YOUR COMMENTS

I believe both sides are right somehow. Let's see if I can explain this. I believe middle school children should be more prepared for the real life with true discussions about the real issues that they might have to face ahead. But I also believe that this should be done in schools and homes at the same time. Unfortunately, schools are not allowed to give students an extended study on these issues due to Bureaucracy and to some parents that pretend that by hiding the facts of life to their kids they are saving them of some trouble. On the contrary; it will probably cause the wrong effect. Let's be real parents. We were teenagers in another time, and perhaps another place.
On the other side, I don't believe taking the kids to Planned Parenthood was appropiated because we all know what their main purpose is. Believe me when I say that I know because I made that mistake. I took my daughter there looking for help and they brainwashed her. They are suppsosed to talk to the girls about the options that they have. Instead they only give them one option which we know what it is. Fortunately, my daughter found all the support she needed in her family, us.
- Lily Mesa, Manchester

I am proud of Planned Parenthood. They do great work and provide helpful information. Denying people information is not a way to solve a problem. Lots of teens have sex and lots of young adults have sex. Preparing them with information to keep them healthy is necessary and responsible. I am very disappointed in the YMCA and can not believe providing information to people is not condemned by the Mayor and the YMCA.
- vanessa, Concord

I don't see any crime here. The STAY program is for at risk teens. At risk teens are the teens that need to know about planned parenthood. They need to know that they can get free condoms and be exposed to the many phamplets about sexually transmitted diseases. They also need to know how to prevent pregnancy. Exposing these teens to this clininc was probably one of the best things any staff member could have done. If the intent of the trip was to advocate abortion this would be different, but the trip was intended to educate these young adults about responsibility. Too many young adults are having babies.... Planed parenthood is a legal agency that provides information and birth control. Many young girls want to get on the pill but have no idea how to do it without their parents knowing about it. If more parents were educating their young adults about this stuff, staff at the YMCA wouldn't have to!
- Jessica, Manchester

Let's give our youth the information they need and will get from Planned Parenthood. It is ridiculous to think that we are putting ideas into teenagers heads by giving them information and access to "safe sex". Let's be responsible adults, get our heads out of the sand and not forget that they NEED us to make good decisions about their NEEDS.
- Carol Russell, Swanzey

I'm so sad for all the girls out there who have adults, especially adult women, in their lives who push them into thinking that sex is ok when they are still children. They need to hear that it is NOT ok. If you hand them contraceptives, you send them the message that it's ok. If you hand someone a clean bag of cocaine, what do you expect them to do with it?

Planned Parenthood IS an abortion clinic. I know that it's not a pretty thing to talk about, but that is the reality of what they do. Whether or not they do it MOST of the time is irrelevant.

I know a few girls who've had abortions and they were pressured into it by their boys who used them and dumped them after they got pregnant. These girls were tormented by this decision they made, but no one seems to care about them after the fact.

One girl has not been able to start her family and blames the abortion for her infertility. But again, no one wants to talk about that.

There are heartwrenching consequences to the decisions these girls are making. They need someone to be compassionate and build them up so they don't think that their ability to give away their body is all that matters in life.

Women need to stop stabbing each other in the back and start supporting each other in a positive way. By telling young girls that they are worth so much more than just a one night stand or a boy who only dates them because they are willing and able.

Society pushes this sexual image and it's up to us to push back instead of accept it. Girls and young women have so much more to offer. How sad that our fellow sisters are so easily misleading these young girls into the lies that all they are good for is sex. Yes, that is the image you give them and promote when you give up and hand them birth control.
- Heather, Manchester, NH

Mayor Guinta should be more concerned with the dramatic increase of gun violence, home invasions and rape in Manchester. They are greater threats to the safety of children in our city. Also, he should be gravely concerned with the level of sex offenders in the city. A trip to Planned Parenthood is the least of this failing Mayor's worries.
- Karen, Formerly of Manchester

