A California group plans to bring its antiabortion message to Des Moines next week. The 22-state campaign by the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform includes pictures of aborted fetuses on trucks and banners towed by airplanes under the word “choice.” Mark Harrington is the Bio-Ethical Reform center’s midwest director. He says they hope to seize on the political debate on the key issue of abortion by informing people about what abortion is. He says they’re nonpartisan and believe if they educate people the people will come to the correct political conclusion. Harrington admits the pictures are graphic, but says they get the point across.He says the images “communicate a very complex message at a glance, and that’s why they’re so effective.” Harrington says the use of the word “choice” is important in the campaign. He says they’re redefining the word. He says “as long as proabortionists are able to frame the question as an issue of choice, we lose. Once we frame the issue as a question of what’s being chosen, we win.” He says most Americans don’t understand the issue of what’s being chosen, which he says is “the killing of an unborn child.” Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa issued a release condemning the campaign. Planned Parenthood vice president Judy Rutledge.She says it seems to us that this is a “blatant political campaign” as they’re only going to swing states before the election in November. She says it’s an “an offensive attempt to intimidate and shame women, and Iowans don’t generally like this type of approach.” Rutledge admits that Planned Parenthood is also conducting a political campaign to rally voters to the pro-abortion cause. She says however that “Planned Parenthood however is a medical provider that’s been in existence for many years, and we do more to prevent abortions than any these offensive anti-choice efforts.” Mark Harrington says he can’t understand why Planned Parenthood would be so upset. He says his question is “why is it that when we display the handiwork of Planned Parenthood that pro-aboritionist gets so angry and start calling us names?” He says, “they should be behind what we’re doing. We’re just showing what happens in their clinics every single day, four-thousand times a day all across this country.” He says if abortion is such a noble right and a constitutional right, “then why do those who support it get so angry about us bringing this message?” Rutledge says it’s the way the message is delivered. She says “they’re graphic scare tactics” that focus on children and schools and churches. She says they’re an “assault on the community.” Harrington says Planned Parenthood uses the word choice instead of abortion. Rutledge responds. She says Planned Parenthood is in the business of promoting whatever choices a woman decides to make, from carrying a pregnancy to full term, delivering a baby and giving it up for adoption, or terminating the pregnancy. She says they promote whatever choice is best for a woman. Harrington says the campaign will begin in Des Moines on Monday and stay for one week.
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