Published March 22, 2007 in issue 0612 of the HooK.

I find it disturbing, but not surprising, that Planned Parenthood has found a way to capitalize on pro-life protesters. I could not help feeling that the Hook's article ["Picket payday: Planned Parenthood one-ups protesters," March 1] was meant to champion the cause of an organization that often presents itself as an underdog.

Readers should Google the company's recent annual reports.  What they find might surprise-- or even sicken-- them,  since this group receives a third of its nearly $900 million operating budget from tax dollars, and it actually turned a profit of about $63 million in 2006.

Even more disturbing is that Planned Parenthood's multi million-dollar international empire is the nation's largest abortion provider and that it boasts a staggering 180:1 abortion to adoption ratio. That's 180 abortions for every single adoption referral. Last year alone, Planned Parenthood performed over 250,000 surgical abortions and countless more chemical abortions (such as the morning-after pill).

One look at the website shows that this is not a philanthropic, grass-roots, financially-strapped little organization, but a big business with well-executed marketing strategies and a huge public relations budget. Taxpayers are bankrolling that budget and, by default, all those abortions.

This is an appeal to the citizens of this community. Petition lawmakers to stop government funding of Planned Parenthood. I also urge all of us to become more knowledgeable about adoption procedures and to petition lawmakers to make adoption in this country more affordable.

We are a community that takes pride in fighting injustice, and it's now incumbent upon us to do so. This is not a time for complacency. When all is said and done, let us not be known as the community that stood in loud protest against the killing of a pet cat and then neglected to stand up and shout for the lives of unborn children.

Mary Cockerille
Charlottesville

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