To all the women standing with Planned Parenthood,

I am a 28-year-old woman and I have been told that you are continuously fighting for the protection of my rights. I truly appreciate your desire to help me and other women, because that is exactly what women should be doing; fighting for and supporting one another. However, as a woman who also desires the wellbeing of all my sisters, I believe your well-intentioned efforts are misguided and are causing harm to women everywhere.

I must confess to you that I am pro-life. This doesn’t mean that I don’t believe in choices, but it means that I believe that women deserve more than abortion, and children deserve to be loved and cared for no matter what circumstances bring them to the world. Before you stop reading, I just want to make it clear that although I firmly hold these convictions…

I do not hate you.

While presently we are standing on opposite sides, I believe we are actually on the same team; the team of womanhood; the team of humanity. And like you, I want to see all women reach their full potential. So why can’t we work together on this? Well…we’re obviously divided.

The recent events surrounding abortion laws in our nation have prompted me to become more vocal about my stance. As of late, I have been continuously going to my state’s capital building to silently resist some abortion expansion bills. While doing so, I have come face to face with some of you.

And although I myself am a woman, each time I have encountered Planned Parenthood activists while silently holding a sign that says I peacefully resist abortion expansion bills in my state, I have been photographed, scoffed at, looked at with anger, disgust or disapproval, and on more than one occasion I have also been told that I have no idea what I am talking about.

It confuses me that I would be treated in this way by women who claim to be fighting for my rights, simply because I do not agree with their approach. Aren’t we all ultimately fighting for women? Why then are we tearing each other down? What stands between us? In my opinion: Planned Parenthood. But you don’t need to take my word for it. I’d just ask you to consider a couple of things.

First, the obvious, Planned Parenthood is not a woman, it is an organization; a business.

According to Planned Parenthood’s 2017-2018 Annual Report, Planned Parenthood’s total Net Assets amounted to 1,881.7 million. Again, Planned Parenthood is a business. And as any good business would do, they seek to protect their own interest, and they do so in the name of women. So much so that to speak out against Planned Parenthood has almost become synonymous with speaking out against women. This has been a brilliant strategy, but is it true that those who oppose Planned Parenthood, oppose women?

I don’t think so. Speaking for myself, I do not support Planned Parenthood because I think women deserve more than what Planned Parenthood has to offer, and I also see too many flaws in Planned Parenthood’s methodology.

For example, Planned Parenthood claims that their mission is “to protect the fundamental right of all individuals to manage their own fertility and sexual health, and to ensure access to the services, education and information to realize that right.” And yet Planned Parenthood’s own services, which they so proudly report, show that they do not help people “manage” their fertility, they help people suppress their fertility; there is a difference.

Rather than help women learn how to work with the beautiful design of their bodies, Planned Parenthood works to stifle and suppress what is natural in women. That is not liberating. Planned Parenthood helps women to be at war with their own bodies, so it’s no wonder that we are at war with each other. How could we not be, if Planned Parenthood has taught women to constantly be at war with themselves?

Additionally, the culture of irresponsibility that Planned Parenthood has facilitated is beneath the dignity of women. We ought to demand better treatment and “healthcare” that actually considers what is good for our health.

Furthermore, on numerous occasions Planned Parenthood has been exposed doing things that most people would consider horrific. Each of these times it has been evident that Planned Parenthood stands with no one, but themselves, so why would any person of good reason stand with them.

I for one do not stand with Planned Parenthood. I stand with women. I stand with all that she is including her fertility, and all that she could be. I ask you to do the same.

Your teammate,

Marlyn