Planned Parenthood’s numbers deceptive

After reading Jim Slusher’s thoughtful explanation about why the Herald’s editors allow Fence Post writers to publish their opinions in spite of the reality that some writers may cite questionable facts, I started reading Melissa Riley’s letter about Planned Parenthood, which was a good example of why we readers need to use critical thinking.

Ms. Riley writes that only 3 percent of the overall services provided by Planned Parenthood involve abortions. Really? I had to look this up. It only took me a couple of minutes of research to determine that this 3 percent number was arrived at numerically. In other words, if you go to Planned Parenthood to pick up a package of prophylactics, that counts as one, get a blood test, one, have an abortion, that counts as one too.

So, yes, numerically abortions may only be 3 percent of the services provided by Planned Parenthood, but so what? It is like comparing the number of homes sold to the number of Slurpees sold. Yes, there are a smaller percentage of homes sold but it would be ridiculous to state that because a million Slurpees are sold for every one home that that home sales are one-millionth of the economy.

The controversy here is the people who are pro-life feel that abortions are morally wrong and do not want their tax dollars going to fund them. So the important number here is the percentage of Planned Parenthood’s budget that goes toward abortions — information that they and their supporters do not want to give out. Instead they try to sneak this 3 percent volume number past us. Are they trying to purposely mislead us? Is there really any doubt?

Scott Schmidt

Arlington Heights