I am not at all impressed with any of the responses on this issue on either side, except the one by Ban Conant of Concord, but I do have this to say.
Planned Parenthood is a social service health care organization with high stnadards and anyone who wants this sort of information and supplies can get it. Why not make sure the information is accurate and the supplies high quality? It sure would prevent a lot of medical bills, E.R. visits, and a swell in morbidity health statistics.
- Adrianna Hey, Strafford

In this day in age with it seems that we, as a society keep slipping backwards. Young people need to have access to the information that affects their health and their future. Shame on Mayor Guinta for calling a meeting to halt this kind of awareness for Manchester's kids and shame on the rigtht-to lifers for getting into other's PERSONAL business, yet again. When is this nonsense going to stop? Planned Parenthood is not just about abortion.. It's about a young person's reproductive health. The information that is given is golden and the health care services are given by people who actually care about their patients health. What is the problem with law makers and nosy folks in this city? Like your mother told you. Mind your P'S and Q's.
- Gail Lynch, Manchester

Planned Parenthood has provided me with the only affordable healthcare out there. If it wasn't for their services, I wouldn't be on birth control-which is a pro-life choice. The very issue I take with these pro-life groups is that they act like people that are pro-choice are "pro-abortion". NO ONE is pro-abortion. Taking these kids to a reproductive health clinic is not agenda based (the YMCA is a religiously affiliated group, if I am not mistaken). It's simply showing them a place they can go, judgement free, to receive affordable reproductive care so that they never have to FACE the decision of abortion. PPNE might provide abortions, but they give a million available options before this decision should ever take place.
- Meghan Levins, Concord

Planned Parenthood Event June 6, 2007 I am one of the protesters who witnessed all of the events last week. Nothing in this newspaper on the events of last wednesday are accurate. I am the only person who handed out literature politely not forced. No one shouted,No one touched anyone,and No one used their vehicle to block or otherwise threaten any young lady. All we do is pray the Rosary hold pro-life signs and offer literature about alternatives to Planned Parenthood. Also No one spoke to any employee of Planned Parenthood last Wednesday. Nuff said In Jesus Love Amen.
- Jerry E. Bergevin, Manchester

I applaud the YMCA STAY program for taking a field trip to Planned Parenthood. As you can tell by the response and major uproar that this story has caused, Planned Parenthood is often looked down upon. Society has brough religion, and politics into the pro-life/pro-choice fight and Planned Parenhood is in the cross fire.

As a young adult, it's horrible that I have to deal with pro-life protesters when I go to pick up my birth control pills each month. Those messages discourage pre-teen/teen's who might already be sexually active to check out the health services, education, and safe sex information that the organization offers.

Why dwell on the fact that Planned Parenthood offers abortion? Why not support the education and services they offer? The YMCA STAY program is lucky to have been taught that there are places like Planned Parenthood that will offer free condoms, yearly exams, STD testing, birth control, and answer any questions they might have about their health, both sexual, and non sexual.

Planned Parenthood offers affordable health care to all ages, and of any income, insured or not. Shame on them!Until the well to do conservatives walk a mile in a teenagers shoes in this day and age it will always be about politics, and less about the welfare of todays generation.
- Andrea Goodrow, Derry, NH

The idea that a "right to life" group should be given an opportunity to make one-sided political speeches to students because other pro-life people were protesting outside the Planned Parenthood facility is pretty ridiculous. Planned Parenthood didn't bring up abortion - the right-to-lifers did.
- Joanne Merriam, Concord, NH

With one of the highest rates of unintended pregnancy in the world, the recent release of research showing that abstinence only education doesn't work, lack of social support for single mothers, and the cutting of social programs, educating student's about the programs of Planned Parenthood only makes sense. I'd rather have kids making an informed choice to prevent pregnancy, than having abortions, or a child they are unable to care for appropriately.
- kaari ward-bayly, concord nh

