This blog is more controversial than I usually write, but I feel very strongly about this subject. If you disagree with me post a comment on why, but no hostile attacks or I will remove the comment.
I supported Rand Paul because he claims to be a Libertarian. Libertarians are for smaller government, less waste, and more local control. The Federal Government is bloated and tries to do too much. I would like it reduced in size and streamlined, which is what Al Gore was supposed to have done when he was Vice President, but so far it doesn't seem to have made much difference.
I like the idea of cutting back the Federal tentacles reaching into places they don't belong. So shouldn't I be in favor of cutting federal funding to Planned Parenthood? If that was part of an overall package of cuts and reductions, I would accept a transfer of funding from the Federal level to states, organizations, and individuals, but not as punishment for providing fetal tissue samples for research.
Rand Paul's outrage, which other Republicans joined in on, was about selling tissue from aborted fetuses. The secret video used to discredit Planed Parenthood was heavily edited and deceptive.
Let's get this straight, these are not babies. These are not viable infants. Late term abortions are only done in rare cases where the mother's life is in danger or the fetus isn't viable and would die shortly after birth. There may be exceptions to this, and someone is almost certain to point them out to me, but overall safe, legal abortions are better than the alternative.
I'm old enough to remember the not-so-good old days when abortion was illegal. Women had to go to Sweden for an abortion. Those were women who had enough money to afford it. Poor women and teens who got pregnant through ignorance, incest, or rape, had to find a back ally abortionist and often wound up in the hospital or a trash can in the ally. Yes, it was really that bad.
Planned Parenthood provides safe, low cost abortions to women and teens that need it. They provide birth control devices for women to control their bodies and choose when to be pregnant. They also provide other medical services to women and men.
I'm old. I'm 24 years past menopause, so this doesn't matter to me, but we moved ahead in those 24 years. Now isn't the time to go backwards. Yesterday I received an email from Rand Paul's campaign asking for more contributions. My reply, "Please take me off your mailing list. I do not stand with Rand. I stand with Planned Parenthood. Bye!"