Allen West "Offended" by Planned Parenthood in Black Neighborhoods

Thumbnail image for allen west eagle.jpg
Allen West doesn't want women to get prenatal vitamins, either.
U.S. Rep. Allen West managed to sound relatively sane for the first hour of his town hall meeting in Palm Beach last night. He used lots of pie charts and graphs to outline bedrock GOP talking points about slashing spending and cutting down on the national debt. Then a woman in the audience asked him a question about the House bill-- which he supported -- that would end federal funding for Planned Parenthood. West's mask of sanity fell off with a thud.

"Planned Parenthood, they can go out and compete for private dollars," he began.

His questioner pointed out that millions of women rely on the organization for basic health care -- Pap smears, prenatal care, STD testing, birth control pills. If Planned Parenthood loses funding, where else should uninsured women go?

"It is absolutely offensive to me that Planned Parenthood is located in so many of our black communities," West replied.

The mind boggles with all the possible implications of such a statement. West was drowned out by too much cheering and booing to immediately explain himself further.

But let's give him the benefit of the doubt. Let's say West, a black man, is offended by the notion that black women might need assistance preventing unwanted pregnancy. Well, sometimes reality is offensive. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "black and Hispanic youth comprise nearly 60 percent of U.S. teen births in 2009, although they represent only 35 percent of the total population of 15-19 year old females."

Black and Hispanic women are also more likely than white women to be uninsured. Sociologists and economists could have a field day explaining the historical reasons for these statistics, but the fact remains: Planned Parenthood is located in neighborhoods where there's a great need for its services.

So, does West think only suburban white ladies deserve cancer screenings and healthy babies? Does he want poor, minority women to get on a bus and travel across town for their Pap smears? Or does he imagine that if the health clinics and their boxes of free condoms disappear, teenagers will suddenly stop having sex?

Of course, West and other Republicans always focus on Planned Parenthood's abortion services. But here's the truth: Axing funding for Planned Parenthood won't stop abortion. Wealthy women will always be able to pay for that procedure, as well as all kinds of preventative sexual health care. If West wins, he will only be punishing poor, minority women. Without access to condoms, birth control, or prenatal care, abortion may be their last resort.

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Geo
Geo

Planned Parenthood is a business and it should compete in the marketplace for customers. There is no reason for hard-working taxpayers to be forced to pay for its purely elective services. It is not like PP is a hospital emergency room where indigents can get care on the taxpayer. The fact that their grizzly business of killing babies shouldn't even be tolerated by a civilized society is only further reason that a moral people should not be forced by their government to pay for it. The writer Lisa Rab is pathetic to not only defend the horrible practice but to insult Rep. West as insane for defending innocent life.

Toolate2cu
Toolate2cu

We need more people in politics like Alan. Go Man. You make sense.....

EyemNotFree
EyemNotFree

As a child in the 1970's child the black government tortured me repeatedly claiming I should be more like OJ Simpson. They called me a white devil and would not allow me justice, education or a bill of rights. Exterminate the christian government

Deuce Prez
Deuce Prez

This dud is just TERRIBLE!!

I thank Allah that he's not my Congressman!!

TheDoctorWhoCuresCancer
TheDoctorWhoCuresCancer

Can you say President Allen West 2012? I can. And so can many others.

Virgil Starkwell
Virgil Starkwell

So many others? He's only a viable candidate in rightwing retard world. This country has real problems, and most people don't want some zealot who talks about Sharia law and Muslims 24/7.

Tell him to run for the Israeli Knesset. He has a much better chance there.

He has no chance to ever be POTUS.

ZERO!

Craig Dennis
Craig Dennis

This shows how insurmountable ignorance can be. West thinks abortion is an intrinsic EVIL, so less of it is *always* a good thing, even in some of it will always still exist. So the "wealthy women will always finance abortion" is inane at best. Planned Parenthood targets minority women, does NOT care about "healthy babies" and is not even CLOSE to the biggest supporter of healthy babies. That truly shining crown goes to crisis pregnancy centers, who do not offer abortion, but offer huge amounts of adoption, birthing, and pre and post natal support to women in need. Planned Parenthood does ****very little*** of this, compared to their contraceptive/STD obsession.

Associating an organization that REDUCES the number of babies and more importantly happy mothers and fathers WITH babies is hugely disingenuous. Planned Parenthood, as you unintentionally revealed is about preventing parenthood, not supporting it.

