I Stand In Solidarity with Poor People

Rupublicans are pushing to eliminate all funds for the only federally funding family planning program. How is it that we, adapt and take on messaging without stopping to think for a second about what it is that we are saying?

“I stand in solidarity with Planned Parenthood.” okay yes I get that but we also need to be standing in solidarity with poor people. 

Title X funding is the primary source of funding for family planning clinics for low- income (POOR)people across the nation. According to the HHS website, “In calendar year 2008, 88 Title X grantees provided family planning services to approximately five million women and men through a network of more than 4,500 community-based clinics that include State and local health departments, tribal organizations, hospitals, university health centers, independent clinics, community health centers, faith-based organizations, and other public and private nonprofit agencies. In approximately 75% of U.S. counties, there is at least one clinic that receives Title X funds and provides services as required under the Title X statute.”

Have you gone on the Planned Parenthood site lately?  Look at the mission statement.  I understand that “Planned Parenthood is the nations leading sexual and reproductive health care provider and advocate”, yes I get that, but not even Planned Parenthood includes in their mission, language around the people that Title X funding was specifically designed for low, income people.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America revealed in its financial statements that it raised $363 million in revenues.  $53 million, of which came from the federal government. That is less than 15 percent of the $363 million.  

I think protecting the family planning rights of poor people is what we need to be standing in solidarity with. 

Let’s not get caught up, in the rhetoric. Let’s take a step back and look at what’s being eliminated – funding for poor people, funding that would allow poor people to plan families.

Why won’t we call it what it is?  What will it take for us to realize that the elimination of Title X funding directly affects poor people – poor Black, poor Latinos, poor Whites – not the Planned Parenthood institution.

I am not attacking Planned Parenthood, rather I am challenging us to lead the fight in solidarity with others.