I was extremely disappointed to read about the poor judgement exercised by the YMCA STAY program when they brought a group of junior high students to Planned Parenthood for a field trip. If these teens are "at risk" then what they need is counceling, not contraception since contraception puts them at greater risk for the emotional damage of promiscuity, sexually transmitted diseases, AIDs and abortion services if and when contraceptives fail. Even when used correctly, contraceptives have a failure rates. Abortion is a human rights issue and in this country Planned Parenthood is selling over 4000+ abortions on average a week. They want your kids business. Furthermore what puzzles me is why the schools must take it upon themselves to teach sex education to students. Isn't that the job of parents?
- Mary Menendez, Kingston NH

All the upity ups have tried to make this look like an unfortunate oversight but, I do not believe for a moment that this is true.

Not an accident, but a pre-planned visit to Planned parenthood. Why? To further prepare children for postmodern thinking. To further destroy the child's perception of mom's and dad's ideologies about sex and the consequences of promiscuity. Ge them softened up for relativism.

NEA has long been instrumental in the propagandizing of family and child what with the connection of planned parenthood, and homosexuality. This is just another way to railroad our children. I do not trust any of them at all.
- Jan Hensley, Rindge

Politics is a part of life. The Manchester school board needs to get over its self-righteousness. Since when is an organization that prevents young women from having to go through the trauma of a pregnancy or STD an evil organization that should bring down everybody who comes in contact with it? It was not an indoctrination session--it was merely telling the students what they do. Would the school board be freaking out if they had payed a visit to a Republican state rep? Would that be indoctrination too? Seriously, the school board needs to stop it with their religious witch-hunts and get back to doing its job.
- Dan Conant, Concord

Our young people are experiencing the pressures of early sexual involvement. I say this...if it saves one child from getting Aids..then have at it. The real focus needs to be on the message that the media bombards them with daily. If you think your child is not familiar with what it's ALL about at this age..then you are burrying your heads in a sand pile of denial. Planned parenhood is there to address the crisis we have out there in the first place. Personally I think that life course including all the information should be a mandatory class in every educational institution. Our young people will get this information from one another, or in the library, or on the internet, or on tv..but if they want it, they can find it...wouldn't it be a better plan to give them the right information..the kind that will protect their health, and emotional well being?
- L. Cleaves, Manchester

I just want to set something straight. I am Darlene Pawlik, President of NH Right to Life. Dr. Ludwell hasn't returned my call. I suppose he's moving in other directions to 'resolve the matter'. I was that 'at risk' teen. I would like the opportunity to let them know that they are important, created for a purpose and of incalculable worth, no matter what their developmental stage. They don't have to be used, abused or perused.
- Darlene Pawlik, Raymond

I have followed this story also. I cannot believe that the STAY program would allow such a field trip to the Planned Parenthood. Education could have been taught in the school. I think STAY has messed up majorly and agree that touring police stations, prisions and county jails, YDC would have more of an influence on the children of today. As we are aware, Manchester has a 35% dropout rate or close to it and again Manchester Schools have done our children wrong. We have violence in our schools, gangs etc, Planned Parenthood is not a place for them. We should be concentrating on the children in the STAY program or any child for that matter to help them learn. Our teachers have failed. Half of them don't have the patience anymore for any child and as a result we have many dropouts. What has happened to the NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND RULE. These kids have enough to deal with on their plates, they don't need to see abortion protesters and visit a place like Planned Parenthood. If that is what the STAY program wanted, it should have been decided by the board and have a representative come to the school itself. The STAY program isn't all its made out to be.
- R.sepersky, Manchester

Just wanted to comment on this story.I have followed this story and i think a mistake was made by going to planned parenthood with those students,what would have they learned there.Maybe they should have our students tour police stations and prison and maybe our youth would keep on the right track.They see enough and hear enough let them grow up and make there own choices. Once again school leaders have failed us again.BIG TIME
- lawrence lesieur, manchester