Should your money be used to fund abortions without your agreement? | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This article originally appeared in the Beaufort Observer.

    Yogi Berra is reported to have told this story: A reporter once ask me, "why do you argue about an umpire's call. Have you ever gotten one to change the call?" To which Yogi responded: "Of course not, but I ain't arguing about the last call, I'm arguing about the next call." We were treated to something like that last week.

    The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure announced that they were withholding funding to organizations that were under investigation. That included Planned Parenthood, which gets about $700,000 a year from Komen.

    All of a sudden the Elite Media and apparently every abortionist in the county ran out on the field kicking dirt and screaming at the umpire. It went on for a couple of days until Komen caved, unlike most umpires.

    But its not exactly settled yet. Komen says they will continue the current grants but will re-think their position when its time for a new round of grants. Translation: we'll see which side donates the most.

    We suspect that's what it's all about anyway...who's going to cough up the most money. That is why the Elite Media went wild when it was first announced. They were afraid that others would follow suit and halt funding to Planned Parenthood. They were arguing about the next pitch.

    And Sarah Palin is the one who's delivered it.

    Palin says:

    As controversial as this entire situation has become, there is definitely a lesson to be learned here, and I want to highlight it. Planned Parenthood reportedly was the recipient of an outpouring of public support after Susan G. Komen for the Cure first announced its decision not to fund it. It didn't take long at all for Planned Parenthood supporters to respond, as they made the decision to give from their own personal finances. This is precisely how these things ought to work. Private charities and willing individuals have every right to give to organizations such as Planned Parenthood. The allocation of federal funds, however, is a different matter entirely.

    For years, many Americans have voiced disapproval of their dollars going to Planned Parenthood via the federal government. This is particularly a bone of contention now when America is broke and needs to rein in spending. Every federal dollar counts, and Planned Parenthood has just shown us that it has the means to raise its own money from individuals who choose to give to them, rather than receiving most of its multimillion dollar funding from the U.S. government. Even New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has gotten involved in the situation, pledging to donate and accusing Komen of basing the decision--the decision of how to spend its money--on politics. This is further evidence that there's no lack of willing financial support. So then why should those whose consciences rail against giving to an organization dogged with too many questions--and too many abortions--be forced to give to Planned Parenthood through their tax dollars?

    We think Palin is dead on.

    The issue here is not the fact that Komen collects money from donations by saying they're trying to find a cure for cancer, and then gives it to the largest abortion mill in the country. Rather the issue here is Federal funding going to Planned Parenthood.

    Supporters of abortion argue that Planned Parenthood needs federal dollars to support its mission. Apparently there are not enough people who would willingly donate to Planned Parenthood to allow them to finance the fifty thousand or so abortions they do every year so the abortionists have to use the power of the IRS to confiscate enough money from unwilling donors to finance their operation.

    Exactly the same issue as federal subsidies to National Public Radio. NPR can't get enough advertisers to make a go of it so they use the IRS to confiscate money from taxpayers...or from China or whoever else is financing America's deficit spending.

    Palin has a point about it being a conscience issue, but that is the less evil here. The greater issue is the redistribution of wealth going on.

    It is the same right here in Beaufort County. The Gang of Five on our County Commission and the Washington City Council tax businesses in the county and turn around and give subsidies to a few select, well-connected businesses who then turn around and give political donations to those who support "economic development." And both the County Commissioners and Washington City Council collect taxes from people and turn around an make donations to non-profit organizations regardless of whether the taxpayers they confiscated the money from agree with how that money is being used.

    All this stuff from the left about "women's health" and the importance of cancer screening is a ruse. It is a money laundering thing. If Komen see a legitimate need to provide money for mammograms then it should contract directly with radiologists to provide such services. If Planned Parenthood see a need to provide mammograms then it should do so from its own funds, absent any federal money.

    It's the same basic issue with the other controversy this week: The requirement from ObamaCare that all health insurance plans include free birth control. Some people believe contraceptive birth control is morally wrong. The Catholic Church reacted against the Federal Government telling it to provide funding for what it believes is morally wrong.

    Where, pray tell us, does it say in the U. S. Constitution that the government has the power to confiscate money to pay for abortions or to order an employer to provide birth control pills to its employees?

    And if you accept that such is "implied" in the Constitution then watch out for Yogi. He's going to be arguing about what comes next. First thing you know they will be cutting our armed services and weakening our national security if we are not vigilant.