Hateful rhetoric

Planned Parenthood president denounces 'hateful rhetoric'

By Nick Gass

Following last Friday's shooting at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, the organization's president on Monday denounced those who put heated political rhetoric ahead of women's health care.

"This kind of violence just can’t keep happening," Cecile Richards said in an interview with NPR's Steve Inskeep that aired on "Morning Edition," adding that the group and many Americans are concerned about the "increased sort of hateful rhetoric and intimidation of both doctors and women who are both providing health care and getting health care in America. It’s really un-American. It’s been hard to see the kind of dehumanization of both health-care providers and of course, women who are simply looking for health care."

Reports over the weekend suggested that Robert Lewis Dear told investigators about "baby parts" after the shooting, a potential reference to undercover videos circulated by an anti-abortion group showing Planned Parenthood officials discussing the donation of tissue from aborted fetuses. For their part, Richards said, Planned Parenthood has been careful not to explicitly link political rhetoric and last Friday's shooting, though "it’s important to recognize that words matter" and they have a "real impact."

“I think we’ve been extremely careful. We are working hand in hand with law enforcement, Steve, as we do across the country to ensure the safety of our patients and the safety of our employees. I think where you’ve seen the most heated rhetoric has been frankly in this presidential primary," Richards said. "Folks are willing to say anything, it seems, to get ahead in their political ambitions. And the real danger in this country is when people put politics ahead of women’s health care. It’s horrifying to see and I can’t believe we’re seeing it, even this week, as really we should be to me, thinking about the families of the people who were killed and injured and how we can stop this kind of violence in America.”

"It’s alarming to see this kind of rhetoric and these kinds of smear campaigns against abortion providers and patients continue," she said, adding that the organization continues to have "very strong security measures in place" at their facilities nationwide.

Republican presidential contenders weighed in over the weekend, with Carly Fiorina calling attempts to link the shooting to anti-abortion rhetoric "typical left-wing tactics." Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, also a candidate for the GOP nomination, cited a report that said the shooter "was registered as an independent and a woman and transgendered leftist activist, if that’s what he is." The first part of Cruz's remark was specifically based on reports of a voter registration form in which Dear was listed as female.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee called it an act of terrorism, while Cruz declined to describe it as such.

“I would call it a murder, and we’ll see what the facts are," Cruz said, according to the Texas Tribune. "It was a multiple murder of what appears to be a deranged individual. And it was horrific, it was evil, and we’ll find out more out about the facts, but I don’t think we should jump to conclusions.”