"I Have Sex" — students speak out against ideological attack on Planned Parenthood

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March 18, 2011 MIDDLETOWN, CT — A student-produced video with the title — "I have sex" — has inspired young people across America to speak out in favor of reality-based policy making, and against ideologically-based budget cuts targeting Planned Parenthood. The original video, made by students at Wesleyan University, has been viewed 237,000 times in its first week. Follow-up videos have now been produced at Bard College, Oberlin College, Elmira College, in Trumansburg, NY, and from American students studying in Equador and France, thanks to social networking, primarily on Facebook.

Conservative bloggers and right wing media holdings have attacked the students as brainwashed degenerates. But Susan Park of Wesleyan University said, "We must grasp the reality that cutting spending for family planning organizations like Planned Parenthood neither relieves the budget deficit nor reduces the amount of abortions in this country. [The House of Representatives vote to defund it] is a purely political assault that keeps us from basing decisions on sound fiscal policy and from addressing the real source of the deficit. We need to ask why the people are paying for the consequences of corporate tax loopholes and subsidies."

The students feel that Planned Parenthood has been unfairly characterized as a source of abortion services. In truth, Planned Parenthood provides affordable forms of birth control and contraceptives, sex-ed programs, free cancer screenings, pap smears, gynecological exams, free STI and STD testing and other crucial health services. Taking such things away would lead to more abortions, not less, they say.

Meredith Diamond of Oberlin College saw the Wesleyan video on Facebook, and got involved when she learned that classmates at Oberlin were doing the same. "Whenever I've gone to Planned Parenthood, they haven't encouraged anything or discouraged anything. They just provide information and some options so people can make informed decisions with their families or their partners. It does not encourage promiscuity."

Sarah Louis of Bard College said, "The purpose of this project is to keep America safe, secure, and educated. The best part of the process was the enthusiasm and solidarity that my fellow Bardians expressed -- it was a project that united us and made us all feel proud for being involved."

Jacob Eichengreen of Wesleyan, said, "Planned Parenthood provides us, young and old, with the resources and knowledge to make our own responsible and safe decisions regarding our sexual activity, thereby doing much more to ensure every pregnancy is wanted, and thereby decreasing the need for abortions than any federally-funded abstinence only program."

The students site a study by the Guttmacher Institute found that for every dollar spent on comprehensive family planning and sexual education services (like Planned Parenthood) more than four dollars are saved in other services. STDs, undetected cancers, and health care and welfare costs for families who accidentally had children before they could provide for them are much more expensive than providing people with services they can access on their own initiative to stay informed and responsible.

Olivia Alperstein of Wesleyan said, "If the Congress truly wants to balance the budget, they should address corporate tax dodging, loopholes, and tax breaks that are on the order of billions of dollars, not small, yet effective social programs on the order of millions of dollars."

The original video was the result of a brainstorming session with Coffee Party founders Annabel Park & Eric Byler following a screening of their film, 9500 Liberty. Byler filmed this video as Park described the work of UK Uncut and US Uncut to bring attention to the fact that budget deficits are the direct result of unpaid taxes, and tax policy that allows large corporations to avoid paying taxes, and not the fault of hard-working Americans.

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[pbrio0016070884]

You want to be treated like adults, TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY! And when you screw up and get pregnant, raise the child like a decent human being and a good parent! My wife and I chose to have sex AFTER we were married, we CHOSE to wait for 2 years before having a baby, but we were PREPARED TO RAISE A CHILD if b/c failed, and it does sometimes. Abstinence is the ONLY 100% solution to preventing pregnancy. And yes, our wedding night was the first time for both of us, so people still wait!

[Todd Reichert]

Isn't Planned Parenthood really an oxymoron? It seems that the planning is to not have a family...

[pbrio0016070884]

...all that they have sex. That is blatant indiscretion and irresponsible. It is you and the rest of your ilk that live in a fantasy world. See, in my world you have to face the consequences of your actions. You live responsibly, live a disciplined life and you get to reap the rewards of a successful marriage and children with no regrets to haunt you. Or you can be "16 and Pregnant" and ruin your life. That is a choice. Don't confuse what happened to your friend with indescriminate sex.

[pbrio0016070884]

That's tragic. However let's make this clear, the video above does not mention rape, let alone the fact that pregnancy from rape is extremely improbable. The last study that was done on the subject reported maybe 5% of pregnancies are forcible rape victims. Regardless, it's a horrible thing for a woman to endure. What happened to your friend was not a mistake. It's what we call a crime and hopefully they caught the criminal. The video is a group of kids pridefully holding signs proclaiming to

[pbrio0016070884]

And again with the lowly vulgar insults. You have got to come up with a better strategy. You'll never win an argument that way.

[pbrio0016070884]

Sooo, wait a second. Do you read what you type before you actually post it? You are proving exactly what I am saying. You just wrote "way to many kids having kids, turning them into drug users and crime infested losers." If those kids would stop and show some self control and wait for someone wholly committed to them in marriage instead of indulging in every temptation, be it sex, drugs, etc, a lot of society's ills born out of single parent homes would be solved. You just proved my point.

[pbrio0016070884]

But your approach to this is "I will do whatever I want. If something "bad" or "unexpected" happens, I refuse to deal with the consequences." That is flawed logic because that is absolutely not the way things are in the real world. You screw up at work, you get fired. Everything has consequences. Disciplined behavior yields wonderful results. Indulgent behavior will only yield chaos. No, my logic is not flawed. You may need to rethink your stance though.

[pbrio0016070884]

Your comment makes no sense, and again with the name caling kiddo. How is my logic flawed? Do share. Mistakes can't happen if I show discipline and refrain from every indulgence I'm tempted with. You can say what you want short stack, but you won't make me feel bad for nor regret exercsing discipline in my own lifestyle no more than someone who weighs 400 lbs will make me feel bad about or regret healthy eating habits and exercising. Disciplined living woudl solve every ill you just mentioned.

[pbrio0016070884]

Funny, untrue, and I'm sorry you feel that way kid. It's disappointing that you seem to lack the capability to at least try to refute some of what I've stated, such as the logic of accepting personal responsibility. You simply default to name calling. Why is that little fella? You aren't going to try and argue against personal accountability and legitimate family planning? Can you come up with a solid rebuttal to the logic that the youth of America ought to own the consequences of their actions?

[Cristal Espinoza-cazares]

Abstinence is not a 100% solution to pregnancy. Women don't plan to get pregnant by a rapist.

All this commercial is saying is that our education system needs to be more open to providing knowledge and resources to those who want to protect themselves from STDs and choose when they want to start having children.

[anita arnott]

Oh and do some research on Margaret Sanger. She started Planned Parenthood. One of the most influencing women of her day, as a eugenicist, a racist and a supporter of Hitler and his ideals. Make sure African Americans don't have any more poor babies nor let people have 'imperfect children'.

[anita arnott]

You must be so proud of yourselves!  I bet Dr. Kermit Gosnell and his ilk would be happy you do too!