Had Planned Parenthood gone under in 1986, the abortion industry would hardly have noticed. At the time Planned Parenthood was committing only 6.2% of all U.S. abortions.

That was then.

With a total of 342 abortion clinics at last count (174 surgical/168 medical), Planned Parenthood now owns 46% of the remaining 751 abortion clinics in the U.S.

Planned Parenthood’s biggest abortion surge has been in the field of medical (RU-486) abortions. Planned Parenthood operates 90% of all U.S. medical abortion clinics, according to AbortionDocs.org. Here’s a chart from STOPP.org:

By 2011, the latest figures available, Planned Parenthood was responsible for 31.6% of the U.S. abortion marketshare, surely higher today.

Were Planned Parenthood to go under now, the abortion industry would collapse.

I wrote last week about Planned Parenthood’s growing monopoly of that shrinking industry.

This has been intentional, a dual strategy by Planned Parenthood to increase the number of its abortion clinics while crushing the competition.

Planned Parenthood has been conducting its coup for years, if not decades. Quoting the Wall Street Journal from back in 2008:

“This is not the Planned Parenthood we all grew up with… they now have more of a business approach, much more aggressive,” said Amy Hagstrom Miller, who runs abortion clinics in Texas and Maryland.

Ms. Hagstrom Miller competes with Planned Parenthood for abortion patients – and finds it deeply frustrating. She does not receive the government grants or tax-deductible donations that bolster Planned Parenthood, and says she can’t match the nonprofit’s budget for advertising or clinic upgrades. She has carved her own niche by touting her care as more holistic – and by charging $425 for a first-trimester surgery at her Austin clinic, compared with $475 at the local Planned Parenthood….

“They’re not unlike other big national chains,” Ms. Hagstrom Miller said. “They put local independent businesses in a tough situation.”

There is plenty of evidence Planned Parenthood is indeed trying to drive out the competition. Two recent examples:

• In Texas, where there is now a dearth of abortion clinics thanks to pro-life legislation, Planned Parenthood is building two new clinics in Dallas and San Antonio - where two of the state’s last three independent clinics already exist (if and when the law takes full effect). The other five that are anticipated to remain standing all belong to Planned Parenthood.
• In North Carolina, Planned Parenthood smelled blood and forced a shaky independent abortion clinic to close this year by announcing plans to build.

But there is a provocative flip side to this that plays right into pro-life hands: As Planned Parenthood grabs more of the declining abortion industry, and the industry becomes ever more dependent on Planned Parenthood for survival, the prospects of that industry’s collapse only increase.

Were Planned Parenthood to go under, the number of U.S. abortion clinics would be cut by almost half, and replacing them would be difficult due to today’s stricter clinic regulations and oversight, in conjunction with the decreased demand.

Also gone would be Planned Parenthood’s influence on elections and litigation.

“Remember that, in addition to becoming the primary abortionists, Planned Parenthood is who provides the lawyers and the political connections to keep abortion legal,” noted American Life League’s Jim Sedlak in an email. “If Planned Parenthood collapses, all the behind-the-scenes infrastructure goes with it.”

Interesting theory, but is it realistic to imagine that Planned Parenthood could crash?

Stay tuned for Part II.

by Hans Johnson

At an abortion protest on the campus of Ohio State University, a counter-protester was asked by a Created Equal outreach member if it should be permissible to kill a child even two minutes after birth. The pro-choice woman first stalled by repeating the question, then avoided the question by saying the decision should be the doctor’s:

You’re asking me whether I blanketly believe it’s wrong to kill a newborn baby after that baby’s been taken from this woman. I’m saying to you I have no idea what medical necessities or what medical issues would arise that would necessitate that. So I can’t make a blanket statement that I would call it murder in every case. I’m not in the operating room….

[youtube]http://youtu.be/K9prPud1lw0[/youtube]

Email dailyvid@jillstanek.com with your video suggestions.

by Kelli

Abortions are expensive. A first trimester abortion costs an average of $470. A second trimester abortion at 20 weeks costs an average of $1,500.

