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Conflict Of Interest
A Weekly Column By Walter B. Hoye II

In the abortion debate, is there a "Conflict of Interest" within the Black community and among her leaders?

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Issue No.: 2012.037

Black American Perspectives

The Pro-Life Movement: On The Edge Of Victory
"You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, 'When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.'" Joshua 3:8, New King James Version (NKJV)

We're now in the fortieth (40th) year of legalized abortion on demand and the Pro-Life movement is making progress, serious progress. For example, Planned Parenthood of Golden Gate in California was disbanded due to financial improprieties. 1 In Kansas, Planned Parenthood in Overland Park faces fifty-eight (58) criminal charges related to illegal late-term abortions. 2 Across the nation investigations show Planned Parenthood failing to report child sexual abuse and human sex trafficking, the most common form of modern-day slavery. Several states have passed laws that would have barred abortion providers, such as Planned Parenthood, from receiving federal dollars through Medicaid. At this point only the Democrat-controlled Senate and President Barack Hussein Obama stand in the way of ending Planned Parenthood's federal funding. 3 Now Congress is investigating how federal tax dollars are being spent throughout the organization as a whole 4 in light of Susan G. Komen, the nation's leading breast-cancer charity, becoming the latest victim of the extortion and racketeering arm of Planned Parenthood simply because of Komen's decision to merely consider Planned Parenthood ineligible for future grants. 5 All across the country abortion clinics are being closed, abortionist are facing murder charges and legislation banning abortion is gaining support.

Like Moses, the Pro-Life movement has "come to the edge" of victory. However, unlike Moses, the Pro-Life movement has "come to the edge" of victory without the children of Israel, without the support of the communities most impacted by abortion, without the number one (1) and number two (2) customers of the abortion industry, without Black and Latino America.

THE QUESTION IS: When the Pro-Life movement comes to the edge of the water of the Jordan, will she be able to stand in the cold rushing waters of the mighty Jordan alone?

I'm still wondering if the Pro-Life movement is listening?

The Pro-Life Movement: Crossing Over To The Other Side

"So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho." Joshua 3:16, New King James Version (NKJV)

Like the children of Israel, for the last forty (40) years, Black and Latino Americans have lived in the desert of legalized abortion. However, unlike the children of Israel, Black and Latino Americans have learned to live in the desert without water from a rock or manna from heaven (i.e., without the life giving and life sustaining refreshment that comes from seeing Pro-Life progress being made in their communities). The reality is Black and Latino Americans have lived in the desert so long that we've grown accustomed to Desert Living. What do I mean by this? According to the Allen Guttmacher Institute, 67% among Blacks and 53% among Hispanics are unintended pregnancies and Black and Latino women account for 55% of all abortions in the United States of America. 6 This is Desert Living According to the CDC, Black women alone account for 40.2% of all abortions and while abortion rates for White women are decreasing, abortion rates for Black women are increasing. 7 This is Desert Living. According to the Allen Guttmacher Institute, 37% of women obtaining abortions identify as Protestant and 28% as Catholic. The Church is responsible for 65% of all abortions in the United States of America. 8

This is Desert Living. Star Parker, the founder and president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE), a 501(c)(3) non-profit think tank which promotes market based public policy to fight poverty, reports the traditional Black family has broken down, the NAACP is promoting same sex marriage as a civil rights issue and while half of Black pregnancies are ending in abortion, the NAACP vehemently opposes all antiabortion activism of Black Pro-Life groups. 9 This is Desert Living. The problem before us today is, over the years, in an effort to survive and overcome discouragement, the disenfranchised in America have adjusted, adapted and in some cases accepted Desert Living.

Nevertheless, thanks to the relentless efforts of the Pro-Life movement, like the waters that went down into the poisonous Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea failed, so one day will the taxpayer dollars that flow into Planned Parenthood fail.

THE QUESTION IS: When Planned Parenthood fails and the Pro-Life movement crosses over to the other side, will the people most affected by the incontestable evil of abortion cross over with her?

In my mind, if even one of us is not free, then none of us are free.

The Pro-Life Movement: Crossing Over With Everyone

"Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan." Joshua 3:17, New King James Version (NKJV)

The year 2013 marks the end of forty (40) years since Roe V. Wade and the Pro-Life movement is making progress, serious progress. While I'm glad progress is being made and lives are being saved, I'm sad that the progress appears to be coming at the expense of having a right relationship with the people targeted by the abortion industry.

In my opinion, strategies that call for ending abortion without support from the people whose future has been enslaved by abortion, is equivalent to Northern strategies calling for the end of slavery without support from Frederick

Douglass, Harriet Tubman, the United States Colored Troops (USCT) and the slaves fighting for freedom, day after day, on the Southern plantations.

