Protestors Rally for Planned Parenthood in Light of Shutdown

The warm sun shined across the fresh lawn of Capitol Hill as Carolyn Smithers approached the podium. Gazing across a sea of pink shirts and picket signs, there was a slight tremble in her voice. Smither revealed to the crowd that at the very moment she stood before them, she was battling stage three of breast cancer. This, however, was not her first battle with the disease.

Smithers gave thanks to Planned Parenthood because her cancer was successfully treated due to early detection services provided by the organization.

On Thursday, women and men from across the nation gathered in support of the "Stand Up for Women's Health Rally." The rally came on the brink of a looming government shutdown.

As Congress struggled to come to an agreement about the federal budget, Planned Parenthood stood as a pivotal issue of the fight. Friday night the government came to a consensus and avoided a shutdown of the Federal government, but both sides of the aisle continue to clash over Planned Parenthood funding abortion.

Currently, Planned Parenthood receives an estimated $80 million dollars from Title X. This government program provides grants to women's health programs, but prohibits funding for the use of abortions (except in cases of rape, incest or if the woman's life is at risk).

Conservatives, however, argue that the availability of such funding may still be used for abortions and have argued to cut down, or in some cases, completely cut off the funding for Planned Parenthood.

During the rally, New York Senator Charles Shumer presented a petition signed by over 84,000 New York residents in support of Planned Parenthood. Shouting across the eager protestors, Senator Schumer stated, "The dangerous, ideological cuts that passed in the house are never, never, never going to pass in the Senate."

Her four-year-old son Noah accompanied Maureen Evans-Arthurs, a participant in the rally. She explained that without Planned Parenthood her own son may not be here today.

Evans-Arthurs also gave details on how the organization effects everyday women, "Planned Parenthood is so important because if your a college student, or even if you're older, a single mom, or married with family, and you don't have the funds for healthcare, where will you get these services from? That's what Planned Parenthood is all about, people need to realize that it's more than just abortions, one of the smallest percentages of services."

While budget cuts is a primary concern of Planned Parenthood advocates, they also addressed the misconceptions behind the primary functions of the organization. More than half of the services provided by Planned Parenthood involve contraception, and treatment and diagnosis for sexually transmitted diseases. Cancer screenings make up about 16 percent of their services, and abortions account for about three percent of the services provided by Planned Parenthood.

"I have a mother, a sister, aunts and cousins, and they need these services. They can save peoples lives," said Kutztown University student Charlie Brehm.

Marcia Dyson understands the life saving aspects associated with the organization. At the conclusion of the rally she gave candid details about her own abortion more than thirty years ago. In 1969 she made the difficult decision to have an abortion in a dark alley, a procedure that nearly killed her. Today she thanks and supports programs that provide safe options for women across the nation faced with similar dilemmas.

Protestors at the rally could only hope that their demands on this April afternoon were echoed to the ears of their respective lawmakers as they battled over the budget dilemma. On Friday, at the eleventh hour, the nation dodged a federal shutdown, arriving at a decision that willow the federal government to remain open while certain provisions are made to the budget. A decision that allows the doors of Planned Parenthood to remain open for women in need.