New anti-abortion rights website targets Girl Scouts
By Sofia Resnick | 05.16.11 | 5:41 pm
A new anti-abortion rights website has emerged, its aim focused on the Girl Scouts of the United States of America.Speak Now: Girl Scouts is the product of two Texas-based teen sisters, Tess and Sydney Volanski, who claim to have recently quit the Girl Scouts after eight years because they discovered the organization has a “pro-abortion mindset.”
The homepage of the all-pink website begins with the following introduction (emphasis in the original):
We refuse to remain silent while this organization’s unscrupulous principles mislead over 2 million girls in the United States alone. We created SpeakNowGirlScouts.com in order to spread the truth to others who have no idea what GSUSA’s [Girl Scouts of the United States of America's] true intentions are. This website is our way to speak now and we hope it encourages you to do the same!The Volanskis claim the Girl Scouts USA has an “anti-life, pro-abortion agenda.” As evidence, they point to “controversial content” in various GSUSA printed materials, wherein the national Girl Scouts organization provides links and references to organizations such as the Women’s Media Center, Media Matters for America and discusses high-profile feminists and female authors such as Marjane Satrapi, who authored the graphic novel Persepolis.
The Volanskis also point to an edited news clip on YouTube in which Kathy Cloninger, chief executive officer of GSUSA, says Girl Scouts partners with church communities, the YWCA and Planned Parenthood organizations to bring sex-based education programs to girls. The girls also frequently cite Abby Johnson, who traded her career as a Planned Parenthood clinic director to travel the country speaking against Planned Parenthood and abortion rights. The Speak Now website includes a section titled “What Does Abby Say” and links to several of Johnson’s recent Facebook comments, such as “FACT: Girl Scouts of America supports Planned Parenthood. Support Girl Scouts = Support Abortion.”
Link to the full article I was a Girl Scout until I graduated high school and was very involved with many GS projects. While there may be some troop leaders who push their agendas on girls, GS as a whole is an organization that strives to make girls, strong, intelligent, and independent. If being pro-choice makes a person strong, intelligent, and independent then I am glad I am pro-choice. I believe there are a very small number of people who actually think abortions are great. Most people that believe in abortions know that they are essentials to keeping women safe and healthy...as well as future children and existing children. Nothing makes me more angry than when I hear someone saying a woman shouldn't have an abortion even if it is going to harm her physically or even kill her. Why is an unborn baby more important than a woman who already has a family and friends? I don't usually like to get into political/ideological discussions but seeing someone accuse the Girl Scouts of saying "Yay abortion!" made me furious with the stupidity of the world.