The lies about the people trying to stop PP have to stop. They are not trying to stop Title 10 funding, AT ALL. Planned Parenthood's current money, which they use for evil means: abortion, will go to other, moral organizations, who do the same things. Yes they will be replaced.

So the only way you could be right about Allen West's idea being equivalent to "punishing minority and poor women" is if you think their carrying their baby to term whom they conceived and they would probably love if they only gave the child a chance, is a "punishment." Not surprising though, since many these days have sadly begun to view every child as just one more "punishment" for the world, from the President and PP on down.

K1MJS
K1MJS

I have not read anything in a long time with so many misrepresentations in it.  Planned Parenthood has a long and proud history in helping families have healthy babies and helping women maintain good health.  Planned Parenthood does more to avoid abortions than any other organization in the country.  They provide education about reproduction based upon scientific evidence and not myths.  They provide women and men with access to a variety of birth control techniques.  The rate of Black teen pregnancies is about twice the actual percentage of Black teens.  Clearly we need to help Black teenagers make better decisions about sexual behavior.  Planned Parenthood has stepped up to the plate and has been working with community members from all segments of the community to plan and conduct appropriate services to the most needy communities.  I am very thankful that we have Planned Parentlhood.

nanook5
nanook5

supplementing "everyone else is lying" with a bunch of lies....what a great way to win an argument when you're in the GOP, who already passed a budget defunding Title X like a week ago:http://www.npr.org/2011/03/22/...

oh, your argument that its ok to only target poor abortions, didn't think i'd actually see anyone take that on besides limbaugh. shame.

msdvm
msdvm

The federal government doesn't need to be funding PP or for that matter many other programs in this country. Let PP exist on all the donations from people in this country that believe abortion is the right thing to do. I am sure that many of them are concerned that in reality those supporting abortion would not step up and give enough and that this is why they are fighting so hard to make it mandatory for the rest of the country or Pro-Lifers to pay the rest of the way... We do not believe this is the way to solve the problem, so why should we have to support something that goes against our morals. We should be supporting alternate ideas to help these women prevent pregnancy and illness, but not kill the innocent.

Isn't there a way to step out of the box we are in and as Americans pull together to help change lives for the better??? Ending a life for "free" is not going to change any woman, only deepen her pain... We are such a throw away society and we all want the easy way out. Sometimes easy isn't better, sometimes the hard way is worth it.

Geronimo
Geronimo

Abortion in this country kills mostly poor black children. How nice. Typical racist white liberals. They think that only the elite of "their kind" should survive - if they think that children should be born at all. Most of them think that we are over populated and that people are killing the earth. So we need to kill the black babies to save the planet. (No need to kill the white babies since whites are smart enough that they won't want to have babies for much longer. That way we can protect our Mother, Gea.

Some day this rock with water and animals and a handful of extremist white liberals can live in real peace! Great.

Unborn children are human, and alive. Therefore they are human beings. They are not horses or potential humans. If they were potential humans they would be missing some DNA, right?

ALLEN WEST FOR PRESIDENT - PLEASE RUN!

Deuce Prez
Deuce Prez

Allen West for president.....on the Islamaphobic Klub!! He'll get MILLIONS of votes for that office....which is much more than he'd get for POTUS!!

TheDoctorWhoCuresCancer
TheDoctorWhoCuresCancer

"ALLEN WEST FOR PRESIDENT - PLEASE RUN!"

I second that motion!

Virgil Starkwell
Virgil Starkwell

He has as good of a chance as Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee and Michelle Bachman.

In other words, West has no chance.

nanook5
nanook5

that was good for a laugh. you have any writing in non-fiction that you'd like to share with us?

if you had any interest whatsoever in saving all the "black babies," you'd support the #1 source of family planning for poor communities in the US...planned parenthood, instead of the full-scale war on the poor that IS the 2010 GOP mandate. poor communities without any pregnancy prevention programs...bring on 3rd world america, west!

Geronimo
Geronimo

Planned Parenthood is the number one killer of black babies in the world. And they make a lot of money off that blood. Calling killing babies "family planning" doesn't make it so.

Planned Parenthood - Racial Genocide

Oh my! We might leave us poor blacks without "pregnancy prevention" What are you some kind of a moron? Just keep your pants on. Done.

