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Catholic Bishops of Colorado Denounce New Planned Parenthood Abortion Facility in Denver

Organization admits that it has abandoned previous stealth tactics

By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman

DENVER, November 15, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Catholic bishops of Colorado have responded to Planned Parenthood's plans to begin construction this month on a new, larger abortion facility in Denver with a scathing denunciation of the organization.

"The public deserves to know the facts about Planned Parenthood," wrote the state's three Catholic bishops last week. "The national organization is among the leading abortion providers, performing across the nation 264,943 abortion procedures in 2005 alone, a 29 percent increase since 2000.  Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains has stated that it served 125,000 patients in five states, including Colorado, last year and of those 8,800 received abortions."

"Teens and young people are the primary customers for their services and information, which include the distribution of contraception, emergency contraception and chemical and surgical abortions.  Nationally 70 percent of Planned Parenthood's customers are under age 25 and 27 percent are under age 19. Furthermore, Planned Parenthood is a supplier of graphic and explicit sex educational materials. These materials are being used in some of Colorado's public schools."

The organization has met resistance in the Denver area since announcing in August that they had secretly purchased the land for the facility using a front business that concealed their identity. The organization was apparently following the same strategy it used to open a new abortion clinic in Aurora, Illinois, in which it hid the true purpose and identity of the facility from city officials. The Aurora strategy backfired when pro-life organizations discovered the scheme, and a criminal investigation was launched.

Leslie Durgin, a Planned Parenthood senior vice president admits that the organization has changed strategies. "We changed that several months ago. We just decided that wasn't right for us," she told the Denver Post, and added that "We anticipate we will have protests."

The organization's previous attempt to secretly construct their facility in Aurora, Illinois, galvanized massive and sustained protests, and helped to promote the recently highly effective "Forty Days for Life" campaign across the nation that proved costly to the abortion industry.  Planned Parenthood showed signs of strain under the weight of the campaign, issuing a desperate call to its donors for help in countering the negative publicity and political difficulties they were encountering.

The negative publicity also inspired a Fox News exposé on Planned Parenthood that documented their stealth tactics and also provided evidence that the organization's employees regularly encourage underage girls to hide the fact that they are victims of statutory rape. In addition, a prosecutor in Kansas filed charges against the organization on the grounds that they had knowingly violated the state's law against late-term abortions.

Denver pro-life organizations have made it clear that Planned Parenthood's strategy shift won't deter them from fighting the new facility.

"Let's face it, they're in the business to kill babies for profit," said Leslie Hanks, vice-president of Colorado Right to Life.

Related Links:

Statement of the Colorado Catholic Bishops
http://www.cocatholicconference.org/content/view/114/1/

Faceoff looms at new Planned Parenthood
http://www.denverpost.com/commented/ci_6666100

107-Count Grand Jury Indictment Against Planned Parenthood Could Open "New Front" in US Abortion Fight
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/oct/07102503.html

Planned Parenthood Loses Court Case to Open Aurora "Abortion Fortress"
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/sep/07092104.html

SIMPLY AMAZING: Fox News Special Details Planned Parenthood Abortion Mill Deception, Concealing Rape etc.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/sep/07091008.html

Appeals Court Agrees to Conceal Planned Parenthood Records in Statutory Rape Case Cincinnati Planned Parenthood Clinic charged with systematically covering up statutory rape
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/aug/07082909.html

Judge Finds Probable Cause on Criminal Charges Filed Against Planned Parenthood
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/oct/07101707.html

American Life League Unveils New Online Map With Location of All US Planned Parenthood Centers
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/oct/07102504.html

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