By James Wilson
New documentation of Planned Parenthood selling aborted body parts for profit emerged from videos of the Gulf Coast (Texas) facility January 29. Such sales are illegal in every state; these show a University of Texas official negotiating with PP Director of Research Melissa Farrell for human flesh priced per-item. Farrell reveals techniques she uses to disguise invoices on camera. Worse than that, since the fetal tissue is sold to a public university, it is clear taxpayer money makes the purchases. Yet when the District Attorney of Houston is tasked with investigating this mess she instead induces a grand jury to indict undercover journalists David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt for using a fake ID, standard journalistic behavior since dinosaur days and never thought anything but tools of the trade.
This is the same DA who subpoenaed pastors’ sermons and counseling notes in 2015 because they publicly opposed a gay rights ordinance. These gross violations of the pastors’ rights disappeared after a public outcry. One might think DA Devon Anderson would now be mega wary of the appearance of more corruption – but no. Truth is these indictments should be worn like a badge of honor. Any American should long for such a proof of both courage and commitment – to human life and the God Who creates it.
Daleiden and Merritt face up to twenty years in prison if convicted, although the indictments fail the smell test miserably. For openers, a Planned Parenthood board member works for Anderson – forget unbiased investigation. The DA, tasked with investigating PP and not the journalists, managed to ignore the mountain of evidence against the abortion giant. Mainstream media analysts – no friends of the pro-life movement – conclude the indictments are more expressive of grand jury distaste for pro-life activism than serious suspicion. Meanwhile, the case against Planned Parenthood is far more damning.
Beginning in 2015 the Centers for Medical Progress began releasing videos obtained undercover of Planned Parenthood officials laughing and bragging about how much money there was in the sale of body parts from aborted babies. The chief medical officer of one clinic spoke of the luxury car she could buy with her profits. Another doctor spoke on camera of the demand for intact baby bodies and demonstrated the technique for withdrawing the unborn child from the womb without damaging the all important brain. These revelations followed many exposures over the years of – for example – Planned Parenthood counselors hiding child molestation and underage prostitution in clients, advising pimps and perverts how to conceal these grisly acts. But the release of the first two videos sparked – for the first time – sustained calls for defunding and investigations leading to criminal charges against the abortion juggernaut.
Let’s be clear. An organization that was spawned by the virulent racism of Founder Margaret Sanger – her strong belief in the inferiority of blacks explains the presence of two thirds of PP facilities in black neighborhoods although blacks account for about twelve per cent of the national population – cannot be expected to stand atop the moral high ground. But the firestorm that greeted the release of the videos was shock-and-awe of the intimidation-by-the-schoolyard-bully variety. A national chorus of the rich, the famous, and the powerful shrieked that the videos were faked. When that was disproved the story morphed to creative editeding. After even the New York Times admitted the whole videos were released a federal judge barred further publication despite clear violation of the constitutional prohibition of censorship by prior-restraint. (Speech and publication can be punished if libelous but cannot be banned prior to release.) The videographers released new footage anyway; they were not penalized because they acted within their constitutional rights and the judge knew it.
Daleiden and Merritt have a good legal team to defend them – at no cost to themselves. The rest of us need to ask whether the Lord Himself will defend us if we simply look on as spectators while His prophetic warriors suffer persecution at the hands of a corrupt prosecutor protecting her staff person. He has this habit of reminding us that what we hear whispered we ought to shout from the rooftops; His justice and mercy meet at the Cross and join forces in the mouths of His people. And should we fear, let us recall He promises (Matthew 10, Mark 13, and Luke 21) to teach us in that very hour what we are to say and what we are to do. His speaking into us is more powerfully protective than any legal team.
Who wants to be first to call Houston and demand we be indicted alongside our brother and sister?
James A. Wilson is the author of Living As Ambassadors of Relationships, The Holy Spirit and the End Times, and Kingdom in Pursuit – available at local bookstores or by e-mailing him at praynorthstate@charter.net
