Planned Parenthood’s Priorities

We generally avoid the abortion wars, because minds are so made up. But the recent videos are another matter — for they suggest violations of prochoice ethics.

For weeks now, the antiabortion Center for Medical Progress has been releasing undercover videos in which Planned Parenthood officials talk about the sale of tissue and whole organs from abortions.

In one, Mary Gatter, the president of its Medical Directors Council, talks about changing surgical procedures — and even delaying abortions — to make it easier to acquire “good” fetal tissue. She sure seems to be putting that goal above the interests of Planned Parenthood’s clients.

Then last week’s video showed an interview of a former employee of a Planned Parenthood partner who says that one clinic (at least) routinely harvested fetal organs without the mothers’ informed consent.

What about the right of women to make the choices they think best?

“The coworkers I had, they would not ‘consent’ the donors,” said Holly O’Donnell, a former procurement technician with StemExpress, a firm that works with Planned Parenthood. “If there was a higher gestation [baby] and the technicians needed it, there were times where they would just take what they wanted.”

Huh. Planned Parenthood’s defenders are generally the same folks who require clear consent for a kiss in a college dorm room.

We’ll see what future videos bring — and what defense Planned Parenthood mounts. Its answers so far have not impressed.

Perhaps it’s time for the premiere provider of abortion services to consent to giving the public a much better look at its operations.