*This article refers to abortion care patients solely as women, but not all people who have abortions identify as women.

~ Carly Manes, discussing why she believes every woman deserves to have a “free” abortion, The Michigan Daily, September 29

[Graphic via NARAL Pro-Choice America]

by Kelli

Pampers has released a commercial in Japan which celebrates not only baby’s first year, but Mom’s… from Dad’s perspective. Live Action News reports:

The theme of the ad is centered around the idea that a baby’s first birthday is also a mother’s first birthday. A mother who makes it to the milestone of that first birthday should be celebrated and thanked….
The commercial is in Japanese, but you can click on the bottom right side for English captions. It’s worth trying because you get the opportunity to read the heartwarming messages these fathers give. Words like: “I almost cried when you first said hello to our son” and “You were in such pain, but acted so strong”.

Be sure to click the “CC” button on the bottom right of the video to see English subtitles:

[youtube]http://youtu.be/uu3iM1azTj4[/youtube]

Email dailyvid@jillstanek.com with your video suggestions.

[Photo via adweek.com]

by Carder

Of course, Rick Perry isn’t really saying he truly thinks an abortion law like Texas’ actually might have saved Joan Rivers’ life. Even Rick Perry is smarter than to say something like that out loud.

That’s all, y’all. Just ole’ Gov Perry speakin’ metaphorically, like. Makin’ intellectual connections between seemingly unrelated issues.

~ Andrea Grimes mocking Texas Governor Rick Perry for his remarks regarding the circumstances of Joan Rivers’ death and clinic regulation, RH Reality Check, September 26

Yuck, I don’t like asking for donations. Didn’t have to do it for the first eight years of this blog’s existence.

But here I am, and the process is admittedly painful! I realize there are a gazillion organizations asking for donations, and this is just one more. All I can say is this blog gets traction. If you are passionate about online pro-life activism, as I am, this is a good investment.

What would really help is ongoing monthly support. How does $5 a month sound? That’s one cup of barista coffee, one McDonalds meal, one magazine.

If 200 people would donate $5 a month, (YOU?), we’d be set. Or 100 at $10. Or 40 at $25. Or 10 at $100. Or one at $1000.

I have eight signed copies of The Race to Save Our Century by Jason Jones and John Zmirak left for those donating $10+/month.

For those donating $5/month I have t-shirts (size L) for the new movie, The Song, just out in theaters on September 26. It is based on the Biblical book Song of Solomon, and it looks good! Here’s the trailer…

[youtube]http://youtu.be/paSZ5y7iCgc[/youtube]

Help me reach my goal of $10,000 to keep this blog afloat until next year! And accept a little gift in return!

This is what I will do if you will live by my laws and carefully obey my commands: I will give you rain at the right time. The land will produce its crops, and the trees in the field will produce their fruit. Threshing time will last until grape gathering, and grape gathering will last until planting. You will eat all you want and live securely in your land.

I will bring peace to your land. You will lie down with no one to scare you. I will remove dangerous animals, and there will be no war in your land. You will chase your enemies, and you will defeat them. Five of you will chase a hundred of them, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand of them. You will defeat your enemies, and I will be pleased with you.

Your families will be large, and I will keep my promise to you. You will clear out old food supplies to make room for new ones. I will put my tent among you, and I will never look at you with disgust. So I will live among you and be your God, and you will be my people.

~ God’s “deal,” to give us proper weather and climate, all the food we need, security from animal and human enemies, and fertility – if we will obey His laws and commands, Leviticus 26:3-12, God’s Word translation

Good morning, and Happy Sunday! Here were my top five favorite political cartoons this week. Be sure to vote for your fav in the poll at the bottom of this post!

by Eric Allie at Townhall.com…

 referring to this…

 by Chip Bok at GoComics.com…

 by Tom Toles at GoComics.com…

 by Walt Handelsman at GoComics.com…

 by Lisa Benson at Townhall.com…