In the past couple of months Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia has been sending out e-mails about a proposed pro-choice license plate to counteract the CHOOSE LIFE plates that came out last year. As I’ve stated previously Virginia may be the personalized license plate capital of the world. It’s fairly easy to get a new plate–propose the idea, get a set number of people to buy it, and it goes over. Here’s what the plate will look like:
Looks pretty spiffy, doesn’t it? I’d been thinking about getting a new license plate anyway–yes, I have a personalized one but the novelty’s worn off it for me–so here’s two birds with one stone, right?
Then I read the proposal and did a classic :headdesk:.
Please note: no revenue generated from the sale of these plates will be used to provide abortion-related services.
Then there’s this, from the Advocates’ most recent e-mail:
Absolutely no revenue will go towards abortion-related care. Instead, the money will be used to provide annual gynecological exams, sexually transmitted infection testing, and follow-up care for underinsured and uninsured patients.
So let me get this straight–the new license plate is clearly marketed as supporting choice but yet none of the revenues raised will go towards possibly easing that choice for those who might make it? I’m hoping the “follow-up care” bit is a euphenism for “helping poor women pay for contraception” lest I lose what waning faith I have in PP, but notice that there is absolutely NOTHING in that little blurb that mentions contraception, education, or counseling. I know full well these reason this statement exists is because everybody is so goddamn scared of the word “abortion” or anything that might be associated with the dreaded a-word, including many so-called pro-choicers. How can you in good conscience buy this plate and proclaim publicly that you support a woman’s right to have an abortion but be all panicky that some of the money might go to abortion-related services and so you have to have the caveat put on the proposal because you don’t want to be thought of as somebody who supports Teh Killing of Teh Baybeez? Meanwhile, the “Choose Life” tag happily supports “crisis pregnancy centers” and the false propaganda they spew at frightened girls. This plate is supposed to counteract that but yet PP once again does the Political Correctness Boogie and makes very sure everyone knows you’re not going to be inadvertently paying for someone’s abortion by buying a license plate that … uh, supports making that choice.
It never fails to disgust me that the same organizations that send me flailing e-mails about writing my senators and congresspeople to protect choice are the same ones who nearly trip over themselves backpedaling when the subject of abortion is mentioned. How often do PP talking heads proclaim that the majority of PP clinics don’t do abortions? How often is the health care aspect mentioned, the need for cheap gynecological services in poorer communities, and it’s not mentioned that abortion is often part of that health care? For every poor teenager who goes to PP for her pills or maybe condoms there’s twenty others for whom PP = where you go for an abortion. And just like McDonald’s featuring lettuce and cherry tomatoes in their commercials and trying to make like they sell real food when the majority of their customers are chomping on Big Macs, PP is frantically waving its pretty pink placards and bleating about annual exams in a desperate effort to distance itself from the Dirty A Word. It might work one day.
In the meantime, maybe I’ll just stick with my old license plate.
Seems odd to me as well. Is there possibly a law in Virginia which would prevent the money (which I’m assuming becomes state money once given) from being used to pay for abortions?
Under the Code of Virginia state funds can be used to pay for abortions in the events of rape, incest, or grave fetal abnormalities as long as said events can be documented. Since a lot of organizations raise money for themselves via license plates sales I tend to think there’s no law specifically prohibiting PP from using the money–let me use the PC phrase–as they see fit. But Fear of the A-Word is very strong around here and with the current political climate here in Virginia I’m pretty certain my hypothesis about the blurb being used to soothe the fence sitters is correct.
Just when I get my hopes up too.
Hey remember me? Been a year or two since I’ve been on your web site. So happy to be back. Although PP has its flaws I am still very grateful that it exists and that it’s a place for women to go for contraception, counseling and abortion if they choose. I will be honest; I don’t know if I would put that plate on my car these days due to fear of harassment & harm. Too many anti-choicers are nut jobs. Then again, FEAR = false evidence appearing real. Hm.
I posted a comment last night but it didn’t appear after subscribing. Anyways basically I just wrote that I’m grateful PP is still in existence so it can help women with contraception, counseling and to have an abortion if they so choose. I like the license plate but don’t know if I’d put it on my car due to fear of harassment and potential harm from those antis that act like nut jobs.
Hi, Skate! (waves) I think the last time you were here was when the blog was still on Blogger. Now it’s on WordPress and I’ve turned on comment moderation which is why you don’t immediately see your comment. Depending on my laziness it might be a couple days before I approve it, but I eventually do. ;)
As for the plate, it’s not looking so good–in order for it to be approved 350 have to be sold and per a recent PP e-mail they’ve only sold 124 and there’s two weeks left. Some of my local peeps expressed the same fear of harassment kept them from buying the plates but I think the design’s subtle enough that it might not be a factor.
Hi there! Sorry that I posted twice and should have known that it takes a few days for comments to be approved. Of course you have a life and many things to do :) I hope the plates get approved; they really do look nice.
I recently read a great, sarcastic piece of writing about Pat Robertson’s insane comments about Haiti and the very strange and scary Christian fundamentalist viewpoint. Here’s the link, I’m thinking you and the imnotsorry community will really enjoy this. Don’t remember the programming code for putting in a link so this is a copy & paste thing: http://debunkingchristianity.blogspot.com/2010/01/praise-god-for-disaster-in-haiti-isnt.html
I LOVE the plate and would put it on with no reservations if it was available in Illinois If they want to harass me Bring It On! I will NOT live in fear for expressing what I beleive. Let’s not come down to that. Indiana offers plates that say “In God WE Trust. So is this to be onesided as usual? Not as far as I am conserned! I have had a NARAL bunper sticker on my car for ten years now and it still sits there,no problem.The plate will enhance that. Damn if I will ever feel intimidated by expressing my beleifs.
Hi skate! Long time no see {ahh hem}!