Unplanned Chapter 10, 'The Hurricane'

This chapter was pretty short, but the two points that stand are:

1. Abortions are extremely profitable, especially later in the pregnancy.


2. Abby is horrified by late term abortions after the point of viability, around 21 weeks.


As I read further into this chapter, Planned Parenthood affiliate of Louisiana and Texas (totalling 12 clinics) were facing serious financial hardships in 2008 and they did all they could to cut costs.  Abby’s Planned Parenthood clinic ended up being the only profitable clinic in the affiliate due to the fact they were the only clinic that performed abortions.  An abortion procedure is extremely profitable and most abortions, earlier in the pregnancy, cost around $300-500. 

Site of Planned Parenthood Super Clinic

As the financial difficulties continued in 2008 leading into 2009, plans for the largest abortion clinic in the nation began (read more about this clinic).  This Houston abortion clinic would be seven stories tall and 78,000 square-feet.  An entire floor would be dedicated to abortion!  Plans to obtain a late term abortion license were put into place so that babies as late as 24 weeks in the womb could be aborted at this super clinic . . .  Abby explains her shock and uneasiness at the idea of late term abortions within her Planned Parenthood affiliate, especially knowing the beneficial income of each later term abortion, which range between $3,000 and $4,000 dollars.  Abby questioned if the new idea of performing late term abortions was to help make up for their financial loss.  


At this point, Abby’s pro-life view after age of viability and her desire to reduce the numbers of abortions was considerably shaken, and I think this was only the beginning of an even more serious struggle within Abby...

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If you’re reading Unplanned, and following along in  my blog, I encourage you to leave a comment sharing your thoughts or lessons learned thus far into the book.  What has stood out to you?

Order Abby’s book and join this discussion: http://www.unplannedthebook.com/

Checkout my reflectione from:

Chapter 1, ‘The Ultrasound’

Chapter 2, 'The Volunteer Fair'

Chapter 3, 'The Power of a Secret'

Chapter 4, 'The Cause'
Chapter 5, 'The Bond of Compassion'
Chapter 6, '40 Days and 40 Nights' 
Chapter 7, 'The Code of Conduct'
Chapter 8, 'My Enemy, My Friend'

Chapter 9, 'Irreconcilable Difference'

Standing In Defence of the Voiceless,

Timmerie Millington

Unplanned Chapter 9, 'Irreconcilable Difference'

For abortion or against abortion?   Abortion is okay at six weeks, but not at 22 weeks?  Throughout this chapter Abby shares about an inner and outer battle with her pro-abortion stance.  Whether aware at the time or not Abby would pick and choose when abortion was not okay, and when excuses were made to justify her pro-abortion position.

During a counseling session with a woman who was past 21 weeks along Abby was horrified that the woman insisted on having an abortion.  While she counseled the woman, Abby called the child in the womb a baby and not a fetus!  To her, the difference was that a child was at a viable age by about 21 week into a woman’s pregnancy.  Even though the abortion minded woman had the abortion procedure for the “viable” child in her womb explained to her, the woman didn’t care how it was done.  She just wanted the baby gone.  Reluctant and highly disturbed, Abby gave a referral to the woman for a clinic that performed late term abortions.  (I found it interesting that Abby used the same tactics as sidewalk counselors by talking about the horrific procedure and the development of the child in the womb.)

Later that evening Abby shared with her husband: "I just couldn't believe how casual she was about it!  I feel sick about it.  Just sick.  How can she say it's the same whether the pregnancy is six weeks along or twenty-three?  That's just ludicrous!" (Abby Johnson, Unplanned, 97)

After this comment Abby’s husband, Mark challenged her by asking if the child’s worthiness of life is any different because the pregnancy is further along?  With little response to Mark, Abby continued to question late term abortion and her inconsistency.  Abby later noted her friendship with notorious late term abortionist George Tiller and what a “kind” person he was, but she often wondered how he could justify performing late term abortions.  Abby’s battle within continued one day in church during a period of silence for a “confession of sin” where she struggled with the thought of whether or not to confess her involvement in abortion.

