Keeping Planned Parenthood running

One of the components that keep the Planned Parenthood Federation of Canada's sex-and-abortion machine running is the support of corporate entities. To that end, a look at the PPFC's website reveals backing from sectors such as pharmaceutical companies Janssen-Ortho Inc. and Organon Canada Ltd., healthcare product maker Ansell Healthcare Inc. and Chapters/Indigo, which has a logo on the PPFC's homepage.

The MuchMusic TV channel, meanwhile, has partnered with the PPFC to produce a "Bring Your Own Condom" media campaign, in which "favourite VJs share advice and examples on some very unconventional uses of condoms."

The PPFC continues to put itself forth as a charitable organization, despite the fact that, among other things, it took part in a rally for "reproductive rights" prior to the last federal election, in which a warning was issued to citizens considering voting for the Conservative party. The PPFC also acknowledges on its website that donations it receives are used to "keep the pressure on decision-makers to ensure access to universal, reliable information through post-card campaigns, petitions, critical reflection and advocacy."

Readers may wish to write to the federal minister of national revenue, the Honourable John McCallum, and the Canada Revenue Agency's commissioner, Mr. Alan Nymark, to voice concerns about the PPFC's continuing status as a charitable entity, while engaging in politically oriented activities. They can both be reached at: 4th Floor, 555 MacKenzie Ave., Ottawa, Ont., K1A 0L5.

On the bright side, a Texan pro-life group, the Coalition for Life, took the initiative to start a website that identifies businesses, companies foundations and individuals that support Planned Parenthood in parts of that state. To date, 11 business and foundations have pledged to end their contributions to Planned Parenthood as a result of the website's information, resulting in more than $20,000 in lost revenue. However, a number of entities, including the Houston Chronicle newspaper, continue their support.

In other developments, the Santa Cruz (Ca.) Community Credit Union is making a donation to Planned Parenthood every time one of its VISA cards is swiped, while Washington-based Life Decisions International has announced that pharmaceutical firm Pfizer Inc. has been added to the organization's boycott list for giving to Planned Parenthood, despite previous assurances that it would never do so.

A new edition of LDI's boycott list reveals that software makers Adobe Systems and Symantec have been added. Among others new to the blacklist are publishing giant Hearst Corporation, Office Depot Inc. and the Hilton Hotels Corporation.

The Human Life International and Children of God for Life organizations were successful in winning enough votes to have a pro-life resolution considered before a meeting of shareholders of the Merck pharmaceutical corporation. It was reported that the chair of the meeting tried to ignore the pro-life submissions, but several shareholders said they were shocked by news of Merck's involvement with aborted fetal cell lines and demanded action on the matter.

Writing in frontpagemagazine.com, Joseph D'Hippolito outlined the Ford Foundation's "proxy war" with the Roman Catholic church. He pointed out that the foundation is the largest single contributor to "Catholics" for a Free Choice, which is actually an anti-Catholic group dedicated to fighting that church's opposition to abortion and birth control.

Between 1980 and 1994, the foundation gave CFFC $2 million, and a further $4.4 million between 1996 and 2000. Ford's support for population control dates back to 1952, when it helped found the Population Council.

The Pattison Outdoor billboard company received kudos from pro-family Canadians when it announced it would not accept sexually suggestive advertisements urging homosexuals to practise so-called safe sex. In areas where the billboards were erected by other companies, such as Viacom, the ads featured images of homosexuals apparently engaged in sexual acts.

A U.S. anti-gay "marriage" initiative has complained that the America Online internet service has been blocking its members' ability to forward petitions. While nogaymarriage.com said it was considering legal action against the company, America Online refused to comment on the matter.

The New York Times reported that the San Francisco 49ers football team submitted players to a two-hour seminar on "diversity," which included sexual orientation, during the final day of spring mini-camp this year. Players were afterwards reported to have called the event "powerful" and "awesome."

Rabidly pro-abortion celebrity Whoopi Goldberg got whooped from appearing in ads for the Slim-Fast diet aid maker after a lewd riff on U.S. President George W. Bush at a fundraising event in New York this summer.