Another One

Unless you're living under a rock somewhere, you probably have heard about the videos that expose Planned Parenthood for selling body parts of aborted children. And now there's another one. The first, released in mid July, made the news. The YouTube video had nearly 3 million views, not including the flood of other outlets -- Facebook, blogs, and even the media. Pro-abortion folks were disgusted. Lawmakers called for an investigation. The director of Planned Parenthood apologized for "the tone" of the woman negotiating to sell dead babies.

The second was released a week later. Less on the news. Less than half the views. The producer, David Daleiden, director of The Center for Medical Progress, was interviewed by a couple of conservative hosts -- Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, those types. The Twitter universe exploded with #DefundPlannedParenthood and #PPSellsBabyParts and the like. While some were in favor of Planned Parenthood (#StandWithPP and #SketchySource and the such), the videos were having their impact.

More videos followed. I believe we're up to five now. While several states are looking at defunding Planned Parenthood, legislators in Washington aren't particularly keen on it. The Justice Department, in fact, was asked to investigate ... The Center for Medical Progress, not Planned Parenthood. A federal judge in San Francisco issued a restraining order against The Center for Medical Progress releasing any more videos. The news doesn't even mention the later releases.

What is the response, then? David Daleiden's videos trot out a compelling, documented, and repulsive argument. While a Planned Parenthood representative asks for a $200,000 car, the videos detail the death and dismemberment of what the people performing the procedures refer to as "a baby" and "a boy" for profit. Immoral and illegal activity is displayed for all to see. What is the response?

Well, of course, there is the "It's a woman's body; she has the right to choose" from individuals. (Do they not know that these babies have different brains, hearts, bodies, even fundamental DNA than the mothers?) Some say, "How is it different than harvesting organs from people who die?" (Do they not see that harvesting organs from people who die is not the same as killing people to harvest organs?) A few outlets (CNN and others) have called it "a hoax" (without evidence). But mostly the argument defending abortion in general and Planned Parenthood in particular is a withering ... silence. After the first video or so, the most compelling argument we have heard against the claims of these videos is the thundering sound of crickets. Apparently unable to explain, justify, or defend this practice and fearing the loss of this tool of killing unwanted children, the media and the legislators and even the bulk of our society have opted to activate their SEP fields. Don't know what that is? In Douglas Adam's comedic Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe series, he explains a particular invisibility field employed by some ships. The principle is this. Make the ship so ugly that your brain cannot deal with it. You just "turn it off" as Somebody Else's Problem -- SEP. "It's too hideous, so let's ignore it. If we ignore it, maybe it will go away." This is the response of the media. SKDKnickerbocker, Planned Parenthood's PR firm, is urging news outlets not to cover the videos. And since most people live off the media, it is the response of the majority. While many of us who know about these videos continued to be horrified and gin up hope that the public will see and turn, the elites ignore the problem hoping it will go away. And I suspect it will. (How did your senators vote?) No, we're on to really important things. Cecil, the lion¹, was murdered. So was his brother. Oh, wait, no he wasn't. But someone killed another lion somewhere. And now Beanie Babies has a new Cecil the Lion product. Oh, and they're planning to move the wild horses out of a portion of the Tonto National Forest. Horrors! Call your Congressman! Or woman! Or whatever. Because this just can't be!

What's my point? My point is that good arguments are good, but not the answer. My point is that evidence is important, but not the full story. My point is that "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Eph 6:12) When killing babies is defended by the government and the populace and those who blow the whistle on it are investigated and censured, you know we're beyond "bad information" and "mistaken ideas". We're operating in the realm of "the father of lies". This is a time for prayer.
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¹ Interesting article in the New York Times of all places that comes from someone in Zimbabwe completely baffled about why lions are mourned and hunters vilified.