Planned Parenthood resorts to blatant lies to fight #prolife bill; UPDATED with information about violent tactics from #prochoice protesters

The special session debate over Texas' abortion bill (HB2/SB1) continues to attract national attention, with both pro-life and pro-choice organizations weighing in. As expected, Planned Parenthood has been one of the ringleaders on the pro-abortion side.

Facebook ads supporting State Senator Wendy Davis and the pro-choice cause have been a constant presence in my Facebook feed since the evening of Davis' filibuster, and Planned Parenthood has been a sponsor of many of them. 

I'll try to go back and add screenshots of the ads themselves, but most of them say something along the lines of the bill is attacking "women's health," and often mention Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst or specific Republican legislators by name. (Before Governor Perry announced he was not running for reelection, many of the ads included him as well).

The Planned Parenthood Facebook ads link to this website:

Tell your senator to put women's health ahead of politics!

The website is a simple splash page with an introductory note and a suggested message to send to your state senator (screencaps taken today):

(Click image to enlarge)

(Click image to enlarge)

First, the whole argument about wanting to "put women's health ahead of politics" doesn't make a dang bit of sense. Planned Parenthood wants people to contact their elected officials to encourage them to vote a certain way...isn't that, well, you know, politics???

What PP really means is they want to "put the politics we support ahead of the politics of people we don't support." 

Regarding the message itself, note the language PP suggests that you send to your state senator:

Please oppose all efforts to restrict women's access to the Pap tests, breast cancer screenings, and access to birth control that are important to our health. These attacks on women's health will deny access to basic care to thousands of women and will limit access to safe, legal abortion in Texas.

First of all, HB2/SB1 have nothing to do with Pap tests, breast cancer screenings, or contraceptives. Not a darn word of the bill addresses those issues. There is also nothing in the bill that "denies access" to health care for women. In fact, during this year's regular session, the Legislature actually increased state funding by $179 million dollars for women’s health services including annual visits, preventative screening, and contraceptives.

It's doubly ironic for them to make this argument because it's been well-documented that Planned Parenthood doesn't actually perform any mammograms at any of their facilities nationwide. Not a single one. Never have.

What the bill actually requires is for abortion clinics to meet the same safety standards as ambulatory surgical centers. Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, the fact is that abortion is a medical procedure and, like with all medical procedures, there can be risks and complications. The bill requires clinics offering abortions to meet the same standards as clinics that remove your tonsils, perform cataracts, or other similar outpatient surgical procedures.

Wonder if you get a discount on
the haircut with each surgery?

Less than a century ago, barbers used to perform dentistry and surgery. We know better now and expect certain standards of care, cleanliness, and specialized training from our doctors and dentists. It is not overly burdensome to expect an abortion to be performed under the same standards as a tonsillectomy.

Moreover, this bill will not "force any clinics to close." They have the choice: spend the money to meet the standards, or don't perform abortions.

Funny how the idea of spending profits to comply with government regulations wasn't a problem for Obamacare supporters, hmmm?

Anyway, if a clinic doesn't want to invest the resources necessary to comply with the bill, they can still continue to remain open and provide women’s health services such as obstetric care, annual gynecological visits, and  (gasp!) even contraceptives.

Planned Parenthood's ad is beyond misleading: it is a blatantly false representation of what HB1/SB2 actually do, and is an egregious attempt to scare women.

I guess it shouldn't surprise me that Planned Parenthood is lying about the content of the ad. The pro-choice crowd sunk to new lows today. Getting young teenagers and children to hold explicit signs continues, as expected, and DPS has confiscated tampons, paint, glitter, jars of urine and feces, and bricks from pro-choice protesters who attempted to bring them in through the security lines (see here, here, here, and here).

Throwing bodily fluids and bricks at pro-life supporters and legislators isn't free speech; it's a vicious and cruel assault and a crime.

Democrats want to scream like kids, throw tampons and condoms, to disrupt a vote on making an invasive surgical procedure meet health codes.
— Rep. Steve Stockman (@SteveWorks4You) July 12, 2013

Never thought I'd be nostalgic for the days when they were just a screaming mob, but here you go.

Please post tweets with #Stand4Life throughout the evening to show your support for life.

UPDATE: Just wanted to point out that the bill is being debated in the Senate right now, and all signs are pointing to the bill passing. Decorum is being maintained in the Senate gallery, thanks to the strong presence of DPS and rules requiring silence being strictly enforced.

In a meeting with pro-life activists earlier this week, LG Dewhurst said the following:

We will have decorum or I will give the order and clear the gallery. 

This is Texas. We're proud of Texas and we're going to make sure that our democratic process moves forward. 

This bill will pass.

UPDATE: Thanks to fellow Austin blogger Cahnman's Musings for the link. 

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