Commissioner Board turns down clergy resolution to defund Planned Parenthood (VIDEO)

MANSFIELD — Despite recent revelations on Planned Parenthood selling baby parts on the black market, the Richland County Board of Commissioners declined to hold a hearing to consider supporting a non-binding resolution proposed by leading clergy from forty-three area congregations.

Earlier this summer, allegations surfaced regarding Planned Parenthood‘s operation after the release of a series of undercover videos produced by the Center for Medical Progress.

“Evidence about Planned Parenthood depicted in these videos is profoundly evil and nefarious,” says Reverend El Akuchie of the Richland Community Prayer Network (RCPN).

The Commissioner Board, consisting of Gary Utt, Timothy Wert, and Marilyn John, stated that the issue does not pertain to their direct management and therefore will not schedule a hearing with the pastors. Ironically, the Board of Commissioners passed a non-binding resolution at the request of the Ohio Secretary of State pertaining to election practices. 

Richland County citizens fund Planned Parenthood thru federal and state taxes despite the organization being independently wealthy with nearly one billion dollars of net assets, Recently the Federal Government awarded Planned Parenthood with one million dollars in grants despite ongoing criminal Congressional investigations.

“As citizens of this county, we should not be funding Planned Parenthood which pours its lobbying interests into one political party,” says Reverend Akuchie. “Abortion happens to be one of the leading causes of death for African Americans since 1973, and selling human body parts which these videos reveal is a violation of federal law.”

County Commissioner Marilyn John said she would write a letter to legislators supporting the defunding of Planned Parenthood .

In response to the Board of Commissioner’s dismissal of the issue, Akuchie responded: “We believe that the old axiom rings true today that “evil prevails when good people remain silent.” It is our conviction that society is looking for strong leadership and that saving and preserving life should be the business of every human being. Make no mistake, protecting and preserving life is everyone’s business and the local Body of Christ has volunteered to not remain silent in protecting the next generation…even when it is not politically expedient.”

The proposed non-binding resolution was three-fold: advising the U.S. Congress to add an amendment in the 2015 Budget Bill to end forced taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood, advising the Ohio State Legislature to present legislation to be signed by the Governor to discontinue forced taxpayer funding to the Planned Parenthood organization, and lastly, supporting criminal investigation and prosecution of those individuals who have broken existing laws.

RCPN’s draft resolution also stated that ending forced taxpayer funding on Planned Parenthood would not cause low-income women to go without health care since there are 13,540 health clinics across the country, versus 665 Planned Parenthood locations. The clergy suggested that if federal funding from Planned Parenthood is eliminated, than that money could go towards health care providers that already better serve women .

Just one month earlier, over one hundred pro life advocates held a prayer vigil at the local Park Avenue Planned Parenthood as part of a large movement where gatherings were taking place in more than three hundred cities supporting the defunding of Planned Parenthood.

The Bottom Line:

The Bible says in Hosea Four, “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge: because they have rejected knowledge…”

View the video produced by the Center for Medical Progress below. (Editor’s note: images on video may be disturbing)