Social Marketing of Abortion Blasted by Life Decisions International

"I am stunned by how bold Planned Parenthood leaders have become in openly announcing their plans for the people of the world," Scott said. He pointed to an article titled "Social Marketing for Sexual Health," written by Michael McGee, vice president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America's (PPFA) education and social marketing group. "Sexuality educators want to change the world…No small task," McGee wrote. "Changing the world to reflect our vision takes courage, intelligent use of resources, and enormous commitment. One exciting strategy we are beginning to use is social marketing for sexual health." McGee said PPFA's goals are "audacious--as they have been throughout the history of Planned Parenthood."

"As an agent of social change, Planned Parenthood has a proud history of bringing reproductive self-determination out of the realm of the mysterious and forbidden into a mainstream, broadly-embraced reality," McGee continued. "Over the years, our movement has made a difference to millions of people through education, advocacy, and medical services. We have 'sold' the public on the notion that individuals have the right to decide when and whether they want to have children. Even before the term was coined, we were doing social marketing."

"PPFA's hierarchy admits that it 'sold' abortion to the public just like Bill Gates sold computers," Scott said. "What was once almost universally recognized as bad, Planned Parenthood has turned into a product and convinced people it is good. And not only is the product good, it is essential. PPFA's success has made the group one of the wealthiest so-called nonprofits in the world."

And PPFA is not even close to being satisfied. There are more converts to be coerced, more money to be made, and more lives to be impacted. "Now we are broadening our focus to use social marketing as a vehicle to achieve…our Vision for 2025," McGee wrote.

Needless-to-say, that vision includes reaching young people with their message. PPFA recognizes the power of using "peer educators" to reach other young people. Peer educators "are an ideal constituency to engage in our social marketing effort," McGee declared. "Activist teens can create a buzz about the campaign by a variety of means--regardless of whether the activities are branded or identified as Planned Parenthood. We can explore with these young people their thoughts and feelings about the most effective tactics to engage teens…"

McGee noted the use of social marketing at the local level:

Most (PPFA) affiliates balance their education and training efforts between intensive programs designed to have an impact on a small group of people over an extended period of time, and brief programs that reach a large number of people with a softer impact. There is a parallel dynamic in social marketing--a community-based program engages participants in positive behavior while a media campaign, using the same message, reaches a larger number of people with a softer impact and provides an 'umbrella' that helps normalize that positive behavior.

McGee has some help. "To be an effective social marketer is to have a commitment to ongoing communication with your audience so that you can create programs, products, or practices that enable them to make the changes desired," wrote Rebecca Brookes, vice president of communications and marketing at PPFA's Northern New England affiliate.

McGee wants to get to a place where PPFA does not "have to fight repeatedly the same battles over access to comprehensive sexuality education, access to services, and sexual and reproductive self-determination." He concluded:

Creating our vision of the future will take the best of our education and training programs, our clinical services, and our advocacy efforts. Integrating social marketing concepts into our practice can increase our effectiveness, leverage our good will in the community, and bring us closer to our goals. Our community-based education programs are central to this effort, and the synergies to be found between education, outreach, communication, and public policy can be a formidable force for sexual health for all.

"Pro-family Americans have a clear choice," Scott said. "We can sit by and let the Planned Parenthood philosophy flood our society or we can help repair the damage already done. Not only should we choose to repair the damage, we need to strengthen society so it can resist Planned Parenthood. We don't want to just stop the deadly philosophy; we want to see it retreat. There is no room for excuses; no time for complacency. Let's not give our children up to today's Moloch."

Life Decisions International (LDI) is dedicated to challenging the Culture of Death, concentrating on exposing and fighting the agenda of Planned Parenthood. LDI's chief project is a boycott of corporations that fund the abortion-committing giant. To learn more about Planned Parenthood, please visit: http://www.fightpp.org/show.cfm?page=wrong