The issue of funding for Planned Parenthood has two clearly defined sides. Those for cutting funding are concerned about the massive amount of debt that the country is in right now. By cutting funding to Planned Parenthood the country would be saving over $300 million, however this does not compare to the trillions we face in debt. Those against cutting funding are concerned that low income women will not have a place to turn for regular women's health services. Women all over the country who cannot afford to go to a gynecologist will be left with no women's healthcare. When looking at this issue from an educational standpoint, you must understand the facts before you can take a side or take action. The services that Planned Parenthood provide as well as their history in women's health services would be informational knowledge. On the other side of the issue, you would need to be aware of the enormity of the debt that the United States is facing as well as other factors that contribute to the debt. Knowing all of this information will allow people to make informed decisions on the issue.
If we were to teach about this subject, it would be important to make sure all of the concepts were clear. We would have to discuss the concepts based on the two different perspectives on the issue. The concepts that deal with those against cutting funding would be Planned Parenthood, other similar organizations, women's healthcare, abortions, low income women and so on. The concepts on the opposing side would be the United States debt, anti-choice, Title X and so on. It is our goal through this blog to inform people about the issue of cutting funding to Planned Parenthood so that they can make their own informed decision. Discussing the concepts and showing both sides to the issue is the best way to inform people about the issue so they can decide where they stand. As part of our research we will be creating a list of contacts related to the issue. Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy deals with education on preventing teen pregnancy. They work as an organization to ensure that state policies and local programs are effectively addressing the complex issues associated with teen pregnancy. They hold all different events from education teens on pregnancy and offering support to young parents. The organization works with many different places such as Teen Outreach Program, and Youth First. At these events would be a good place to let people know what is going on with Planned Parenthood funding and hopefully can gain the support of these organizations to try and get funding back for Planned Parenthood.
Contact:
Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy
105 Chauncy Street, 8th Floor
Boston, MA 02111
Planned Parenthood itself offers volunteer work. Volunteer work involves being an educator, raising money, and more.
Contact:
1055 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
Boston, MA 02215
p: 800.258.4448
Gina: I think we would be able to do a petition to have people sign for the government to reinstate the funding. These events that Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy hold would be a perfect place to go for signatures. Also, we could ask people to go on this website and take action Petition Online. I did fill out this petition and it felt good to support an organization where so many people benefit from their services. I would feel even better if I could have many people fill out the form and turn it in and if funding was changed I would feel like I helped change it and accomplished something. I think education is for the public good. People need to learn about the issues going on in the world so they can take a stand for or against something or maybe even just stand neutral but at least they would know about the topic. Before I chose this topic, I really did not know much about it and now I feel really informed.
Amanda: It became clear to me quite early in my service learning project that the biggest issue surrounding the Planned Parenthood Program may be the lack of education about the establishment. It seems several individuals, including myself are unaware of the establishments current budget struggles and what they stand for as a place in general. It is my personal goal to try and formulate a series of contact information to make more information publicly attainable. Along with Gina, and Kali, we plan to focus on different areas of Planned Parenthood and each develop a list of contacts in which we will post on our blog for our audience to share and spread the word with their peers. My group and I have made small financial contributions to the Planned Parenthood program, and if you too are interested in taking action, follow the link provided Donate! Planned Parenthood
Or, if you would simply like to get involved and take action in a more verbal and hands on way more information is available Get Involved
Kali: For taking action I chose to send two letters to officials about the issues surrounding Planned Parenthood. The first letter was proposed by Planned Parenthood but actually was not focused on the funding issue. Recently there have been attempts to allow employers to deny birth control coverage for women so I signed a letter to a state representative in opposition to these bills. The second letter that I signed was sent to the Susan G. Komen fund demanding that they put women’s healthcare before politics since they have pulled all funding from Planned Parenthood a few weeks ago. The foundation has been in support of Planned Parenthood, especially of them doing breast exams, but with recent attacks on Planned Parenthood the Komen fund withdrew their funding. I feel very strongly about these issues so it felt really good to contribute to the cause and let someone know how I felt. The more people that take action, the better chance we have at fighting these efforts to cut funding and limit birth control. Many of the efforts against Planned Parenthood are coming from Republican officials, so in taking action against them I was connecting with my democratic values.
As far as social justice in education is concerned, I feel that it is extremely important to teach and to expose students to the different issues affecting our country. The quote, “Struggle for social justice is central to our nation’s history… Concerns about the common good and the rights of the individual, no matter how humble in social standing, transcends politics and hold a definitive place in the realms of morality, ethics and federal law, and therefore in the world of teaching social studies” captures the importance of teaching social justice. If students are sheltered from social justice they will never be able to see the reality of the world, and the classroom is a great place to discuss these issues. However, the topic of Planned Parenthood might be a little bit too mature for elementary students but there may be other ways to discuss the issue without going into the details of the services. If we inform our students about the pros and cons of the issues that we face, they will be able to make their own decisions and therefore create a better and more informed public.
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