by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS Staff Writer (June 27, 2008) African-American pastors gathered in Washington yesterday to demand that candidates from both parties reject campaign contributions from Planned Parenthood because of its racist agenda. Led by the niece of Martin Luther King, Jr., Alveda King, and carrying signs that read “Abortion is Not a Family Value” the pastors marched to the Washington offices of both the Republican and Democratic National Committees where they held two separate news conferences. During the press conference, King referred to the two abortions she had, both performed at Planned Parenthood clinics, and called the organization a “lying, racist organization.” A news release from the group of pastors noted that the majority of Planned Parenthood abortion clinics are located in minority neighborhoods. They also called attention to a recent investigation by pro-life students at the University of California at Los Angeles newspaper, The Advocate, who taped a conversation between an actor posing as a racist donor and offering money to be directed toward aborting “black babies,”and an Idaho Planned Parenthood employee who said she was “excited” at the possibility of taking money specifically earmarked to kill black children. Planned Parenthood’s racist agenda dates back to its founder, Margaret Sanger, an advocate of eugenics, whose personal letters revealed a plan to curtail the birth of black children by promoting contraception, abortion and other “family planning” measures to the black population. The Washington gathering brought these issues into the national limelight. “We are here to urge Democratic candidates that donations from Planned Parenthood are racist to the very core,” said Day Gardner, president of the National Black Pro Life Union. “I'm sick of hearing this is a Republican issue. For children killed or maimed by abortion, it's a life-and-death issue.” Speakers called on presumptive presidential candidates Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama to stop abortion. They also criticized the Congressional Black Caucus, whose members are all Democrats, for “denying black babies their rights.”   The group chided the GOP as well. “Their platform says ‘pro-life’ but I don't see the follow-through,” said Bishop Harry Jackson, a registered Democrat and pastor of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland. “It's time for the Republican Party to decide it won't take money from the organization but also enforce the laws on the books.” Planned Parenthood announced in January that it would contribute $10 million to pro-choice candidates through its Planned Parenthood Action Fund. While standing in front of both party headquarters, demonstrators tore up symbolic checks for $10 million made out to “pro-choice candidates.” Neither Planned Parenthood nor officials at the Republican and Democratic National Committees had any immediate comment.   © All Rights Reserved, Living His Life Abundantly/Women of Grace. http://www.womenofgrace.com