The school struggle in Nova Scotia: when is a health centre not a health centre?

In our April edition we published Alexander (Sandy) MacDonald's article "Planned Parenthood's attack on Nova Scotia children." This article throws further light on PP's tactics.--Editor

In February 2006, Phonse Gillis, superintendent of the Strait Regional School Board, claimed that the health clinics, soon to be open for business in schools across our region, will have nothing to do with abortion. When I spoke with four members of the Strait Regional School Board prior to their vote on the issue, all stated that it was their understanding that the clinics would be solely concerned with legitimate health issues like depression, eating disorders, and chronic illnesses. This is what board members were told and it appears only a few asked anything further.

It is now less than a week after the vote, and already clinics are sprouting up. If you want to learn what Youth Health Centres are, a report is available on the Nova Scotia government website (not directly provided to board members, of course--best to keep them in the dark with the parents who elected them). On page 38 the report indicates that such clinics perform pregnancy counselling an average of 113 times per month.

Are we to believe that the sex-ed activists who staff these clinics are not talking about abortion? In case there is any doubt, the government report lists abortion services under "other programs" offered by the clinics--in the fine print, of course. The clinics also deliver contraception services on average 7,350 times. Obviously all this contraception is not working so well. Moreover, the clinics also have programs for promoting transgendered issues. One program (page 40) is entitled "Let's talk about S.E.X."

Does this sound familiar? Last year, the Department of Health Promotions issued its Planned Parenthood-authored sex manual entitled SEX? The Strait School Board examined the manual and rightly rejected it as being too pornographic and containing too much misleading information, such as exaggerated statistics on the effectiveness of preventing STDs. Today, the board appears not only to approve of it but wants to open clinics in every school, where the material can be more actively promoted by full-time public health nurses--without parents getting in the way, of course.

Because that is what it is all about If a twelve-, fourteen-, or sixteen-year-old girl needs to go to the doctor, who takes her? Her parents. And if the parents are wise, one of them will be present during the appointment. Most parents I know are concerned about what medications their children are on, what the side effects are and how to ensure complications do not occur. Parents might also be concerned if their child comes down with a venereal disease. With a school-based clinic, however, no parent need ever know what is going on in their child's life.

Were parents consulted before the school board made this decision? The public at large? Was anyone, besides these sex-ed activists, consulted? Why the complete reversal? Were there any discussions about policies, and standards, costs, liability, or parents' rights ? Teachers' rights?

And do not forget the money These clinics cost an average of between $60,000 and $80,000 annually, not including the costs borne by the health care system. (Doctors, for example, bill the provincial Medical Services Insurance.) Each clinic, on average, uses more than $50,000 annually worth of school space, administrative support, payroll support, office supplies and computers (see page 186 of the report). When I was in high school, there was not enough money to photocopy exams. What kind of priorities does the school board have?

Money is a big part of this. Not only do these clinics make handsome paid work for these otherwise unemployable sex activists, but they make money for Planned Parenthood and its clones. Planned Parenthood made more than US $800 million last year on abortions and pharmaceutical products, while bilking senile governments and taxpayers out of millions. Pharmaceutical companies are in on it too. Each clinic, according to the report, received almost $10,000 in free drugs from pharmacies (page 186). Once your teenager is hooked on the PP lifestyle, these money-making machines know they have got them.

So, you see Mr. Gillis, these "health" clinics have everything to do with abortion, sex manuals and money

Part III will appear in the June edition.

S.O.S. "Save our Students" from life-lasting guilt and shame; contact your school principals and the school boards now; tell them that you want Planned Parenthood out of the classroom or you will be taking your children out of the school.--Michael Arsenault, Pictou, N.S.

Alexander MacDonald is a lawyer and novelist working in Nova Scotia. His novel The White Iris will be released in June. He also writes a regular column in The Atlantic Catholic.