For me it’s incredible to see how people make judgment calls as whethere or not the action of abortion is okay or not depending on the babies age, size or development.  Abby is not the only person who feels this way.  I know some extremely pro-life people who believe that abortion is okay as long as it’s in the first trimester.  These are people whose beliefs we must challenge, because they are more likely to acknowledge the reality of the unborn child’s life, no matter how young or small.  They are also more apt to morn the loss of a child to a late term abortion than those who support all abortion.  Many people are unaware of the fact that abortion is legal through ALL 9 months of a woman’s pregnancy not just when people consider the child ‘a blob of tissue’ but moments up until the child is born.  We must educate and continue to challenge the pro-abortion position!

Order Abby’s book and join this discussion: http://www.unplannedthebook.com/

Checkout my reflectione from:

Chapter 1, ‘The Ultrasound’

Chapter 2, 'The Volunteer Fair'

Chapter 3, 'The Power of a Secret'

Chapter 4, 'The Cause'
Chapter 5, 'The Bond of Compassion'
Chapter 6, '40 Days and 40 Nights' 
Chapter 7, 'The Code of Conduct'
Chapter 8, 'My Enemy, My Friend'

Standing In Defence of the Voiceless,

Timmerie Millington

Unplanned Chapter 8, ‘My Enemy, My Friend’

At this point in the book Abby has taken over as the Planned Parenthood director for a clinic in Texas and the first few weeks turn out to be very eventful . . .

As the new director of Planned Parenthood Abby had two goals she really worked to accomplish:

1. Reduce the numbers of abortions by pushing contraception.
2. Create a strong relationship between Coalition for Life and her Planned Parenthood.

Because of Abby’s horrible experience with the chemical abortion through a method known as RU-486, she strongly advocated against the use of this form of abortion, especially after the six week point in a woman’s pregnancy. Out of fear, Abby trained her employees to provide informed consent for chemical abortion RU-486. When clients insisted on aborting by RU-486 she emphasised that employees tell patients that, “it might be bad -- really bad.” Many women called the clinic after taking the pills because there were experiencing severe bleeding and cramping, and thought they were dying. Abby was especially concerned for patients who returned for a surgical abortion after a failed or incomplete chemical abortion.

One day a young woman came into the clinic asking for advice regarding a chemical abortion. She had no money but obtained four abortion pills. Abby wanted her to be safe and offered a free chemical abortion, which the woman obtained. A week after the woman’s abortion she came back and was still pregnant! The woman was 7 ½ weeks along in her pregnancy with a healthy baby, this woman took it as a “sign from God” and chose to keep her baby!

As is common in the pro-life movement, Abby speaks of overly zealous pro-lifers who are not very gentle in their approach, very different from the conduct of Coalition for Life. These people would show up now and again outside of the Texas Planned Parenthood and cause problems. “Even as a believer in women’s right to choose, I hated to see such actions strengthen the cause of abortion, and that is precisely what they did.” Abby Johnson, Unplanned (88).

The good actions of many can be quickly over looked when there are such horrible actions by others: In one week, Abby once received three death threats, one at home, one at work, and one stuck to the windshield of her car. One even mentioned Abby’s daughter Grace by name and said it’s “too bad” she will no longer have a mom. Abby’s peaceful demeanor with Coalition for Life volunteers was compromised by these notes. Something that really struck out to me is when Abby looses her temper over the situation. After witnessing a clinic protester taking photographs of clinic patient's license plate numbers, Abby called out to the peaceful Coalition for Life volunteers, “He solidifies your opposition against you.” Abby Johnson, Unplanned (89).

One day Elizabeth, a Coalition for Life volunteer, left a beautiful bouquet of lilies for Abby with a car reading:

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with JOY. Psalm 126. 

I’m praying for you Abby!

This loving act from Abbey’s opposition touched Abby deeper than we can imagine! More is accomplished by treating others kindly than threatening them with hateful speech.

Standing In Defence of the Voiceless,

Timmerie Millington

Unplanned Chapter 7 'The Code of Conduct'

It saddens me that those who work for abortion clinics are often fearful for their safety and sometimes have threats on their life. During this chapter Abby writes about the peaceful presence outside of the Planned Parenthood she worked at in Texas. Despite the peaceful presence instituted by the efforts of Coalition for Life there was a big deal made about the safely of clinic workers and the rhetoric enforced when speaking about sidewalk counselors.

