I have to admit that I do not understand those who want to defund Planned Parenthood. The amount of federal money spent on abortion at PP is already zero. Abortion makes up 3 percent of PP’s activities and the other 97 percent is made up of activities that among other things prevent unwanted pregnancies in the first place. If you are against abortion, doesn’t it make more sense to support efforts to prevent the kinds of pregnancies that lead to the decision to abort in the first place?

Are you upset about fetal tissue research? Congress authorized that. Yeah, the same members of Congress who are now voting to defund Planned Parenthood. Wouldn’t it make more sense to just make fetal tissue research illegal again? Defunding Planned Parenthood will not stop fetal tissue research.

Do you want abortion to be illegal? We had that before Roe vs. Wade. That did not stop abortion. Women who choose to abort do so without regard to legality. Defunding PP will not stop abortion. Making it illegal will not stop abortion; it will just send abortion back to the back alley providers with horrific consequences for aborted fetuses and women.

Defunding won’t do what you want.

Doug Kimball

Sandpoint