Representative Trent Franks (R-AZ) stated that those who overlook Planned Parenthood’s behavior “have to take rank with those people who have done those kinds of things in the past when genocides occur” and that “the same argument” that was used to justify slavery is also used to justify abortion on Tuesday’s “MSNBC Live.”
Franks said, “I think really the bottom line is we have to ask ourselves why is there such animosity? Why is this such an intense issue? Why are Americans so divided on it? And the real question comes down to this, does abortion kill a little baby? If it does not, then there’s no debate. But if abortion really does kill a child, and that’s the one thing these videos have demonstrated incontrovertibly. They’ve shown, they’ve pulled back the curtain, let us see behind the walls of Planned Parenthood, and see the death and torturous dismemberment of these little children, and that creates controversy. Those that can hide themselves from that fact, and rationalize it away, unfortunately have to take rank with those people who have done those kinds of things in the past when genocides occur, but those of us that are committed to protecting children cannot turn a blind eye to that, so, consequently there’s the reason for the rancor.
Franks added, “Well, obviously, Planned Parenthood has done an amazing job using a lot of taxpayer dollars to sell their image, but the truth is, that their abortion process and their abortion services have gone steadily upward, and all of their other services have gone steadily down. And here’s the bottom line, our proposal simply says rather than giving the money to Planned Parenthood, why don’t we give it to the other organizations that do exactly the same work that Planned parenthood says is good, but that don’t kill children routinely? And I think the American people would be with us on that, and unfortunately, the way the poll is sometimes worded changes it, but the bottom line [is], even if they’re not, as someone that sees what is happening here, is it really America to fund an organization that routinely dismembers and kills pain-capable little babies? Is that who we are as a nation? I just don’t think it is. And I understand why planned parenthood attacks the validity of the videos, because they know that that’s the only hope they have, because if people see the videos, they can see right through all of the false arguments that Planned Parenthood makes. So, Planned Parenthood has to attack the credibility of them, but there’s a group that’s gone through and forensically identified that these videos are authentic. And if people will look at them for themselves, then maybe some day, when they’re in a nursing home and they have to talk to their children, and say where were you when America was killing little babies, they’ll have an answer for them.”
Regarding the funding battle over Planned Parenthood, Franks stated, “The real issue is, Democrats in the Senate will not even allow a vote, a fair vote, on the issue. They use this filibuster, and they abuse it in the most insidious way, so we never really get a vote on these things. So, right now the House has to pursue a method to circumvent the filibuster, and there’s only really one option that I know of, and that’s reconciliation. I hope it works, because I truly believe, that when you consider what Planned Parenthood does, that the sands of time should blow over this Capitol dome before we give them one more time of taxpayer dollars.”
He concluded, “this country, the last issue that tore us apart like this, was slavery, and it was the same argument. Those that were for slavery said well, there’s not really a personhood here. There’s no person involved here. The Supreme Court said the same thing, just like they did in Roe v. Wade, but there were those who understood that the foundational, core principle that made this country what it was, was that we believe that all of us are created, and that makes us equal, and that means that we should protect the most innocent among us, and that that’s the greatest test of who we are, is how we treat those who cannot defend themselves, and there is no one more defenseless in all of humanity than these little unborn children.”
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