation to great use for many services: women's health care, contraception, education, and much more. I like the idea of generating contributions in any way possible. Much of the work done by Planned Parenthood can reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies. I hope we can all agree that this is a worthwhile goal, no matter what we think about abortion.
Posted by: Diane | September 20, 2008 at 02:12 PM