Recently, I heard Dr. Kevin Roberts from the Heritage Foundation say something that really struck me.
In his talk he referred to the importance of, “Reading reality truthfully.”
I take that to mean doing one’s best not to look at everything that happens in one’s field of concern through a set of lenses that always makes one see something “there” that isn’t actually there, or vice versa.
I believe this is very hard to do once you’ve become convinced about the reality of a given thing.
Take for example, Planned Parenthood.
There are legions of American citizens who defend Planned Parenthood as a champion of women’s rights, and as a top tier women’s healthcare organization.
On the other hand, those in the pro-life community believe that all the things Planned Parenthood purports to be in terms of defender of women’s rights, women’s healthcare advocate, etc., are nothing more than a smokescreen to hide its real intention – make as much money as possible from abortion services.
Which group, Planned Parenthood defenders, or pro-lifers, is “reading reality truthfully?”
I think a new video posted recently by Planned Parenthood gives us the answer.
The video is entitled, “What is virginity?”
Now, before you watch the video, you might expect from a so-called women’s healthcare organization that in a video with such a title that we will be watching a medical expert taking us through the scientific facts about virginity.
But that’s not at all what we see in this video.
The opening lines of the video give away the intent.
It is crystal clear that the video has nothing at all to do with educating us about the scientific facts concerning virginity.
The presenter says,
“Virginity! What is it? And what’s the big deal about “losing” it?
Let me cut right to the chase – virginity is a completely made up concept. It’s a term that was created simply to control and shame people – mainly women.
A “virgin” is someone who’s never had sex, but it’s not as simple as it seems.
For one thing, medically “virginity” isn’t a real thing.”
Already off to an inauspicious start, the video only goes downhill from there.
I encourage you to watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozhO62z2nag
From a “reading reality truthfully” perspective, what is Planned Parenthood’s goal with this video?
And I’m trying hard not to just see it through my own pro-life beliefs, but actually see it through the lens of a person who supports Planned Parenthood and evaluate if this video fits into a framework that supports a belief that the organization is an authentic champion of women’s rights, and a purveyor of world class women’s healthcare.
And I just don’t see it.
What I see is an organization encouraging young women to just go have sex.
For example, consider these lines from the video:
“It’s time to throw away the notion of “losing your virginity”!
What if instead of “losing” something we reframe it as “gaining”? Because, the truth is, when we make our own decision to become sexually active, we aren’t setting ourselves up to lose anything at all! We hope we are gaining things like intimacy, self-insight, pleasure, and empowerment.
All of these myths around sex and virginity can be so hurtful and overwhelming.
But here’s the one truth you should remember: sex is defined by one thing and one thing only.
YOU. You get to decide and define what sex – and virginity- mean for you.”
Now image there was an organization that needed a very large pipeline of young women facing unexpected pregnancies in order to make as much money as possible from its core offering – abortion services.
This video is exactly the kind of video the organization would make in order to free young women from any inhibitions to having sex all the time.
And if young women who watch this video agree with its message, don’t you think they would be more likely to engage in sexual activity more often?
And following that, wouldn’t a percentage of those women be more likely to face an unexpected pregnancy?
And of course, when that happens what will Planned Parenthood offer those women?
Accurate medical information about abortion? No.
Accurate medical information about carrying a pregnancy to term and the emotional and financial support available to a woman should she decide to do so? Definitely not.
Abortion? Most definitely yes.
By reading reality truthfully, it should be obvious to anyone who watches this video that Planned Parenthood is in no way a champion of women’s health.
Planned Parenthood has a singular focus that drives everything they do toward one goal: funnel as many young pregnant women as possible into their abortion machine.
Brett
