Showing posts with label unplanned. Show all posts
Showing posts with label unplanned. Show all posts

Friday, June 3, 2011

Unplanned Chapter 14, 'The Wrong Side of the Fence'

Abby is only a few days away from leaving her position as Director at Planned Parenthood and finds herself struggling while in the building where lives are taken. . .



“I looked into the waiting room and saw clients with sad lives waiting their turn for our help, and wondered if each of them was simply a dollar sign, a source of revenue, to this organization.” -- Abby Johnson Unplanned page 143


After Abby realized she wouldn’t be gone before the next scheduled round of abortions which were to be performed that day using chemical abortion drug RU-486, she broke down into tears. She decided she had to leave, and while walking out of the Planned Parenthood door, Abby saw the greeting card that sidewalk counselor Elizabeth had given her two years prior:


“The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with JOY.”
Psalm 126:3

I am praying for you, Abby!
- Elizabeth


Abby immediately left Planned Parenthood and drove to Coalition for Life’s office across the street; where she met with pro-life volunteers and her well known adversary, Shawn Carney. Abby expressed that she didn’t know what she planned to say once arriving there. It is clear that deep down inside Abby knew she would find refuge and acceptance in that office.


From this chapter, I learned the importance of consistency and the expression of love to those who disagree with us about abortion. You never know when someone you’ve talked to may turn away from abortion. With persistence, patience, and love, abortion advocates will always know they can come to us. I encourage you to reflect on the idea of patient, loving persistence in your pro-life vocation, as I plan to myself, and always be available for those who may, one day, turn their back on abortion.


Do you know anyone who has changed views from pro-abortion to pro-life?  Comment and share the story.  

Friday, April 8, 2011

Unplanned Chapter 13, 'Inside Out'

In this chapter Abby Johnson took one last interview as a Planned Parenthood employee before she left the clinic.  While Abby no longer supported the Planned Parenthood ideology, just prior to leaving her position as clinic director, she had a scheduled radio interview discussing the “anti-choice extremists” who participate in 40 Days for Life.  Abby admits the lies used in the talking points to discuss the 40 Days for Life pro-life advocates, but to herself she reflected on how kind, gentle, and prayerful the sidewalk counselors and prayer warriors were who stood outside of her clinic.  

A point that is made in this chapter is that the Planned Parenthood talking points, used to train its volunteers and staff, are filled with rhetoric to make pro-life advocates sound violent, over the top, and inconsiderate.  Pro-abortion advocates do all they can to shape the thought of men, women, and teenagers to hate pro-life advocates.  All the while pro-lifer supporters offer choices in a time of crisis, pray for those involved in abortion, and tell women they care and will help them.  Many people are influenced by these talking points since abortion is a political norm and according to most media -- pro-life advocates are violent.  Planned Parenthood has used their talking points well and will continues to.  But I ask you: where does the truth lie?

 
Pro-life advocates stand on the side of truth and real life:
  • Most women suffer severe post abortion syndrome after abortion which include, depression, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, eating disorders, cutting, suicide, and difficulty in bonding with children born subsequent to the abortion procedure, among other symptoms.
  • Science confirms that life begins at conception, verifies the development of the child, and contradicts the Planned Parenthood fallacy that the unborn baby is only ‘a blob of tissue’.
  • Abortion is not good for women as is seen in the Abortion Breast Cancer (ABC) link.
But these aren’t the only truths.  Recent under cover investigations continue to show that Planned Parenthood aids sex trafficking, doesn’t report abuse of sexually abused minors, and avoids the legal system.  Yet, some in society and government still choose to look the other way and say that our tax dollars should fund abortion and Planned Parenthood even when our country is too broke to fund Planned Parenthood and their claims of providing health care for women, while simultaneously killing hundreds of thousands of young women in the womb every year.

The abusive pro-abortion rhetoric has injured the pro-life movement, yet they continue to vigilantly stand on the side of life.  When will we see truth be told and justice for the unborn?


Action Items
Be sure to contact Congress to de-fund Planned Parenthood.
Tell Congress NO tax dollars for abortion.

Standing In Defence of the Voiceless,

Timmerie Millington

P.S.  Tomorrow is my birthday and I’m raising money for a pro-life organization called Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust.  Please consider donating to my birthday wish, and doing so you will help Survivors in their life saving work.   


Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Unplanned Chapter 12, 'A Holy Rush'


I found reading this chapter ironic because throughout the day I had a number of conversations triggered by Bryan Kemper’s recent blog discussing whether or not hearts can be changed to understand abortion as wrong without Christ being the center of this conversation.  

After participating in and watching an ultrasound guided abortion (see my reflection of ‘The Ultrasound), Abby Johnson came to the realization that abortion is the taking of a human life, and that the unborn child involved in the abortion procedure is a victim to what she had considered only a procedure for many years.  Even though what triggered Abby to recognize the horror of abortion wasn't her faith but the visual witness of an abortion, she immediately incorporated her faith into the idea of abortion being wrong.  At church she confessed her involvement in abortion and prayed for other’s eyes to be opened to the truth of what abortion is because she saw that pushing abortion on women was not caring for them.


