By Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director, Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation
In a brazen move that runs directly counter to public sentiment in the county, abortion giant Planned Parenthood is once again trying to open an abortion business in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
The county—long known for its sizeable Amish population—has valiantly fought to keep the area abortion-free for decades.
But according to a report in LancasterOnline, Planned Parenthood now intends to open a $1.2 million dollar facility in the county which will offer dangerous chemical abortions starting in 2023.
The center is scheduled to open for non-abortion services this month if its permit is approved. The facility also needs a transfer agreement with a nearby hospital in case of emergency complications when and if abortions begin.
Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons took to Twitter to note that most of the county’s citizens will oppose the abortion center because of their pro-life convictions.
“Any hospital cooperating with them in this mission would be not only acting against the wishes of this majority of citizens, but also acting in opposition to the fundamentals of the Hippocratic oath—do no harm,” Parsons tweeted. “I would anticipate any hospital doing so will see many people and organizations, including Lancaster County government, reevaluate relationships they have with such an organization.”
Decades ago, in 1998, local citizens mounted a successful campaign to prevent abortions from being performed in the county. A judge decided in the year 2000 that zoning ordinances banned Planned Parenthood from performing surgical abortions there.
According to figures from the PA Department of Health, some 32,123 abortions took place statewide in the year 2020—the latest year for which figures are available.
Any expansion of abortion is a tragedy. But it is especially troubling when a county that has been abortion-free becomes an abortion mecca.
Lancaster County is known for its scenic farmland, its picturesque covered bridges, and its thriving Amish community. The opening of an abortion facility there would significantly undermine the quality of life, and would cast a pall on the county’s family-friendly atmosphere.