EyemNotFree
EyemNotFree

Take lessons from a sexually p e r v e r t ed carpetbagger trained by losers in the US Military. Thats ok. Florida is a state for rich gambling drunks. Allen West is so stupid he does not know he is black.

TheDoctorWhoCuresCancer
TheDoctorWhoCuresCancer

West has two Masters Degrees. You?

EyemNotFree
EyemNotFree

I am denied edumacation based on the color of my skin. Im white. Bring the war home. God is a piece of shit.

Deuce Prez
Deuce Prez

That only means he's book-smart.

you are a bum
you are a bum

What should he since he is black --- serve your cofee or shuffle and jive ---- you are the real stupid fool .

EyemNotFree
EyemNotFree

Fuck you. Bring the war home. MY hat is off to anyone who executes my senator congressman or governor

Virgil Starkwell
Virgil Starkwell

I love how these Repukelicans pretend that they care about human life. They care more deeply when a human is in the form of a glob, but as soon as they are conceived and take a human form, fuck it, they are on their own.

What a bunch of phony assholes!

Joshua
Joshua

God forbid you're responsible for your own life. Better to have the government take care of everything for you....

Virgil Starkwell
Virgil Starkwell

You just described Alan West. How long has the government been taking care of him? The nation's largest social program, the U.S. military, including free healthcare for the rest of his life.

Joshua
Joshua

If you think being in the military is "being taken care of" you should try it some time.  Your ignorance is only bested by your haste to prove you're an ass.

TheDoctorWhoCuresCancer
TheDoctorWhoCuresCancer

The military ain't like the welfare you live on. The military doesn't "take care of you." You ever see the photos of the soldiers in Iraq sleeping in holes they dug?

My father, who spent 22 years in the Army, once served in Greenland where the temperature was about 30 degrees below zero. You ever done something like that? He also served in S. Korea where it was also bitter cold. Prior to that, he drove a truck on Burma Road during WWII. Did you ever do that?

By the way, the Congressman's name is Allen West, not Alan West.

God
God

You people suck.

MBarca
MBarca

Please go and ask Janeane Garofalo, Michael Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, and the rest of the lunatics out in "La La" land to dig in to their pockets...if it's so important. They have millions...we tax paying citizens don't. And as always please remember...save the whales....kill the babies...save mother earth....but KILL THE BABIES !! Protect anything but the hell with a human life. NOT WITH MY TAX DOLLARS !!!!

Virgil Starkwell
Virgil Starkwell

What does this turd West ever have to say about the Bankers who committed the greatest heist in history, which caused the global financial system to collapse in 2008?

What does West ever have to say about the millions of middle class jobs that have been sent overseas by the Fortune 500 and other American companies?

What does West ever have to say that is relevant?

Nevin Gussack
Nevin Gussack

I have similar concerns about jobs exported overseas and Rep. West had this to say in a Town Hall in Palm Beach Gardens in 2010:"China is not our friend. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, China paid attention to that. If we are not smart with how we have our trade agreements, our tariffs, they are going to bury us. And an interesting thing about the trade surplus that China has developed over us is [the question of] who will have the worlds largest blue water navy in about 8-10 years? Who controls both sides of the Panama Canal? Who is building a port facility in Costa Rica? Who is building a port facility in the Bahamas, which is 50 miles from [Florida]? Who is buying up leases to do offshore oil drilling which is going to be slant drilling into our continental shelf? That is the danger if we are not careful about our tariffs and understanding free versus fair trade."

In addition, Rep. West opposed the TARP programs for the major banks in 2008 and 2009 by former Presidents Bush and Obama. He also supports common sense regulation, such as Glass Steagall and has personally told me that he does not believe in an economy based "on a free for all."

nanook5
nanook5

what he told you personally is worth fuck-all when it comes to congress. there's ZERO talk of re-instating glass steagal and west & his buddies are doing everything they can to kill financial reform. and who cares what his TARP opinion was, i'm pretty sure he was an unemployed ex-soldier at that point?

Scotty Starnes
Scotty Starnes

Maybe you didn't know, but West wasn't elected until 2010 and sworn in as a Representative until Jan. 2011.

Virgil Starkwell
Virgil Starkwell

Why is that relevant? What, he doesn't have an opinion on these issues? He doesn't have a real plan other than tax breaks?

Or, is his plan to blabber about Sharia law and other nonsense?

