Planned Parenthood gets the boot

A Planned Parenthood facility in the Upper Peninsula, located in downtown Houghton, closed on August 21, 2003. The facility, which opened on August 23 of 2001, was not able to keep its doors open because of a lack of clients. One of the reasons for Planned Parenthood's lack of clients was the enormous effort that was put forth to educate the Houghton community about Planned Parenthood's position on abortion.

The Reverend Keith Snyder, director of Copper Country Pro-Life, was instrumental in organizing citizens to protest Planned Parenthood's presence in their area. They wanted to send a strong message that Planned Parenthood and their advocacy for abortion was not welcome in their community.

Rev. Snyder helped organize this effort because "it was a battle that we couldn't afford to lose. We knew what they stood for, and we had to let them know what we stood for."

The group that Rev. Snyder describes as "a little rag-tag bunch" put in hundreds of hours to educate their community about the evils of Planned Parenthood. Among other educational ventures they collected 1,500 signatures on petitions, placed 200 yard signs, sent in numerous letters to the editor and picketed with signs and pamphlets twice per week during the busiest drive times.

Barbi Aumiller, Right to Life of Michigan's field representative for the northern part of Michigan, said, "The closing of a Planned Parenthood facility in a college community like Houghton is a clear indication that Planned Parenthood isn't winning the battle for the hearts and minds of our young people. Planned Parenthood's continuous attempts at deception are falling by the wayside as more and more people are realizing that Planned Parenthood kills more unborn children than anyone in America. Northern Michigan will not let another 30 years of women, men and children become victims."

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