THE QUESTION IS: What can the Pro-Life movement do to improve her soiled reputation with those that must cross over to the other side with her to ensure a real and lasting victory? Joshua 3:17 says "all Israel crossed over on dry ground." Because I believe victory for the Pro-Life movement will come only when we all work together, hand in hand, as brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, I in turn believe there must be room at the table and provision made for strategies like Personhood. Why Personhood? Because Personhood strikes a chord that runs deeper in the experiences of Black America than the ancient evil hidden in the dark recesses of Margaret Sanger's Planned Parenthood and Negro Project in the early 1900s. 10 The wholly heartfelt desire for Personhood strikes a chord that rings so true and runs so deep in my people that you can find it in the souls of those on the Slave Ship La Amistad in 1839 11 and in the wombs of those violently subjected to the American Colony of Virginia's "Hereditary Slave Law" in 1661. 12 The reality is Personhood resonates in the heart, registers in the mind, generates soul searching conversation and has the power to reconcile the very strained relationship between the Pro-Life movement and communities of color. Other strategies that are highly effective in communities of color include Care!Net's Life Ambassadors Leadership Council, 13 the Morning Center's Hospital and Mobile Care Unit project, 14 the Radiance Foundation's Sally's Lambs and Adoption projects, 15,16 the National Black Pro-Life Coalition 17 and the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. 18 All of these are strategies reflect a real faith in God. A kind of faith that fights for the homeless and loveless in their plight, and ever stands guard against corruption from the godless in this world. A kind of faith that "expects great things." and "attempts great things." because it trusts God for the impossible. 19 With this kind of faith, we can meet the physical and spiritual needs of people living in the desert. With this kind of faith, we can stand securely on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan. With this kind of faith, all of us, every man, every woman, every boy and every girl can cross over into the Promise Land. What are we waiting for? Brothers, we really need to talk.
Note(s):

 Laurence Allen Elder, Radio talk show host and syndicated columnist. Larry is a Republican who supports free trade, school
choice, same-sex marriage, amnesty for illegal immigrants, and abortion rights (http://bit.ly/DE77a). Reference(s): 01. Troy Newman, Operation Rescue, "Five Former Bay Area Planned Parenthood Clinics Close for Good," Published March 6th, 2011 (http://bit.ly/eTgMFt). 02. Ibid., "Stakes High in KS Planned Parenthood's Criminal Case," Published October 20th, 2011 (http://bit.ly/r27LYE). 03. Sarah Kliff, Washington Post, "Why Komen defunded Planned Parenthood," Published January 28th, 2012 (http://wapo.st/wE1UPi). 04. Meghan McCarthy, NationalJournal, "Republicans Open Sweeping Investigation Into Planned Parenthood," Published September 28th, 2011 (http://bit.ly/n8nFO1). 05. Steven D. Greydanus, National Catholic Register, "Komen & Planned Parenthood: The Real Lesson," Published February 3rd, 2012 (http://bit.ly/ArqaNU). 06. Guttmacher Institute, "Facts on Induced Abortion in the United States," Published on August 2011(http://bit.ly/99dVdw). 07. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "Abortion Surveillance --- United States, 2008," Surveillance Summaries November 25, 2011 / 60(SS15);1-41 (http://1.usa.gov/zXJv0q). 08. op. cit., Guttmacher Institute. 09. Star Parker, "NAACP plantation masters play race card again," Published January 9th, 2012 (http://bit.ly/vZduBX). 10. Tanya L. Green, "The Negro Project: Margaret Sanger's Eugenic Plan for Black Americans," Published May 10th, 2001, Posted at Concerned Women of America (http://bit.ly/qARBD). 11. La Amistad (Spanish: "Friendship") was a slave ship notable as the scene of a revolt by African captives being transported from Havana to Puerto Principe, Cuba. (http://bit.ly/a5KN6l). 12. Act XII, Laws of Virginia, December 1662, Hening, Statutes at Large, 2: 170 (http://1.usa.gov/pMnhrJ). 13. Care!Net's Urban Initiative (http://bit.ly/mSFWFn). 14. The Morning Center, a new project of Samaritan Ministries, (http://bit.ly/hINKcA). 15. Sally's Lambs (http://bit.ly/dd3tKZ) 16. Adopt. Be The Hope. (http://bit.ly/yr4D23). 17. National Black Prolife Coalition (http://bit.ly/dGzl2a). 18. National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (http://bit.ly/d2DD5n). 19. William Carey, 1792, "Expect Great Things; Attempt Great Things." (http://bit.ly/zF1TU9).

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