Planned Parenthood pledge drive makes money
off Good Friday protest
A Minnesota Planned Parenthood fundraiser which tied donations to the
number of abortion clinic protesters on Good Friday received about
$14,000 by capitalizing off of increased crowds drawn by Archbishop of
St. Paul-Minneapolis John Nienstedt’s presence. An archdiocesan
spokesman said the pro-lifers are concerned with preventing abortions,
not with the money. Every Good Friday, Pro-Life Action Ministries of
the Twin Cities hosts a protest outside a Planned Parenthood clinic on
Ford Parkway in St. Paul. This year was the first time that someone the
stature of the archbishop participated in the demonstration.
Pro-life protester Megan Noll told Minnesota Public Radio that
Archbishop Nienstedt made a “huge difference” and brought perhaps the
biggest crowd she had seen.
Seeking to put a dent in the pro-life protest, Planned Parenthood set
up a “pledge a protester”system that allowed its supporters to donate a
set dollar amount for each protester. The abortion clinic raised
$14,000 on Friday through their protestor campaign.
“The day went well and we know that the majority of Minnesotans are
supportive of our work in communities across the state,” said Kathi Di
Nicola of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota
(PPMNS).
CNA spoke about the Good Friday protest with Dennis McGrath, Director
of Communications at the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis.
He said he had no way of verifying the fundraising claims, and was not
at the protest himself.
Reporting there were no “incidents” or physical altercations at the
protests, he acknowledged “There were more of them than there were of
us.”
McGrath reported that Planned Parenthood and abortion supporters
conducted “significant promotions” and “really worked the web and the
phones.”
However, McGrath told CNA, the fundraising program would not dissuade
pro-lifers from continuing and “doing whatever is necessary in the
fight for life.”
“It’s not a question of money, it’s a question of a fundamental tenet
of our faith. We aren’t about to weaken our resolve or stop speaking
out in any way necessary to prevent abortion and all its derivatives.”
Source: Catholic News
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Date: April 15, 2009
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The IFRL is the largest grassroots pro-life organization in
Illinois. A non-profit organization, that serves as the state
coordinating body for local pro-life chapters representing thousands of
Illinois citizens working to restore respect for all human life in our
society. The IFRL is composed of people of different political
persuasions, various faiths and diverse economic, social and ethnic
backgrounds. Since 1973 the Illinois Federation for Right to Life has
been working to end abortion and restore legal protection to those members of the
human family who are threatened by abortion, infanticide and euthanasia. Diverse though we are, we hold one common belief - that
every human being has an inalienable right to life that is precious and must be protected. IFRL is
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