I was alarmed by the one-sided discussion of Planned Parenthood and Margaret Sanger in Thursday's Alligator article. Margaret Sanger was not a eugenist, a racist or an anti-Semite and was in no way affiliated with Nazi ideology. In fact, Sanger's books were of the first to be burned by the Nazis, as they contradicted their anti-family-planning agenda. Additionally, Sanger consistently stated that family planning decisions should be made on an individual basis, not on a social or cultural basis, which of course directly contradicts core eugenics ideology.
Planned Parenthood absolutely does not "target" any specific population for abortion. Planned Parenthood clinics are vital community providers of basic health care for all people and additionally serve as a low-cost resource for uninsured men, women and teens. More than 97 percent of the work Planned Parenthood does is preventative. This includes cervical cancer screenings, breast exams, STI testing and treatment, patient education, birth control services, men's health services, pregnancy tests and even prenatal and pediatric care. Vox: Voices for Planned Parenthood, the campus liaison to Planned Parenthood, continuously holds events on campus and in the community to increase awareness about sexual health care. We would love for the Pro-Life Alliance to join us in our efforts to decrease the number of both unintended pregnancies and abortions through educating our peers about safer sex practices and contraceptive use. Prevention is our No. 1 goal.
UF junior Andrew Scheuermann brings up an important issue with his comment, "I think it would be horrible if it was true, but I don't believe it." Far too many anti-choice groups are using scare tactics similar to those used in the Pro-Life Alliance's demonstration to get their message out there. It is truly dangerous in today's society to use misinformation for personal gain, especially when we're talking about something as important as health care.
