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Controversy over Planned Parenthood's next move

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Published: 6/28/2012 6:13 pm

Updated: 6/28/2012 6:42 pm

Controversy is swirling over Planned Parenthood's next move in Bakersfield.

Pro-life activists are concerned about what the company is planning to do inside a new office building about a block away from their existing offices.

Lifesavers Ministries is protesting the move, pleading with the city to keep it from happening.

With songs and signs, right-to-life activists gathered Wednesday night outside city council chambers and protested Planned Parenthood's newest development plan.

"We believe God is greater than the giant Planned Parenthood, and this is a David and Goliath deal," said Terri Palmquist, Lifesavers Ministries.

Inside the city council meeting activists made their case to city leaders.

"Each of you personally has an opportunity to speak out about a death center coming to our community," said Tim Palmquist, Lifesavers Ministries.

At the center of all the controversy is a 10,000 square foot office building about a block from Planned Parenthood's current location and just west of Mercy Hospital.

City leaders say there's not much they can do about it even if they wanted to.

"They actually have a right to move into that facility so long as they meet all the city codes and ordinances, and so far they are," said Jim Eggert, Planning Director.

City officials say the property is already zoned for medical use and the city can't discriminate against who uses it, whether it's doctors, dentists or Planned Parenthood.

"We do not have discretion to pick and choose which ones would go through some other process. They're all together as far as meeting codes," said Eggert.

It's an answer protesters don't like. They say it's not going to stop them from doing what they believe in.

"We're not going to give up. I don't understand. WalMart was able to be postponed for seven years because of the outcry, and what's more offensive, WalMart or a place shedding innocent blood?," said Terri Palmquist.

Planned Parenthood could not be reached for comment Thursday. It's not known what services the new facility will offer when it opens.

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The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of KGET TV 17 - In the Spirit of the Golden Empire

Popgun - 7/3/2012 12:30 PM

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Proudpatriot, jmabbott and murph56 have slammed this forum with one ridiculous comment after another. To answer proudpatriot, no one can foretell how someone will turn out so as to justify aborting them; besides, aborting them is evil whether they turn out to be a saint or mass murderer. No one has a right to take their lives; that'd make their mothers just as repulsive as those you'd like to see aborted. As for jmabbott's comment, the Supreme Court saw fit to make the right to abortion constitutional, so that makes their decision "unconstitutional," does it not? Murph, should we not have stuck our noses in Hitler's business when he was exterminating those he deemed inferior? Quite the contrary, we pro-lifers do not want to seeing anyone killing anyone -- for any reason, period. What part of "Thou shalt not kill" do you not understand? That applies to each and every one of us, whether you like it or not. It's precisely that kind of thinking like yours that have led to holocausts and genocides over history. As for all the unwanted orphans and foster children, perhaps this is where government can do something good by providing incentives for them to be adopted, rather than plowing money into Planned Parenthood "paid for with the money of those who vehemently oppose it" as stated in this article: http://www.stopp.org/article.php?id=10634

murph56 - 7/2/2012 7:44 AM

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Pro life activists rather have back alley death instead of plan parenthood!

murph56 - 7/2/2012 7:42 AM

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Let's talk Constitution, the Constitution states we have rights choose and so women have the right to choose to have their abortions. Now for Popgun you have the right say what you want as per the Constitution and I per the Constitution have the right to tell you people to go home and stay out of these women's rights to choose! These plan parenthoods are a lot better than women and young girls ending up dead from now getting the right care in these case and I have hear of many case which have gone wrong just from not having follow up on these women health, so the tragedy is people like you popgun sticking your nose where it does not belong go out and do some good, there are a lot of kids in state homes looking for real homes maybe you could pick and raise a few dozen!

jmabbott888 - 7/1/2012 9:28 PM

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Exactly, it is not in he constitution, so how can it be unconstitutional? Same thig as marriage, it isn't a right & isn't in the constitution so it should be banned also?

proudpatriot - 7/1/2012 11:43 AM

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Oh yes lets pray to god to cut the planned parenthood move so that we can read more cases about women stabbing themselves and having their boyfriends jump on their stomachs. Yes, that is a much better solution. ya know, planned parenthood also gives out condoms and birth control. What would you rather have... a dead baby or a mentally disturbed baby? Remember right to life activists that when you are constantly raging about the next serial killer or drunk driving murderer that their parents did have the right to abort them, however they may have been swayed not to by people like you. HYP. O. CRITES.

Popgun - 7/1/2012 9:46 AM

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jmabbott888, as the article at the following link well puts it, "Make no mistake, there is no right to abortion in the Constitution; the Supreme Court simply made it up." More at: http://www.lifenews.com/2012/01/22/roe-v-wade-a-constitutional-and-moral-abortion-tragedy/

jmabbott888 - 6/30/2012 3:20 PM

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"privacy rights do not extend to things that are illegal and unconstitutional." What is illegal & unconstitutional about MOST abortions? Last I heard it was legal to have one & nothing in the constitution bans the practice in MOST cases.

Popgun - 6/29/2012 4:04 PM

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Regarding the 40th anniversary remark in my previous comment, that refers to the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Back then the justices pointed out that a woman's right to abortion depends on when human life begins. Now that scientists are all but unanimous about life beginning at conception, it is time to banish abortion to the "what were they thinking?" netherworld.

Popgun - 6/29/2012 2:03 PM

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In response to Jodeno, privacy rights do not extend to things that are illegal and unconstitutional. In this case, the privacy right of a mother is shamefully being allowed to trample the unborn's constitutional right to life and to not be murdered. Before you argue that an unborn's life, worth and dignity are at the mercy of others who are more powerful and "viable," let me remind you that it is precisely this kind of sickening and barbaric thinking that have led to the atrocities we have seen and are seeing even in this age, resulting in the Holocaust, killing fields and one genocide or another. Furthermore, when Planned Parenthood is reaping hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars each year, it is very much our business to know where our money is going, especially when considering that the majority of Americans object to it being used for state-sanctioned killings. Lastly, in response to Murph56, I'll have you know that before the scourge that is Roe v. Wade came into being, there was a natural give and take when it came to giving up unwanted babies to adoptive parents. Ask any potential adoptive parents and you'll find that they are having little or no luck in adopting a child because so many of them are being slaughtered, forcing many of them to resort to in vitro fertilization, which results in even more embryos being destroyed. Those who are protesting Planned Parenthood's move into Bakersfield on the eve of the 40th anniversary should take heart to know that David waited 40 days before going out to slay Goliath. And when he did, he ruled for 40 years. May Planned Parenthood meet the same fate.

jodeno - 6/29/2012 11:45 AM

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These pro-lifers are probably glad Kern County has so many teen parents who can move on to a career of collecting a welfare check. I can't believe they have nothing better to do than sit outside of a building holding signs and harassing people they don't even know. There are a number of reason one might walk into that building. It's not just abortions that go on in there. Who do they think they are anyways? I mean, I'm not a fan of abortion either, but I would never tell a woman (or much too often a young teen) what to do with her body, especially one I didn't know!

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