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F eds stop funding Texas women's health program over abortion dispute March 10, 2012 Summary: A debate has soared through Texas since the federal government has announced they are going to pull federal funding to Texas if Texas enforces the legislation passed to stop funding to Planned Parenthood. The cut of funds to Planned Parenthood clinics are because they perform abortions. The abortion funding cuts are said, by the federal government, to violate the rules of Medicaid, a health program for the poor. Women who get free exams and contraceptives through the program could lose those benefits because of the loss of funding. Many other states are also siding with Texas to insure taxpayer money doesn’t go to Planned Parenthood. The clinics are not publicly funded, but critics say hiring the organization to provide family planning for the poor will indirectly support abortion. The funds cut have forced 11 clinics to shut down so far. Rather than being cut out right away, the funds are being phased out so women can find alternative care. So far the legislation has not been completely enforced because of the federal government’s threat. Some believe if low class women don’t have access to birth control the birth rate will raise costing the state more money in maternity bills. But the fight still continues versus the Texas Republic and Obama’s Democratic administration. Relevance: The Planned Parenthood got its start during the 1920s by Margaret Sanger, a time when many new American ideas were being expressed. The Birth Control Movement also broke out during this time and lasted until around the late 1940s. This movement supported the use of birth control in the US, which during the time was hardly used. A major turning point in the campaign was during WWI when venereal diseases broke out. Because of this the government took action, now using contraceptives was a public health issue instead of morals. The Planned Parenthood clinic started as a birth control clinic and has grown to not only provide birth control to women, but also sex education, access to health care, and is most known for performing abortions. Before clinics such as Planned Parenthood, abortions were being done in back alleys by unsafe methods that caused many women to be seriously injured or die. Nowadays, abortions are very safe and cause the women almost no harm. However, because Planned Parenthood performs abortions, which are a hot topic in America, it has raised many questions about the ethnics of the clinic. Is it right to kill a child? Religion has also played a major role. Most Christians, Jews, Islam, and even atheists view abortion as a violation of human rights. Though religion is to be held separate from the government, these views play a major role in decisions made on the topic of abortion. For many, they are pro-life, meaning they believe abortions should not be performed. However, many critics of the funding cuts say since women won’t have a place to get contraceptives, or even abortions, the birth rates could rise. With a rise in birth rates means a rise in maternity bills the state has to pay. In a Supreme Court case of Roe vs. Wade, the Supreme Court decided to make abortion up to three months of the pregnancy legal. The Roe vs. Wade started when a woman, named Norma L. McCorvey, found out she was pregnant. At the time, 1969, abortion was illegal in Texas except for rape or incest. So McCorvey lied about being raped in hopes of getting a legal abortion. However, her plan failed, so she tried to get an illegal abortion, but soon found she couldn’t. After that she was referred to two attorneys. Going into court, McCorvey was given the alias, Jane Roe. Once the case reached the Supreme Court, they ruled in favor of McCorvey, or Rue, because of the ninth amendment. The amendment states that other rights beside those listed may exist. Even though they are not listed doesn't mean they can be violated. In this case that babies rights cannot be violated. After the case, it created a “uniform framework for state legislation on the subject, and established a minimal period during which abortion must be legal (under greater or lesser degrees of restriction throughout the pregnancy).” This framework was again modified in the Planned Parenthood vs. Casey case. This caused the availability of abortion to vary dramatically from state to state. Currently in Texas, not only are they cutting funding, but they are also enforcing a new anti-abortion sonogram law. This law requires the doctor to perform a sonogram 24 hours prior to the abortion. This means they will “display the images of the fetus and make the heartbeat audible. The woman can decline to view the images and listen to the heartbeat.” However, the doctor must “verbally describe the sonogram result – even if the woman doesn’t want to hear it.” While abortion may not be illegal in Texas, they are enforcing many new techniques to hopefully make it as such without directly claiming it as illegal. Explanation: Today being an American means being equal and having equal rights. Since America has been founded, human rights have been fought for the most, ranging from racial equality, women rights, disabled rights, and most recently, gay rights. All of these rights, with the exception of gay rights for the time, are established in America. Gay rights are on the rise with more and more states passing laws that allow gay couples to be married. Abortion however, is not against the law, yet many women are being ridiculed for it, and like in Texas, are being denied their right of choice. Recently, abortion has become a major issue in the US. The question, is abortion right or wrong? In Texas, their republic believes it is wrong, and because of this the democratic federal government is pulling funding to Texas. The democrats have the power here, but it doesn’t look like the Texans are changing their minds. Many women rely on the Planned Parenthood not just for abortions, but to the Texan republic this doesn’t matter. To many women, who are pro-choice, not having the right to have an abortion defines their rights. There is no law against abortion, so why are these women suffering because of the ones in the republic? I personally am not for abortion; however, there are women suffering from the loss of spending. Women who go to Planned Parenthood for contraceptives and exams are the ones who now have to find somewhere else to go. Not only is it an inconvenience, but it is unfair to those women. If the Texan republic is so against abortion why not have the Planned Parenthood stop the practice of abortion? While it is still causing some women to suffer, the others still have a place to go. The destruction of funding is not only against the women’s rights, but many are now forced to find a new clinic. Questions: 1)  Did everyone in the Texan legislation agree to stop the funding?  2)   What reactions are being seen by the women? 3)  How many jobs are being affected by the closing of Planned Parenthood clinics?  4)   How is the conflict being handled between the Texans and the Obama administration besides the cut funding? 5)  What kinds of conflicts are being seen in other states that have stopped funding?  Sources:    "Abortion in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. <[]>.    "Birth control movement in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. <[]>.    Eng, James. "U.S. News - Texas begins enforcing strict anti-abortion sonogram law." U.S. News. N.p., 8 Feb. 2012. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. <[]>.    "Human rights in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. <[]>. "Planned Parenthood - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. <[]>. "Roe v. Wade - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. <[]>. msnbc.com. "U.S. News - Feds stop funding Texas women's health program over abortion dispute." U.S. News. N.p., 9 Mar. 2012. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. .