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Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Is Planned Parenthood Looking to Bring Abortions to Pennsylvania’s Amish Country?


By Maria Gallagher
National Right to Life


New concerns are being raised that Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion operation, may be embarking on an effort to bring abortions to of all places Pennsylvania’s Amish country!

Planned Parenthood’s outgoing chief Cecile Richards appeared in Lancaster, PA on Thursday as part of an effort to raise funds for a renovation of a Planned Parenthood facility there. The facility does not perform abortions—in fact, the abortion giant was denied the chance to do abortions in Lancaster years ago because of a city zoning issue.

At the time, the issue was performing surgical abortions. But now that Planned Parenthood is increasingly performing chemical abortions —which PPFA likes to call “medical” abortions —a number of Lancaster County citizens worry that the facility could become an abortion magnet.

An abortion facility in nearby Harrisburg closed last year after a state Health Department inspection uncovered 44 pages’ worth of health and safety violations there. The Hillcrest Women’s Medical Center had been in operation for decades.

But an abortion facility would seem wildly out of place in Lancaster, which is known for its bucolic countryside, conservative politics, and vibrant faith community. The area attracts travelers throughout the world who come to Lancaster to visit scenic Amish country.

Twenty years ago, concerned Lancaster citizens banded together to help stop abortions in their area. The groundswell of opposition to Planned Parenthood was impressive and proved to be effective in preventing a business that aborts 321,000+ babies every year from performing surgical abortions there.

The annual number of abortions has declined overall in Pennsylvania, bringing them to their lowest level ever recorded in the Commonwealth, according to figures released by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

The figures show that, in 2016, 30,881 abortions occurred in the Keystone State, down about three percent from 31,818 the previous year.

There is every indication that Planned Parenthood would like to see the abortion totals rise again, and is seeking to establish an abortion stronghold in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

That would be a terrible tragedy. Thankfully, there are many dedicated individuals in central Pennsylvania who are prepared to pursue all available peaceful means to prevent that tragedy from ever taking place.


Maria Gallagher is Legislative Director for the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation.



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