{"id":168135,"date":"2017-07-03T13:19:35","date_gmt":"2017-07-03T17:19:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=168135"},"modified":"2017-07-03T11:41:21","modified_gmt":"2017-07-03T15:41:21","slug":"planned-parenthood-reading-high-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/planned-parenthood-reading-high-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Keep Planned Parenthood out of Reading High School"},"content":{"rendered":"
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ACTION: Planned Parenthood does not belong in our schools. The Reading School District will “most likely” vote on having a Planned Parenthood in Reading High School in August.\u00a0Contact the Reading School Board at this link<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As Live Action reported in a June call to action<\/a>, the Reading School District, in Reading, Pennsylvania, has been considering adding a Planned Parenthood<\/a> into<\/em>\u00a0Reading High School. Access Matters<\/a> has plans for the facility, which would be operated by Planned Parenthood staff.<\/p>\n

The vote, which had already been delayed once, was scheduled to take place on June 28 after a June 21 hearing. Students for Life of America caught wind of the proposed vote and showed up in full force to share the pro-life opposition.<\/p>\n

SFLA president Kristan Hawkins spoke further about her group’s appearance in a blog post<\/a>.\u00a0She\u00a0included stories of community support, sharing: “As we rallied, we were greeted with constant stream of friendly honks, waves, and cheers from Reading citizens. Community members stopped to thank us for our presence,” she wrote. One local Pennsylvania woman told Hawkins that\u00a0\u201cPlanned Parenthood sets the bar too low for young people by displaying a lack of confidence in us\u2026and discouraging us from pursuing relationships that are real and lasting versus transient things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michele Hendrickson, Students for Life of America\u2019s East Coast Regional Director,\u00a0spoke about the delayed vote, as well as the efforts and students, parents, and community members against the Planned Parenthood facility:<\/p>\n

We are so proud of the collaboration and unwavering dedication by Reading students, parents, and community leaders.\u00a0We are hopeful that the delayed vote is a sign that the board members recognize Planned Parenthood\u2019s damaged brand. Students know that they deserve better than Planned Parenthood, and we are calling on these board members to protect them from this disastrous proposal.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As it stands, discussion and a vote will “most likely” return in August, Board President Abraham J. Cepeda told Reading Eagle. Any month in which Planned Parenthood is not directly influencing vulnerable high school students is a good month, but pressure must continue to remind board members that pro-lifers will not be silent about the dangers of such a facility. We cannot stand by while Planned Parenthood attempts to take control over the lives of high school students, particularly when these young teens may find themselves in desperate, difficult, or unexpected circumstances.<\/p>\n

Supporters of the proposed Planned Parenthood facility have connected it with a desire to reduce teen pregnancy rates in the area, though a study showed<\/a> that handing students free condoms (which Planned Parenthood staff members will be doing<\/a>) actually increases teen pregnancy rates<\/a>. In the United Kingdom, a study showed<\/a> that spending less on sex education reduced teen pregnancy rates.<\/p>\n

And, as I reported earlier this month<\/a> about the facility proposal:<\/p>\n

The program plans to not only give students condoms, but also to refer them to Planned Parenthood Keystone. This Planned Parenthood has centers which perform abortions,\u00a0including the one in Reading. Thus,\u00a0students could be given biased information regarding abortions and even be pushed into and referred for one \u2014\u00a0a moneymaker and focus for Planned Parenthood<\/a> \u2014 all during the course of a previously normal school day…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Abortions<\/a> committed at the Reading Planned Parenthood include D&E abortions<\/a>, as explained by former abortionist Dr. Anthony Levatino in the video below:<\/p>\n

SFLA also showed up on June 28 when the school board discussed the proposal, despite the vote being delayed until August. While SFLA and others spoke out against having Planned Parenthood in Reading High School, supporters of Planned Parenthood also showed up and\u00a0stuck to typical talking points<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Pro-choice advocates repeated familiar themes like \u201cWe need to reduce teen pregnancy. We need education to do that.\u201d Pro-lifers shared personal and factual testimonies of why Planned Parenthood was not appropriate for the school community.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Supporters of the facility have also made oft-repeated anti-empowerment and anti-women claims <\/a>about pregnant and parenting teens, suggesting that they have to choose between an education and\/or career and being pregnant. Apparently, their chief concern about education is to ensure a young woman doesn’t stay pregnant. SFLA, which counteracts this view with their Pregnant on Campus initiative<\/a>, also offered life-affirming alternatives to Planned Parenthood in Reading, Pennsylvania:<\/p>\n