On May 1, an advertisement appeared in The Des Moines Register condemning Planned Parenthood and demanding all public support of the organization be stopped. The lead group behind the ad has a catchy title - STOPP. They used to call themselves Stop Planned Parenthood; now they are called STOPP International. They have a single overriding goal: to shut down Planned Parenthood and put an end to the programs and services we offer.
The advertisement in the Register illustrates the hysterical lies that drive STOPP's agenda. The fact that all of Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa's public funding goes solely to prevention and education services was intentionally ignored in the ad.
I am personally familiar with STOPP International's tactics. They harass local businesses, especially construction companies, landlords, real estate offices, insurance companies and local hospitals that already do business with Planned Parenthood or might in the future. Here in Iowa, members of this organization have stalked my staff.
I was surprised to see the sponsors of the ad included Congressman Steve King, Casey's president Don Lamberti and Msgr. Frank Bognanno. These are community-minded leaders. What would they propose for the thousands of Iowans who would lose health care if their wish to destroy Planned Parenthood came true? Who would be there to supply 200,000 birth-control products each year to those without money or insurance? How do they plan to replace 50,000 annual examinations for cervical and breast cancer as the cost of health care and the uninsured escalate?
STOPP is not merely an anti-choice organization. Their tactics and their goals are both undemocratic and anti-family. We have witnessed many times during the last few months the increasing invasion of what was once sacrosanct in our country - the rights of the American family to decide their own personal and private matters, free from the inference of strangers and politicians. STOPP's ad in the Register is one more example of what these strangers are trying to dismantle - your family's right to make these most important decisions and to be left alone by meddling outsiders.
-Jill June,
president and CEO,
Planned Parenthood
of Greater Iowa, Des Moines.
this is how the new reich-wing GOP plans things: they want to create chaos so they can ride to the rescue.
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