On Tuesday, a video was released that shocked the the nation. As of this moment, it has been viewed about 2.3 million times. Both people who would identify as “pro-choice” and “pro-life” have been appalled by the casual nature with which Planned Parenthood’s Senior Director of Medical Services discusses trade in fetal hearts, livers, lungs and heads.
But the silence has been deafening from people who actually are pro-abortion (and they do exist).
The now viral video above has been summarized for brevity. But the complete footage and unedited transcript also include quotes so horrific that any person of good conscience should be moved to action.
1. To stop the fetal heart first, or not, that is the question:
There’s like a culture war on feticide. People on the west coast seem to prefer feticide, people on the east coast seem to not believe in feticide. Everyone has their own styles.
If the fetal heart is stopped (feticide), often using an injection of digoxin, before removing her from the mother, the abortionist avoids any opportunity for the later term fetus to be born alive and become protected by law. Unfortunately for the organ buyers, a fetus that has been terminated this way is also unsuitable for use in research.
2. On how long Planned Parenthood staff spend with the patient before the procedure:
I would say about ten minutes. … Per patient. yes. And also contraceptive counseling and all that.
The abortion takes 10-15 minutes, and it takes 10 minutes to go over all the forms with the patient. Maybe another 5 for contraceptive counseling. A half hour abortion appointment and then a little time in the recovery room. Very efficient. Not much of the fabled doctor / patient relationship, but very efficient.
3. On the time it takes to educate a patient in order to get her consent to use tissue from her baby for research.
That’s probably the biggest inconvenience, ugh that’s one more thing my staff has to talk about. They only have so many minutes to talk to the patient. If you said you’re going to do all the consenting, you’re going to collect the tissue, I don’t know who would really say no. I really don’t. …
She is proposing that the buyer’s employees handle explaining the consent form to donate fetal tissue for research to the patient. Could there be any possible conflict of interest there?
4. Coaching the buyers to get Planned Parenthood affiliate’s business:
Just say: “We understand that you’re time limited, you have your staff, we want to be as low impact as possible. Just flag the patient that is interested, set some space aside some room for us, we can do the rest. We will handle the tissue, we will do everything, all we’re asking for, is your space and consideration.” And, I think that- I don’t know anyone who would say no. Everyone’s been looking to do this…
She is telling them how to get Planned Parenthood affiliates to supply them with fetal body parts. And, of course, the consideration helps Planned Parenthood’s bottom line.
5. Is there a profit motive or not? Just what is the bottom line anyway?
Even if there were people who weren’t donating, you’d have huge business just for taking the tissue. People would pay you. They would just say, “Take my tissue!” Then, you could only send off what you wanted to send off, but you would still have to consent the patients though. It’s just something to keep in the back of your mind.
…Yes, and again, affiliates don’t – affiliates are not looking to make money by doing this. They’re looking to serve their patients and just make it not impact their bottom line. If anything, you can make it even better to their bottom line by giving them services in kind instead of money. I think a lot of them will take you up on that. That would definitely get people. Say, “I’ll give it to you for the same price, AND I’ll do that.”
Part of this quote is being used to defend Planned Parenthood – saying Dr. Nucatola is clear that the affiliates aren’t trying to make money off of selling fetal tissue for research. But it appears she’s just brainstorming with the buyers about finding a mutually beneficial arrangement where the buyers handle disposal of the fetal remains for the affiliates and get the fetal parts to be used in research in the process. Every nonprofit knows the value of in-kind donations. It really does remain to be seen whether Planned Parenthood is motivated by pure philanthropic goodwill in selling fetal parts for research, or whether they realize a profit – potentially in violation of the law – in the process. Either way, it’s clear they know exactly what they are selling: human body parts from a fetus that did not consent to be so used. It’s equally unclear if the woman who did consent on her fetus’s behalf was aware of exactly what she was consenting to – or even that her baby had a usable head, liver, heart, upper and lower extremities.
The full transcript, provided by the Center for Medical Progress, is 60 pages long. Many of Dr. Nucatola’s statements raise big questions about what really goes on inside the organization that she says has 40 percent of the abortion market-share in the country.
As of this writing, both the House Judiciary and Energy and Commerce committees have announced investigations of Planned Parenthood’s use of fetal remains. Six states have also announced their own investigations.
Here in Virginia, Speaker Howell has called for an investigation of Planned Parenthood affiliates in Virginia. Governor McAuliffe has not responded. The Governor must demonstrate that justice for the voiceless is of more value than the nearly $490,000 in campaign contributions he has received from Planned Parenthood Action. Does that move you to some action?
In her response video, Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood apologized for Dr. Nucatola’s tone in the investigatory footage, while claiming that Planned Parenthood has done nothing illegal. But, if we are honest, it isn’t Dr. Nucatola’s tone that is appalling, it’s her actual words. Her tone is friendly, engaging, open, even kind (if you don’t count the babies whose demise she is describing inducing). She never has a nasty word to say about anybody. You could maybe even enjoy a lunch with her, were the topic of conversation different. No, it isn’t her tone that has scandalized America; it is the fact that she is describing, without the least compunction, stopping a beating human heart and preserving a liver or fetal head undamaged so they will fetch top dollar.
As William Wilberforce notably said:
“You may choose to look the other way but you can never again say you did not know.”
— Speech before the House of Commons (April 18, 1791).
Eve Marie Barner Gleason is a member of the RPV State Central Committee from the 10th Congressional District.
