Margaret Sanger, The Smithsonian, And Abortion

[Geee]

The Federalist:

Since we’re all about examining the roots of our national and city monuments in an effort to purge public spaces of any and all reminders of the evil and objectionable aspects of our past and present, now is a great time to talk about the woman in the shadows of Planned Parenthood.

 

I refer of course to Margaret Sanger who founded the first birth control clinic in the United States— as well as the organization that would become Planned Parenthood. Her parents were Catholic– and her father an Irish Catholic. Her mother gave birth to eleven children and lost another seven before dying at the age of 49. After that Sanger found herself responsible for many household responsibilities, particularly the care of her younger siblings. These experiences did not give her a positive view of large families. In fact, this is what she had to say about large families, “The most merciful thing that a large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it.”

 

Sanger’s Reputation Today

 

Sanger isn’t known for statements such as that. Instead, she is known for advocating for women’s reproductive health and helping to push birth control out of illegality. Indeed, Hillary Clinton, democratic presidential hopeful and women’s rights advocate, had this to say about Sanger, “I admire Margaret Sanger enormously…Her courage, her tenacity, her vision. When I think about what [sanger] did all those years ago in Brooklyn I am really in awe of her. And there are a lot of lessons we that can learn from her life and the cause she launched and fought for and sacrificed so greatly.” Bernie Sanders, the other main Democratic wunderkind has vowed to support Planned Parenthood, “But if the question is, do I support Planned Parenthood, then yes I do.”