Posted on 06/08/2007 6:59:01 AM PDT by mkleesma
MANCHESTER – Middle school students in a YMCA program were confronted by abortion protesters outside Planned Parenthood on Pennacook Street Wednesday as they visited social service agencies throughout the city.
Forty-one seventh- and eighth-graders involved in the STAY program, a collaboration between the Greater Manchester YMCA and the school district, went on the tour, said Joyce Palmer, the YMCA's community outreach director.
The Support, Tutoring, Adventure for Youth Program has for 20 years offered programs at the city's four middle schools to students believed to be at risk of dropping out and turning to substance abuse, violence and other at-risk behavior.
"The intent of the day was to provide information to kids who are getting ready for the summer and won't have the support of school or at home," said Palmer. "The intent was not to take kids to an abortion clinic. That word was never said."
Mayor Frank Guinta, chairman of the city school board, rejected any justification for including Planned Parenthood on a field trip for young teenagers.
"I'm extremely disappointed," said the mayor. "I don't think it's appropriate for that age group, nor do I think it's appropriate for that kind of information to be disseminated to kids in that age group by a school program."
Guinta said he didn't know anything about the visit in advance. "I would expect that these types of trips won't take place in the future.
After fielding some phone calls from concerned parents yesterday, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Frank Bass said the trip to Planned Parenthood would be the district's first and last.
"We've talked to the YMCA and told them that in the future we're not going to visit Planned Parenthood," he said.
Bass said STAY has been a "wonderful program" for city schools and that Wednesday's confrontation was "an unfortunate set of circumstances."
Anne Johnson, the Planned Parenthood educator who spoke to the children Wednesday, said abortion was never discussed. She said she spoke for about three minutes about "the array of services that we offer, 96 percent of which are prevention."
Johnson said she'd like her agency to be part of any future site visits by the STAY program.
"We're pretty proud to have been selected," said Johnson. "It's a shame that people took this as an opportunity to harass kids."
Planned Parenthood was on a long list of places the children visited, including the Boys and Girls Club, the YWCA, the Office of Youth Services and the city library.
"At each place, a staffer met with kids and shared a two- to three-minute version of what they do, and how kids could access services if they need them," said Palmer.
The tour took place during school hours as part of the STAY program's monthly "adventure/community education day."
In a letter to Superintendent of Schools Michael Ludwell yesterday, the president of New Hampshire Right to Life strongly protested the Pennacook Street stop.
"Planned Parenthood exploits teens by promoting promiscuity, leading to the need for STD testing, birth control and abortion," wrote Darlene Pawlik.
"Are you and the Manchester School District cooperating with the usurpation of parental rights by delivering Manchester's children into the hands of Planned Parenthood?" she wrote.
Palmer said the confrontation wasn't anticipated ahead of time. "We just never thought about protesters," said Palmer. "It's not part of our everyday reality.
But Johnson said she called the YMCA before the children arrived and told them a half dozen protesters were outside.
"They were pretty invasive," said Palmer. "There was lots of yelling. One woman actually drove her van right next to (students), stopped her van, jumped out and told the staff person, 'I must talk to you.' She did that three times, then followed them for half a block."
She said the protesters tried to force literature on the school children.
Palmer said the children did not respond. "The kids did a great job," she said. "It was very disconcerting for all the kids and the staff as well."
Dawn Michaud, principal of Parkside Middle School, called the confrontation "unfortunate." She was aware in advance of the Planned Parenthood visit, but said she viewed the day as more of a job fair than a social services tour.
"It was just to see what's out there and prepare them for their futures," said Michaud.
So... a field trip was planned for this group, but the school didn’t have all the details on where the students would go?
I, for one, would be ticked off if my child ended up at Planned Parenthood for a field trip, regardless of whether or not they talked about abortion. Truth is, that’s what Planned Parenthood is, no matter how they spin it for young kids.
The trip was totally inappropriate....
Why not just teach the kids about abstinance? (did I spell that write?)
Just what the heck is the “YMCA” doing here?..Some Board Members have some ‘splainin’ to do ......
Dawn Michaud, principal of Parkside Middle School, called the confrontation “unfortunate.” She was aware in advance of the Planned Parenthood visit, but said she viewed the day as more of a job fair than a social services tour.
“It was just to see what’s out there and prepare them for their futures,” said Michaud
What a dope.
Remember when YMCA = Young Men's Christian Association?
Yet another day when I thank God that I’m from a podunk town in the South.
That was before the Village People perverted it.
“Oh looky here kids, this is the vacuum tool that we suck the baby out with...isn’t that special?”
!!?*#!
"Planned Parenthood exploits teens by promoting promiscuity, leading to the need for STD testing, birth control and abortion," wrote Darlene Pawlik.
"Are you and the Manchester School District cooperating with the usurpation of parental rights by delivering Manchester's children into the hands of Planned Parenthood?" she wrote.
Palmer said the confrontation wasn't anticipated ahead of time. "We just never thought about protesters," said Palmer. "It's not part of our everyday reality.
Typical. The idiot at the YMCA (whatever happened to the Christian component of this group?) thinks the problem was that the kids saw protestors...not that they were exploited by people they were entrusted to in order to advance the agenda of the death movement.
"Planned Parenthood exploits teens by promoting promiscuity, leading to the need for STD testing, birth control and abortion," wrote Darlene Pawlik.
Thankfully, Miss/Mrs. Pawlik gets it and is there to speak out!
What does YMCA stand for nowdays?
“...students believed to be at risk of dropping out and turning to substance abuse, violence and other at-risk behavior.”
“other at-risk behavior”? Like teen sex, which is endorsed by Sex Positive advocates?
This isn’t about circumventing questionable actions, this is about pushing abortion and hormonal birth control on teens leaving them still at-risk of STDs. But that’s ok, we have states mandating that the girls all take the HPV vaccine (even though boys can also get HPV and even get cancer from it).
It was taken over from within, much as a number of churches have been.
Infiltration to stray from the original principles.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1843358/posts
http://www.startribune.com/462/story/826056.html
The feminist agenda isn’t sorry that they exposed 12 yr. old kids to the wonderful world of abortion, they just sorry that they were exposed. The women running this show are like the flying imams. When confronted, use outrage to deflect the blame. New Hampshire should run those feminist Commies out of their schools.
So, Abortion = Accessing Services - another entry for the Liberalspeak Dictionary
You Might Consider Abortion?
This is what happens when lefties from the socialist commonwealth of Masachusetts move into southern New Hampshire.
Good Lord, where are they taking the kids to next? Crack houses?
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