An organization that kills unborn babies and picks apart their limbs in a dish with tweezers still saves lives, according to its president.
As the media heavily covered speeches from First Lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey delivered at the White House’s The United State of Women Summit this week, they lost focus on another big name speaker: Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards. During the event, Richards not only talked abortion but also agreed that her taxpayer-funded organization “absolutely” saves lives.
To begin her speech, Richards recognized that Planned Parenthood will turn 100 years old in 2016.
“We started before birth control or abortion were legal in the United States,” she said. “And the belief early on was that women’s ability to control their body and decide when or whether to have children was inherent in the ability to realize our full potential.”
To illustrate how times have changed since then, Richards pointed to America’s “insurance [that] covers all birth control for no copay” due to the Obama administration’s Affordable Care Act. Richards called the legislation a “revolution for us.”
At another point, Richards celebrated legalized abortion, “one of the safest medical procedures for women in the United States.”
But she immediately followed up with a warning to her audience that abortion is disappearing.
“A right isn’t worth much if you can’t access it,” she said, “and for too many women in America, access to safe and legal abortion is getting more difficult.”
As an example, she mentioned the current Supreme Court case on abortion from Texas, “one of the most important abortion cases in a generation.” Video below.
But Richards claimed challenges meant opportunities.
“We are doubling-down on making sure the opportunities for the next generation are not limited by income, by countries, zip code, immigration status, race, gender or sexual orientation,” she continued. “We have to make sure that this generation of reproductive rights activists have the tools and platform to stand up for themselves, their communities and their future.” (If they’re lucky enough to be born that is.)
She added, “We have taken the attacks on Planned Parenthood and on reproductive rights and turn them into an organizing opportunity and we are now eight-and-a-half million strong in America.”
Towards the end, Arizona State University student organizer Grecia Magdaleno, also representing Planned Parenthood, spoke on stage with Richards.
“As a patient of Planned Parenthood, I recognize that breaking barriers to access healthcare isn’t just about empowerment,” she said. “It’s about saving lives.”
“Absolutely,” Richards concluded.