The transportation of some abortionists would be such a dramatic and big deal that they would: park at a secret location, were picked up away from the secret parking place by clinic staff, then driven with a sheet covering them in the back seat, and run in a side security entrance -- before dawn-- with the sheet covering their head. Why are such drastic measures made to disguise and protect some abortionists? If abortion is legal what is there to fear? Clearly some of these abortionists are doing things illegally and/or fear for their life because of the type of work they do. Why would you take a job that brings such fear and dramatic precautions to your life? This I cannot understand.

Planned Parenthood has taught their employees rhetoric for years and Abby shares that she was trained to call peaceful sidewalk counselors "anti-choice extremists" that would harass anyone going into Planned Parenthood to take away their “right to choose”. Pro-life advocates don't need fancy rhetoric that depicts the other side as something they aren't. This reminds me that we have truth and evidence on our side, but that's not all... We want women to be confident in their choices and not weep from effect of post abortion syndrome for years to come. We want the children in the womb to be looked at with dignity and not torn apart after being called a 'blog of tissue’. Stand with women today!

Happy International Women's Day! I stand for respecting women both inside and outside of the womb!
 (Repost this on Facebook and Twitter today!)

What is something that stood out to you about this chapter? A lesson learned or something interesting?

Order Abby’s book and join this discussion: www.UnplannedTheBook.com

Checkout my reflection from:

Chapter 1, ‘The Ultrasound’

Chapter 2, 'The Volunteer Fair'

Chapter 3, 'The Power of a Secret'

Chapter 4, 'The Cause'
Chapter 5, 'The Bond of Compassion'
Chapter 6, '40 Days and 40 Nights' 

Standing In Defence of the Voiceless,

Timmerie Millington

Reflection on Abby Johnson's Book 'Unplanned'

Over the last few months I've been reading Abby Johnson's book Unplanned where Abby shares about her experience of working at Planned Parenthood then converting to the pro-life side two years ago, after watching an ultrasound guided abortion.  Please join with me in reflecting upon Unplanned by commenting and sharing your thoughts about the book.

Read my reflections on chapters 1-6 and stay tuned tomorrow for chapter 7's reflection:

Chapter 1, ‘The Ultrasound’

Chapter 2, 'The Volunteer Fair'

Chapter 3, 'The Power of a Secret'

Chapter 4, 'The Cause'
Chapter 5, 'The Bond of Compassion'
Chapter 6, '40 Days and 40 Nights'

Order Abby’s book and join this discussion: www.UnplannedTheBook.com

Standing In Defence of the Voiceless,

Timmerie Millington

Supporting Pro-Life Legislation, Even With Exceptions

Last night, Facebook posts by pro-life advocates brought attention to Abby Johnson’s supports of a bill that would require a sonogram be performed and the doctor to explain it at least 24 hours before the abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, and abnormal development of the fetus (Greek for young one) the mother has the choice not to be told about the sonogram by the doctor or to see it.

Abby tells people not to get into a “tizzy” because there is an exception to the bill. She states that these exceptions are only 1% of all abortions performed, and that thousands of lives will still be saved if this bill passes. Abby says, “We win some battles before winning the war.”

Some pro-lifers are angered by Abby’s response to this exception, but I agree with her, the fight for the life of un-born will not be won in one stroke. My mom very eloquently explained on Facebook why it is important to move forward with imperfect pro-life legislation and that Abby is correct in supporting this bill even with the exceptions. See my mom’s response:

Louisa Millington

Although human law may not always express the moral imperative, which is protection of all human life in all of its stages, we must always work to change our laws, which have an obligation to protect and preserve all human life. With that being said, Pope John Paul II in The Gospel of Life tells us that we may support imperfect legislation, legislation, for example, that does not ban all abortions, but puts some control on the current more permissive laws by aiming to lower the number of abortions. We must attempt , however imperfectly, to incrementally reverse the massive tide of abortion through imperfect legislation. "This does not in fact represent an illicit cooperation with an unjust law, but rather a legitimate and proper attempt to limit its evil aspects." Gospel of Life, no. 73

The same principals apply to imperfect politicians. If we wait for electable candidates that perfectly conform to our pro-life position, we will likely be continuously disappointed with representation supporting the platform of the Culture of Death.

The last thing I would say on this topic is that the abortion industry did not become this million plus, baby killing machine over night, and short of the hand of God intervening on our behalf, the rolling back of abortion rights will also not happen over night with one individual piece of legislation. It will likely happen one imperfect law at a time.

Video where Abby Johnson discusses this bill:

Standing In Defence of the Voiceless,

Timmerie Millington