HOT SPRINGS — Catholics in Hot Springs are joining other pro-life residents to begin monitoring the activities of Choice Hot Springs, an action board of Planned Parenthood of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma.
Many believe this group is the precursor to opening a Planned Parenthood health care clinic. As the largest abortion provider in the United States, many Planned Parenthood clinics provide abortions as one option for family planning. Planned Parenthood operates two clinics in Arkansas, but none so far offers surgical abortions. Both, however, offer “medication abortions” and regular and emergency contraception.
On Saturday, April 19, about 80 people met at the Hot Springs Convention Center for presentations sponsored by Arkansas Right to Life. It featured Patricia Bainbridge, respect life director of the Diocese of Rockford, Ill., and Dr. Randall K. O’Bannon, director of education for the National Right to Life Committee in Washington, D.C. Bainbridge and O’Bannon are considered leading experts on the activities of Planned Parenthood.
The meeting was held to review the increasing activity of Choice Hot Springs. Jo Ann Carter, executive director of Crisis Pregnancy Center in Hot Springs, said she is aware of Planned Parenthood’s goals and its views on reproductive health. She said she is concerned about the possibility of an abortion clinic opening in Garland County.
“The meeting presented very good information, particularly about how Planned Parenthood operates,” Carter told Arkansas Catholic. “We need more information. It (the meeting) was just enough to wet your whistle.”
She echoed the concerns of Denise Steinhaus, chairwoman of the Social Justice and Public Outreach Committee at St. Mary of the Springs Church in Hot Springs.
“While the information about Planned Parenthood and how it operates was very good, I was hoping for more information for those of us at the local level,” Steinhaus said. “Speaking as a concerned parent of a child in a local school and a member of a traditional Christian church, I wanted information about what we can do here.”
Her son is a sophomore in high school and she is concerned about what Planned Parenthood, through Choice Hot Springs, will be able to bring into the schools. According to the Choice web page on MySpace, its board has a number of students who act as liaisons with the schools. One of its goals is to improve sexuality education in schools and the community. Choice Hot Springs has also established an ongoing program of sexuality education with the Ouachita Job Corps.
Steinhaus and Carter said they are concerned Choice is following a road map that Planned Parenthood has used before in other cities to establish abortion clinics. Choice has presented seminars and brought in speakers such as Dr. Lee Lee Doyle on “Birth Control: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” and Dr. Joycelyn Elders on comprehensive sexuality education.
Choice was featured in a positive light in a recent article in the local paper concerning plans to work with ministers in providing contraception information to teens.
Marianne Linane, diocesan respect life director, and Anne Dierks, former diocesan respect life director, also attended the meeting. Both women attend Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Hot Springs Village.
Linane admitted that legally there is nothing likely that can be done to stop a clinic from opening in the county.
“I think (pro-life residents) will keep their ears to the ground and find out if there is a way to stop them,” she said. “There is really nothing we can do to keep them out, but public sentiment can be against them.”
Rose Mimms, director of Arkansas Right to Life and a member of St. Theresa Church in Little Rock, was pleased with the meeting.
“DVDs of the talks are available to interested people and churches if they will contact my office,” she said.
Linane said a local minister plans to distribute the DVD to each of the 168 churches in the county.
In response to the meeting, the Garland County chapter of Arkansas Right to Life will be re-activated.
“We plan to be a present in Garland County right along with Choice Hot Springs,” Mimms said. “We encourage everyone to be vigilant.”
Mimms can be reached at (501) 663-4237 or artl4237@att.net.
Malea Hargett contributed to this story.