Why doesn't this turd go run for the Knesset instead?

nanook5
nanook5

actually i got that first one! i asked him in person how he's solving the financial crisis, being a tea partier and all, his answer: lower taxes.

Virgil Starkwell
Virgil Starkwell

What a surprise! Lower taxes for the job creators, so that they can hire more employees in Bangladesh for .60 cents an hour.

Yeah, that will solve our problems.

Dwane
Dwane

There is not one policy that Allen west supports that is beneficial to minorities, unless that minority is rich white men.

Slacker
Slacker

Allen West might be disturbed to know that no matter what, he will never get invited to join that club.

Useful tool of his wealthy backers, if you look close, you can almost see them jerking his strings.

nanook5
nanook5

it's very post-race to be anti-women!

Joshua
Joshua

Yeah, because not murdering babies is "anti-woman". What is wrong with you? No, no, besides being a liberal jerk.

Manna12
Manna12

nanook5 --- did Allen West really murder full grown human beings or is that just a figment of your partially aborted imagination? Allen West never murdered anyone and you are a filthy pig liar for allowing that bull$%# to escape your pock marked mind.

Joshua
Joshua

"Like everyone else who has served in Iraq?" I guess its pretty hard to figure out where your sympathies lie. Is there a difference between killing and murder? My guess is you'll say no.

nanook5
nanook5

i guess that's something west's never really copped to. did he spend years in combat zones with the specific intent of murdering insurgents, just like everyone who has served in iraq? yes. if you don't think that's what war is, i guess i'll be as dirty as you want to imagine me to be, baby.

Manna12
Manna12

nanook5 could you still be aborted?

Michele Hickford
Michele Hickford

You can say what you want about "racism" and Planned Parenthood, but the fact is nationwide 40% of all black pregnancies are aborted. Seems to me government funding should not be used to hasten or expand that figure. i would guess that's closer to West's point of view, and it's certainly mine.

Saynsumthn Blog
Saynsumthn Blog

Good for Mr. West- I am offended as well. Planned Parenthood was FOUNDED by a RACIST and this media doesn't care to point that out. Margaret Sanger the founder of Planned Parenthood admitted she gave KLAN speeches so astounding they invited her back a dozen times. Sanger was a card carrying member of the racist American Eugenics Society as were many funder, board members and President of Planned Parenthood. The media is censoring this because the MEDIA ELITES are happy BLACKS are being targeted and reduced in numbers. Watch the documentary DVD Maafa21 and see what the MEDIA will NOT report: http://www.maafa21.com

nanook5
nanook5

maafa21 and this entire meme=gibberish propaganda. the world needs more birth control, not less!

Scotty Starnes
Scotty Starnes

But...but...you're pro-choice. Talk about hypocrisy!

Joshua
Joshua

Nanook, did you just compare killing a person during combat to killing an unborn baby in a mother's womb? I think you did. Thank you for showing us your moral compass, which is badly in need of repair. Maybe we should arm the babies with rifles so they can shoot the doctor who is trying to kill them. In that case your comparision would work. Otherwise your liberal view of relativism is no only offensive, its stupid.

Joshua
Joshua

"there's hardly a bigger hypocrite in the world than the pro-war pro-life crowd." says the man who sees no difference in murdering a baby in the womb that is just trying to live and killing an armed insurgent who would gladly slit your throat while you sleep. How you can compare the murder of an innocent baby and someone who will kill you if they get to you first is beyond understanding. You are truly a sick individual.

nanook5
nanook5

you piddle with semantics exactly like someone who is defending abortion. there's hardly a bigger hypocrite in the world than the pro-war pro-life crowd.

Joshua
Joshua

Nanook, do you have any evidence of said Murder? You might want to start with the dictionary and look up the definition for "murder". you can't murder an enemy combatant. Your premise is completely wrong so your arguement is bullshit, just like you. You should know what words mean before you get on your soap box, scumbag.

nanook5
nanook5

murder=murder is not relativist, you fucking moron. that's exactly what you're preaching, along with....giving guns to fetuses...again, you're a fucking moron. practice your arguments with a stuffed animal first or something, jeez...

Manna12
Manna12

nanook6 ---- wish your mommie practiced it before you were spawned.

Lisa Rab
Lisa Rab

The anti-choice movement has been spreading misinformation about Sanger for years. Read Planned Parenthood's response here:http://www.plannedparenthoodnj...

