In today’s column, I am pleased to report that Manchester, New Hampshire’s city school board has decided to investigate an after school program run by the local YMCA. Their STAY program is generally a good one, which helps at-risk kids learn about various support service agencies in the city. Unfortunately, the program took a wrong turn when some middle school kids were taken to a local Planned Parenthood clinic.

I am also very pleased that the New Hampshire Right to Life group is now asking for an equal opportunity to spend time with the seventh and eighth grade students. I’ve always said that the best way to respond to leftist indoctrination of our youth is by expanding the marketplace of ideas. Clearly, Planned Parenthood’s merchants of death cannot hope to create a positive impression among youths also exposed to the good people at New Hampshire Right to Life.

When recently questioned about the kids’ trip to the headquarters of the Manchester Baby Killers (they prefer to be called Planned Parenthood, or hereafter: PP) officials of PP denied that educators talked about abortion. Instead, they only talked about PAP smears, testing for sexually transmitted diseases, birth control, and pregnancy counseling. And we all know that when PP talks about pregnancy counseling it’s never tilted towards abortion. (I hope the batteries running the reader’s sarcasm detector haven’t been taken away by some feminist whose sex life is determined by her supply of nine volts).

The PP officials are claiming that the middle school kids were never exposed to the topic of abortion until about half a dozen anti-abortion protesters approached the students outside. Of course, that’s about as likely as saying you won’t be exposed to second-hand smoke if you hang out at Brookelynn Cigars. (That last sentence had nothing to do with the present column. I just get free cigars whenever I mention Brookelynn Cigars, located in Wilmington, NC. See: http://www.brookelynncigars.com/ for further details on upcoming specials and cigar tastings).

Nancy Mosher, president of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England complained that the pro-lifers were seen “thrusting” pro-life brochures at students around whom they were “clustered.” Apparently, this was seen by PP as being more intrusive than “thrusting” a scalpel and a suction tube among a group of cells “clustered” in a woman’s womb.

Darlene Pawlik of New Hampshire Right to Life has admitted that there were indeed protesters outside of PP with signs saying “Babies killed here.” But I am hoping she will explain this further to the students. This can be done if she will just comply with School Superintendent Michael Ludwell’s request that they must present a formal, written request to the city school board before they decide whether a representative can meet with the students.

I am impressed that Ludwell has characterized the STAY program as “generally” good and that he said the school district’s relationship to YMCA “prior to the incident (with PP)” was “very positive.” This suggests to me that he is one superintendent who gets it and who may be dropping hints to New Hampshire Right to Life.

Hopefully, Right to Life will request 100 minutes with students to show “In the Womb” – a film by National Geographic. This film makes it clear that the fetus becomes a human long before the end of the first trimester.

After a woman decides to go to PP for counseling it is a virtual certainty she will get an abortion. After she talks to a CPC (Crisis Pregnancy Center) her chances of changing her mind are about 40%. After she sees an ultrasound of her baby her chances of changing her mind are about 90%.

Maybe after seeing “In the Womb” some middle school kids will go back to the headquarters of Planned Parenthood. If they do, I hope they’ll carry signs saying “Today I Heard the Other Side: Babies ARE Killed Here.”