The College Fix

The real fight for Planned Parenthood’s future is in the youth of America. Really.

As the debate over the organization’s funding continues to rage, Planned Parenthood has claimed that college students were among its strongest supporters in the debate over the $368 million Title X program. Pro-choice groups have sought to portray college students as monolithically supportive of Planned Parenthood — but long-term polls may not reflect this trend.

Professor Michael J. New believes that the millennial generation is more receptive to pro-life arguments.

“Younger people are considering themselves to be pro-life, more so than their previous cohorts,” he said.

New, an associate professor of political science at the University of Alabama, and fellow at the Witherspoon Institute, pointed to a Gallup poll conducted in 2009 showing that 51 percent of Americans described themselves as pro-life.

New said that young people fit in the broader poll. He argued that pro-choice advocates have taken young people’s support for granted over the years.

“People like Barack Obama and John Kerry,” he said, “elusively talk about finding ways to get the numbers down. They don’t make a strong case that (abortion) should be kept legal.”

Ted Miller, the director of communications for NARAL Pro-Choice For America, believes the Gallup poll was incorrect. He pointed to a study, conducted by NARAL, which purports to have reached a broader section of the population, particularly young people. The NARAL report said that 59 percent of young people are pro-choice.

“Our survey shows that the millennial generation are more pro-choice than the population as a whole,” he said.

NARAL has been heavily involved in campus issues across the country. He referred to NARAL’s 20 state affiliate groups aimed at young people and a vast Facebook campaign.

“What the anti-choice members of congress are supporting is against their values. That’s why we’re seeing a surge of young men and women,” he said.

Planned Parenthood claims stronger numbers. One internal poll, conducted by Hart Research Associates, said that 81 percent of individuals under the age of 30 support federal funding. The group has also highlighted a Quinnipiac poll, which shows equally high numbers.

In an email, Tricia Wajda, the director of communications at the Massachusetts League of Planned Parenthood (PPLM), described efforts directed by the Boston University students to persuade Scott Brown to support them.

“We had students secure signed petition postcards that urged Congress to ‘Stand with Planned Parenthood.’…These postcards were personally delivered by PPLM staff to Senator Brown’s office,” she said.

The efforts evidently paid off. Last Thursday, Brown, a pro-choice supporter, joined the majority of Senate Democrats to vote down a budget amendment that would have banned funding for Planned Parenthood. The measure was defeated 58 to 42.

Sasha Goodfriend, a freshman majoring in International Relations at Boston University, and vice president of Voices For Planned Parenthood (VOX), did not believe that Congress would take away funding.

“It’s pretty closed-minded of Republicans,” she said.

Goodfriend believes that federal funding of Planned Parenthood is essential because the organization provides contraceptives to students.

Mary Powers, the communications director for Students For Life Of America, is committed to reaching out to the college students in the debate. She wants to shift the debate away from contraceptives and get students talking about funding abortions.

“Planned Parenthood is targeting the youth of America. College students are at the heart of the battle,” she said.

Powers believes cutting congressional funding is the best way to energize pro-life activists, because efforts would continue to defund Planned Parenthood in the 2012 elections. Her group will be continuing to generate support and encourage student activism.

“This is definitely a winning issue,” she said.

One student activist, Rachel Regonini, a junior majoring in nursing at Northeastern University and president of NU Students For Live, believes that revoking funding for Planned Parenthood is essential.

“Planned Parenthood as an organization is not doing what they’re saying they’re doing. They’re really contributing to the numbers of abortions, as opposed to reducing them,” she said.

Regonini has been involved in pro-life causes throughout her time in college, but she was recently inspired by the Live Action videos released earlier this year. The videos showed students disguised as a pimp and prostitute getting assistance from Planned Parenthood employees.

“I don’t think that should ever be acceptable. We should be doing more as a country,” she said.

While the issue is currently stalled in Congress, it seems clear funding for Planned Parenthood will continue to be a major source of conflict. As pro-choice advocates continue to rally their support, Professor New believes that pro-life supporters have no other option but to target Planned Parenthood.

“Legislatively, the best you can do to stop abortion is to cut public funding,” he said.

Bryan Ens is a senior at Northeastern University. He is a member of the Student Free Press Association.

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