Scotty Starnes
Scotty Starnes

Yes, everyone go get 'facts' from Planned Parenthood. They have nothing to hide...but the facts. I would suggest that you suggest people to read Sanger's articles, books and opinions but then again, we don't want the truth to slip out do we? Read about Sanger and her "Negro Project" about the black community and eugenics. Sanger's actions and words prove she was a racist and had much hate for African-Americans. In her autobiography, Sanger mentions how she spoke to the KKK (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v... I'm sure Planned Parenthood exposes all these facts?

nanook5
nanook5

just as much as every gov't website has big disclaimers that says "WE USED TO SUPPORT SLAVERY....NOT SO MUCH ANYMORE," or IBM's site says "WE HELPED WITH THE HOLOCAUST BUT THAT WAS A BIG NO-NO"

or wait, that would be completely retarded, wouldn't it?

Joshua
Joshua

Good lord, did you even read that page you posted? Its simply a wash of her words and a twist of what she did. How can you peddle such tripe? I just read some of your other essays. I was not surprised at what I found. I assume the only reason you can look yourself in the mirror is because you have no conscience.

Joshua
Joshua

You call yourself a journalist? Why don't you do your own research, read Sanger's own words and not rely on the spin machine at PP to do your job for you. It doesn't take much to figure out Sanger was a classic Progressive and started the eugenics movement in this country. She clearly stated PP was started to keep the population of undesirables low. God forbid we acknowledge the facts that PP is still waging war on the black community in the name of "reproductive services". The only people who don't think this is happening are those who are wedded to the culture of aborition given hell or high water. I'm all for birth control. I agree with Nanook5, we need more of it. Why doesn''t PP convert their abortion clinics into condom factories? This way they could prevent babies instead of murdering them.

Craig Dennis
Craig Dennis

nanook,

Only 3% of planned parenthoods *PROCEDURES* are abortions. This does NOT mean that 3% of their expenditures are on abortion.

PP is allowing people like you to believe that so that you think they are more about contraception than they are about abortion. This is false. Contraception btw has its own huge problems besides immorality, including its destruction of the ob/gyn profession. It has become a crutch, and their dependence upon it has destroyed their ability to diagnose and treat gynocology and obstetric disease. Not to mention the destruction of their regard for nascent life.

Abortion is PPs cash cow. As Abby Johnson has pointed out, it is something they want more of, because it improves their margins. But all of that is a side point to the real problem: the contraceptive/abortive mentality that treats human life as a commodity, or worse, a harsh inconvenience for those fortunate enough be regarded as "useful."

nanook5
nanook5

Josh, the reason I said that is BECAUSE planned parenthood is the #1 resource for birth control in the country for poor communities. the vast majority of their funds goes towards this. 3% is used towards abortions....

The idea that Margaret Sanger's idiocy has lived in as some kind of secret agenda in PP for over 50 years is preposterous, and people who think themselves competent enough to have a rational discussion should just admit it. You might as well thrown in some Rothschilds into the mix.

read it and weap Lisa
read it and weap Lisa

"I accepted an invitation to talk to the women's branch of the Ku Klux Klan...I saw through the door dim figures parading with banners and illuminated crosses...I was escorted to the platform, was introduced, and began to speak...In the end, through simple illustrations I believed I had accomplished my purpose. A dozen invitations to speak to similar groups were proffered." (Margaret Sanger: An Autobiography, P.366)

nanook5
nanook5

the hypocrisy of pro-life is as ever-present as usual, LMFAO, i suppose you support allen west murdering full grown human beings as well?

Manna12
Manna12

Again, you should be aborted, your mind and reasoning has already left the building.

nanook5
nanook5

so, let's do the allen west demagoguery recap: 1.the reasons muslims in 2011 are evil is because of acts muslims committed thousands of years ago2. the reason planned parenthood in 2011 evil is because their founder

by the way: there is exactly one major difference between the KKK & act for america's(whose events West has proudly supported) agenda ...their "target" demographic.

sick of this trash
sick of this trash

When you read "facts" promulgated by the source that would benefit from those "fact" then you are not only a fool, you are not a journalist. Not a serious one at least.

nanook5
nanook5

i also appreciate the "anti-expert" meme. we should only listen to allen west's opinion about planned parenthood because he has no expertise in it! don't listen to the experts, that's almost bad as someone who is an "elite!!!!!"

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