Women Lose, Part 1

Last night our government almost shutdown over a disagreement about whether or not to continue funding Planned Parenthood.

I’m no political expert, but when our nation is plunging further and further into debt, it makes sense to cut unnecessary costs.

Planned Parenthood’s stated purpose is to promote “a commonsense approach to women’s health and well-being, based on respect for each individual’s right to make informed, independent decisions about health, sex, and family planning.”

To assist in that goal, the government gave $363 million to the organization in 2009. Is this necessary? I think not.

For thousands of years women have been making “informed, independent decisions about health, sex, and family planning” — without Planned Parenthood’s interference. How? With true “commonsense” — an idea Planned Parenthood apparently doesn’t fully grasp.

The commonsense approach to family planning is simple, and most women fully understand it by the time they reach puberty. It goes something like this: “Abstain from sexual activity and remove all risk of sexually transmitted disease and unwanted pregnancy.”

I am a firm believer in a woman’s inalienable “right to choose” whether or not to engage in sexual activity. Women have always had this right, long before Roe v. Wade made a mockery of the term and idea.

I think it’s time American women started exercising their freedom to choose.

I think it’s time our country started respecting women enough to allow them to take responsibility for their choices.

And, I think it’s time the Church started doing more to offer hope and help when people choose wrongly.