UCLA student's clandestine videos take antiabortion fight to new level
Our colleague Robin Abcarian, one of the most compelling storytellers in American journalism, has another one of her masterpieces on this site right now.
It's the story of a 20-year-old UCLA student, Lila Rose, who's taking the antiabortion struggle to a new level. She has secretly taped sting operations against Planned Parenthood abortion clinics across the country (see below). The tapes are displayed online on a website and YouTube as part of the ongoing struggle against legal abortions.
In these videos, Rose pretends to be a pregnant 14-year-old and "admits" that her male partner is 31. Her alleged age legally requires reporting the pregnancy to authorities as a rape. But, according to the dramatically cut clandestine videos, the aides tell her just to say that her boyfriend is 17 "or whatever" so that she can get the procedure to simply end the pregnancy.
Rose's strategy, as Robin explains, is to undermine legal abortion by disseminating compelling videos showing Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider, appearing to abet sexual abuse by circumventing age-reporting laws.
The videos of an attractive, reasonable young woman also play against the anti-abortion stereotypes of angry, older men imposing their moral will on females, and Rose's latest video (see below) on a Memphis Planned Parenthood clinic already has had political repercussions in the state legislature.
Other videos are available at Rose's website, LiveAction.org. Robin's full story is available here.
-- Andrew Malcolm
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Photo: LiveAction.org
Congratulations on the story of Lila Rose. We do need more stories of courageous people like her, in this culture-of-death/declining society. If we do not involve more people on this and other similar issues, very soon the government will (resembling communist China) implant the “morning after” pill in the snacks of vending machines at every high school in America. Sounds crazy? Well, wouldn’t be any different than the crime behind “pushing” a 14-year old -knowingly raped by a 31 year old man, to get an abortion…or let’s just revisit what all those pro-choice groups are saying about the tax cost of couples having more than one kid. Sad. Very.
Keep the good work up!
Posted by: OMG | April 26, 2009 at 12:34 AM
What an important story.. what is even more compelling is that this young college age woman did not buy into the lies society has tried to sell her, but knows that abortion is the killing of an innocent little baby.
With over 2 million couples in the U.S. wanting to adopt,, there is no reason ever for an abortion. Families will take these children and love them. Why can we not care about the mother AND the baby?
Posted by: John Jakubczyk | April 26, 2009 at 01:38 AM
Abortion & Politics Linked Forever?
The two biggest agenda item in American Politics today is Abortion and Religion. When we should be fighting over or working on Military Intervention, Military Strength, Economics, Education, Peace, Genocide and The Environment we spend time rattling sabers over Abortions Morality and use it as a litmus test for selecting elected leaders and Supreme Court Justices.
While I am pro abortion, if the Supreme Court had not circumvented the will of the individual States in their Roe Vs. Wade decision would it be a part of Presidential Politics or various other selection issues? Would people be bombing abortion clinics? Would the religious right be mobilized and tossing money at this issue and those who support it? The answers are simply no to each question.
We who are pro abortion and pro American should push to dump Roe Versus Wade and let each individual State make its own decision on this matter. It is a scary move but then it would not be a Federal issue and we could elect and select people without the cloud of this issue hanging over the matter. In the end that would perhaps be better for America and for the rest of the World as well.
Posted by: Pom Pom Girl | April 26, 2009 at 08:00 AM
In the spirit of Sarah Palin, God bless you Robin!!!
Posted by: steve rodriguez | April 27, 2009 at 11:44 AM
OMG. As an American living in "communist China" I can tell you it ain't that bad. For one there is not morning after pill being slipped to highschool students. Actually young people here are a lot more "moral" in their behavior then their peers back in the US. You don't have a lot of teen pregnancy or unwed mothers because family values are a lot stronger here. Young people care about what their parents think and parents talk to their kids. Social pressure tends toward academic success as opposed to popuarity. Maybe the commies could teach us a few things.
Posted by: Mike in Shanghai | April 28, 2009 at 12:41 AM
Mike in Shanghai: I don't think the "commies" can teach us anything, I wouldn't want to learn from the "commies!: I think the Chinese people can teach us a few things about family, respect and moral values!
Posted by: steve rodriguez | April 28, 2009 at 04:56 PM
All women hate abortions. Yet, they choose it. There is a deeper issue that we refuse to look at. Refusing to look will not help the situation any. Bottom line, we treat women like dirt. They treat life like dirt. Stop treating women like dirt. Maybe the abortion rate will go down.
In addition, massive amounts of easy affordable (if not free) birth control needs to be available 24/7. Sell the damn things like skittles to get rid of this horrible problem.
Posted by: Belinda | June 02, 2009 at 03:41 PM