Ohio's newspapers have reported that two state legislators, one Democrat and one Republican, are cosponsoring a bill to defund Planned Parenthood in the Buckeye State. But they have mostly failed to note the key points made by Cleveland Democrat Bill Patmon in his inspiring, passionate speech at an Ohio Right to Life rally announcing his cosponsorship.
You see, Mr. Patmon is black, and he has had it up to here with the hypocrisy of the "Black Lives Matter" movement, especially in their failure to denounce the disproportionate slaughter in the U.S. of black babies through abortion.
Until the late 1970s, before he decided that he had presidential ambitions, Jesse Jackson often used the term "genocide" to describe abortion's impact on the black community. Since then, there has been a decided dearth of outspoken black pro-life Democrats. Perhaps Bill Patmon is on the leading edge of changing that.
Patmon is also out of patience with the term "conservative" being used to describe all people who are pro-life. Watch the video and see:
Transcript (Patmon's speech begins at 0:59 mark; bolds are mine throughout this post):
I wrote a speech, but I don't think I'm going to do that. I'm just going to tell you my whole story.
As I became more aware of this, I began to reflect on my own life. Mother, eighth-grade education, here from Georgia, looking for a way to get things done.
She would have been a prime candidate for "Planned Familyhood." She would have been "just what we're looking for." Not much education, a desire to succeed, and being told that it, "you can do this later. Let's get rid of this one."
Well, she didn't get rid of this one. (Applause.) She ... (couldn't understand this word — Ed.) the book down when I was nine years old.
And as I said, I started to look around, and many times I'm caught in close counsel with many of the folks on this stage who are called "conservatives." They're not "conservatives." They are merely Americans who want a better way for Ohio and the country. (Applause.) And there is no brand name for that. You either love this country, you love this state, and that's your party, and that's my party.
Now let's get to the business of what really kind of gets me going, if you will.
"What business is it of yours, Mr. Patmon, that 56 million unborn" — It is my business, especially when 17 million of them (abortions are done on) black women, 17 million, more than any other population, 17 million that look and act and talk and are similar to myself. But even more than that, they're Americans and they're human beings! (Applause.)
I sometimes kind of rail at the idea of being an African-American. "What's the matter? You're not smiling when you use the word."
That because I'm an American. I'm American. The Constitution applies to me. The Declaration applies to me. No need for any extras, just get out of my way. No need for any extras. (Applause.)
So, you say, "Well you talk good, you make a lot of noise. Whatcha going to do?"
Well, myself and Margie Conditt, representatives, are authoring a bill which was dropped today to defund Planned Parenthood. (Applause.) "Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do?"
You, say, "Well, here you're kind of stridin', aren't you?"
No, not when 5,499 abortions are in Cuyahoga County, which I happen to represent, and 63 percent of them (are done on) black women. 63 percent of them are of a certain hue in their skin. And I would say that's just kind of unheard of.
You hear a lot of demonstrations across the country now about how "Black Lives Matter." Well, they skipped one place. They should be in front of Planned Parenthood. They skipped one place. They should be in front of Planned Parenthood! Black Lives Matter! American Lives Matter!
So I tell you like I told some people some 12 years ago, when I was excused from Cleveland City Council. You may excuse me, and you may carry me out on my shield. But it will be for the right reason, for the Lord is my shepherd. Thank you.
To its credit, the Cleveland Plain Dealer carried 45 seconds of the video — but far from enough, in my view — and printed Patmon's "Black Lives Matter ... should be in front of Planned Parenthood" quote. It also uniquely carried the full text of the bill he and Republican Mary Conditt of Liberty Township in Southwestern Ohio have submitted.
Other papers were far weaker in their coverage.
The Columbus Dispatch, covering the rally taking place on its home turf, noted Patmon's involvement in its headline but did not quote him.
The Cincinnati Enquirer understandably got quotes from Conditt, but not from Patmon; its headline ("Will Ohio cut Planned Parenthood money?") openly fretted about the apparent disaster that awaits if Planned Parenthood stops receiving roughly $1.3 million in taxpayer funds. The item had two small but expandable photos and one huge photo requiring no expansion. The huge photo was of perhaps a half-dozen counterprotesters.
At the Toledo Blade, Jim Provance's coverage of the Columbus rally had a deceptive headline ("Protesters rally against Ohio bill to cut Planned Parenthood funding" — uh no, the rally was in support of the bill), and seemed designed to feature the most boring statements made there, and did not quote Patmon or Condit. His separate story about the bill itself at least had an accurate headline, but it still didn't quote either cosponsor.
At the Dayton Daily News, Amanda Seitz, with help from the Associated Press, deliberately inflated the amount of money involved by going back six years:
Local reps move to strip Planned Parenthood fundingA Butler County state representative is sponsoring a bill that would ultimately strip millions of dollars in funding from the state’s 27 Planned Parenthood facilities.
... The organization has received more than $8 million in federal funding through the state since 2009, according to records with the Ohio treasurer’s office. Last year, Planned Parenthood received $1.3 million, with nearly $500,000 going to Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio. The group offers services in Hamilton and Dayton, but neither of those facilities provide abortions.
For heaven's sake, Amanda. You know that the current amount involved is roughly $1.3 million, not the amount of money spent in the past six years. Shoot, why didn't you go back to the turn of the century while you were at it?
The exposure of Planned Parenthood's brutality may indeed be a turning point. Sadly, that's exactly why the press is to an all too obvious extent participating in the related videos' suppression. They want to stop it.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
