Colorado Springs school district ousts Planned Parenthood

Colorado Springs, Colo., Mar 16, 2005 / 22:00 pm

After months of heated debate, a Colorado Springs school district has decided to ban Planned Parenthood from speaking in their schools.

The debate began six months ago when Mike Gamble, a Colorado Springs man became “fed up with what he had learned about Planned Parenthood and their widely accepted sex education classes that have been taught in the public schools over the past 30 years.”

Enlisting the help of a small group of dedicated Christians and utilizing the Freedom of Information Act, which requires disclosure of information about groups who use federal funds, Gamble began a campaign of displaying what he calls “the graphic horrors of abortion” outside three area high schools where the group was scheduled to speak.

Though some, Christians and non-Christians alike, have criticized his use of graphic images to spread his message, the strategy eventually worked and the school district opted to cease the invitations to Planned Parenthood.

Although the Colorado Springs school board decided on January 12^th to allow the group, the “Colorado Springs Independent” reported on February 24^th that, “Administrators at Palmer, Mitchell and Wasson high schools have canceled the [Planned Parenthood] speakers…effective immediately.”

The schools said that they did not want the attention and protests that Gamble promised would follow each of the group’s presentations.

‘A simple formula’

Gamble told CNA that he employed a “simple formula that won’t fail.”

“My goal”, he said, “is not to get rid of Planned Parenthood. My goal is to put the truth right next to them.”

He is convinced that the heart of the battle is a spiritual one, saying, “I knew Planned Parenthood would leave the schools because Satan cannot leave them in there with us in there.”

Gamble displays images of aborted babies, noting that Planned Parenthood is the nation’s largest provider of abortions, and hands out informational leaflets to students outside of the schools.

Peter Howard, communications director for the Diocese of Colorado Springs told CNA that the diocese supports Gamble’s work.

“Planned Parenthood”, he said, “represents everything the Church condemns when it comes to sexual morality.”

Despite many who question Gamble’s techniques, Howard said that he has to be commended for his “research to expose the truth of Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry.”

He also wonders if the pro-life movement “has come to a point where those kind of images are necessary.”

“Maybe that’s the level that society is at”, he said, “We’ve become numbed to these things.”

Howard added that he hopes the removal of Planned Parenthood from public schools continues.

“The Catholic Church”, he said, will always support non-violent efforts to expose the truth of abortion.”