By Bud Shaver
Santa Fe, NM- On July 28th Fr. Stephen Imbarrato of Priests For Life lead a #WomenBetrayed Rally and Press Conference at the New Mexico state capital. New Mexicans are increasingly concerned about by recent investigations done by The Center for Medical Progress that have exposed Planned Parenthood’s profit scheme of selling aborted baby parts.
The Center For Medical Progress released their third video today:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw2xi9mhmuo]
Since NM is the late term abortion capital of the nation and is home to Southwestern Women’s Options late term abortion facility, a thorough investigation of abortion facilities in the state is long overdue.
For 5 years members of Protest ABQ have been working to uncover just how unregulated and out of control the NM abortion industry is. These investigations have been the catalyst that has made this season ripe for accountability. It is imperative that abortion facility oversight is achieved and an investigation is launched into NM abortion facilities regarding what they are doing with the organs and tissues of pre-born children after abortions.
It was announced today that Tara Shaver of Protest ABQ has filed a formal criminal complaint with the Attorney General of New Mexico and is asking for a complete a thorough investigation of Southwestern Women’s Options. This complaint is based on the consent form obtained by Shaver that indicates that they are, in fact, harvesting baby body parts for use in medical research. This is in violation of the following New Mexico statutes.
NM Statute 24-6B-16. Sale or purchase of parts prohibited.
NM Statute 24-6B-2. Definitions-“Decedent” means a deceased individual whose body or part is or may be the source of an anatomical gift…but not including a fetus that is the subject of an induced abortion.
Present at the rally and press conference were members of the clergy, concerned citizens and post abortive women who spoke out and demanded that New Mexico’s leaders act and stop turning a blind eye to the inhumane practice of harvesting and selling baby parts.
Statements were also provided by several supportive pro-life leaders and can be read below:
Lt. Governor John Sanchez issued the following statement, “Like most New Mexicans and Americans, I was completely appalled to learn of the practices by some at #PlannedParenthood to harvest and sell the organs and body parts from aborted babies. As a recipient of federal tax dollars, it is unconscionable that Planned Parenthood would actually profit from such barbaric and callous acts. Today, I join the multitude of concerned citizens who denounce these practices and request that a federal investigation be performed.”
Representative Yvette Herrell, (House District 51) issued the following statement, “It is very disheartening to learn of Planned Parenthood’s barbaric practices. Abortion, including late-term abortion is distressing enough, but the very idea of selling body parts of an aborted baby is completely grotesque and a low that completely abolishes any and all moral fiber or ethics that Planned Parenthood may have thought they had. I stand in very strong support in calling for an extensive Federal investigation into Planned Parenthood’s unacceptable practices, and would hope that as a result of such findings ALL funding to Planned Parenthood would immediately cease.”
Congressman Steve Pearce’s statement in part, “It’s time to defund Planned Parenthood. In light of the horrific practices revealed in the past week involving Planned Parenthood (PP), it’s time to not only investigate these gruesome transactions for violations of federal law, but ultimately to end the tax-payer funding of PP’s operations.”
Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life issued the following statement upon today’s release of undercover video of Planned Parenthood, “America will not reject abortion until America sees abortion. The video footage released today gives Americans yet another opportunity to do precisely that. Planned Parenthood personnel, looking at the body parts they sell, talk about legs, spinal columns, kidneys and hearts, not ‘blobs of tissue.’ In order to sell baby body parts, there first has to be a baby. It is time for those who have been denying that fact to admit it, and for those who have been admitting it only in private to admit it in public as well.”
Fr. Stephen Imbarrato of Priests for Life, “In the light of the ongoing revelations that Planned Parenthood is still trafficking in pre-born baby organs, I am calling for ongoing protests of Planned Parenthood of NM at all their NM locations. We join in support of other pro-life groups calling for protests of Planned Parenthood throughout the country. Our peaceful protests will be in direct contrast to the violence Planned Parenthood perpetrates on innocent pre-born babies every day. In a TV interview, Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, called peaceful pro-lifers “extreme.” There is nothing extreme about good people everywhere protesting Planned Parenthood. There is nothing extreme about the many good people here today. We will always protest peacefully. What is extreme is Planned Parenthood and the entire abortion industry profiting from the exploitation of vulnerable women by killing their babies and then trafficking in the selling of these babies’ remains. We will not stop protesting until Planned Parenthood is stripped of their medical licenses and certifications and closed permanently. Cecile Richards should be fired immediately. She is a liar, a baby killing, a trafficker of baby organs and she wounds women. We will continue to protest PP and all pre-born baby killers until the killing ends. We will also protest anyone who condones and supports the abortion industry and its heinous practices and we call on all pro-lifers throughout the country to do likewise. National protests have started and should continue. Pre-born child killing must end!”
Coverage by the ABQ Journal: Anti-abortion groups want probe of fetal tissue disposition in N.M.
Anti-abortion groups want probe of fetal tissue disposition in N.M.