Now for some time Abby had been struggling with the thought of abortion as being wrong/sinful while praying and while at church, but she justified her involvement as caring for women; or sometimes brushed the notion aside.  After realizing that Planned Parenthood was in the market of making money by providing abortions, she saw that pushing abortions on pregnant women wasn’t caring for others.  In contrast, Abby began to see true care for women in the kind support and peaceful demeanor of sidewalk counselors from Coalition for Life.  Abby saw love in the nun who on her knees prayed and wept for the lives lost to abortion.  This love is what our faith is.  As Christian’s we are taught to love our neighbor.  So what is the answer to whether or not hearts can be changed to understand abortion as wrong without Christ being the center of this conversation? While I believe that hearts can be changed based on science and facts alone, we should stand for life and walk in faith just by loving and caring for one another, and we can most certainly share that this love comes from Christ.  Many hearts can still be changed by science, but more than likely someone is there to lovingly help present or guide you to the understanding and respecting the dignity of human life.

Now whether we boldly say we are Christians and pro-life or just base our pro-life stance on science we must treat others with an abundance of charitable love.  One instance where I can tell you that love and faith are overflowing in pro-life work is outside of an abortion clinic in San Diego.  Every day that abortions are performed at the Family Planning Associates off of Miramar Road, Helpers of God’s Precious Infants counsel men, women, and teenagers to protect the innocence of the unborn child and they share their love for Christ.  They pray with these people that are seeking services at Family Planning Associates, and most of the people they counsel walk away with a smile and cradling a rosary in their hands.  Every week I receive reports of at least two women who walked away from an appointment to take their child’s life.  These sidewalk counselors see the woman walking into the abortion clinic as people just like them and they treat them lovingly, with dignity and respect, not like horrible people for considering an abortion.  


True faith is love of neighbor and above all this is what we must express in all of our pro-life work.  Abby’s mother, father,  and husband always surrounded her with love, and never called her a bad person for her involvement in abortion but challenged the wrong of abortion.  Don’t turn someone away because they disagree with you, but allow for them to feel comfortable coming to you when they know they’re wrong or want to know more. 

"Which is the first of all the commandments?" Jesus replied, "The first is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:28-31
Standing In Defence of the Voiceless,

Timmerie Millington

Monday, April 4, 2011

Unplanned Chapter 11, 'The Boardroom'


During this chapter the true roots of the pro-abortion movement are shown, not the mask of ‘a woman’s right to choose’ or concern for ‘women’s health’ which pro-abortion advocates claim as their mission.

During meetings regarding Planned Parenthood abortion clinic at the affiliate office, Abby Johnson and other clinic directors were told it was time to get revenue up since their Title XX funding was already used up for the year.  This eliminated discounted or even free birth control for lower income women.  Abby was appalled at the thought of women having to be pregnant with babies they couldn't afford.  Abby reflected on how different things became once revenue was the primary goal, versus providing services for women.


"Birth control must lead ultimately to a cleaner race."
Planned Parenthood Founder, Margaret Sanger, Woman, Morality, and Birth Control. New York: New York Publishing Company, 1922. Page 12.

During a meeting to discuss Abby's clinic's budget goals she was told she had to significantly increase her abortion client intake.  You might ask why?  Because abortions aren’t cheap and any abortion provider brings in high dollar revenue from abortions; the average abortion in the first trimester costs $300.  This abortion quota contradicted the rhetoric that initially lured Abby Johnson to Planned Parenthood.  The original trap that Planned Parenthood of reducing abortion numbers no longer seemed a goal amongst the organization; their demand for abortions was vital to their budget.  Abby did not like the idea of generating revenue by providing abortions as the new goal at her clinic, and insisted that abortion would not take priority over serving women.

Abby wrote in Unplanned about how Planned Parenthood was born to help women in need, especially with issues concerning issues of birth control and abortion. But this isn’t the truth.  If you take a few minutes to look back at, the founder of Planned Parenthood founder, Magaret Sanger’s personal views, you will begin to understand the true evil behind the pro-abortion movement and how rhetoric over the years has masked this horrific mission. 


I strongly recommend you read a few of these many quotes from Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger.

"We should hire three or four colored ministers, preferably with social-service backgrounds, and with engaging personalities. The most successful educational approach to the Negro is through a religious appeal. We don't want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population. and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members."
Margaret Sanger's December 19, 1939 letter to Dr. Clarence Gamble, 255 Adams Street, Milton, Massachusetts. Original source: Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College, North Hampton, Massachusetts. Also described in Linda Gordon's Woman's Body, Woman's Right: A Social History of Birth Control in America. New York: Grossman Publishers, 1976.

"Eugenic sterilization is an urgent need ... We must prevent multiplication of this bad stock."
Margaret Sanger, April 1933 Birth Control Review.

As an advocate of birth control I wish ... to point out that the unbalance between the birth rate of the 'unfit' and the 'fit,' admittedly the greatest present menace to civilization, can never be rectified by the inauguration of a cradle competition between these two classes. In this matter, the example of the inferior classes, the fertility of the feeble-minded, the mentally defective, the poverty-stricken classes, should not be held up for emulation....
On the contrary, the most urgent problem today is how to limit and discourage the over-fertility of the mentally and physically defective.
Margaret Sanger. "The Eugenic Value of Birth Control Propaganda." Birth Control Review, October 1921, page 5.

Watch Maafa 21 which sheds light on the founding of Planned Parenthood and their eugenics agenda.


Standing In Defence of the Voiceless,

Timmerie Millington

Friday, March 25, 2011

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?

Standing In Defence of the Voiceless,




Timmerie Millington