Cycle of Corruption visits UNI

The+Cycle+of+Corruption+display+included+information+such+as%2C+Taxpayers+gave+%24553.7+million+to+Planned+Parenthood.

KATIE BAUGHMAN

The “Cycle of Corruption” display included information such as, “Taxpayers gave $553.7 million to Planned Parenthood”.

NICK FISHER, Executive Editor

UNI Right to Life hosted a national tour yesterday titled “Cycle of Corruption.”

The tour, organized by Students for Life of America — a national pro-life organization boasting 1,000 group memberships — focused on federal dollars allocated to Planned Parenthood.

“With the election coming up, we want to make students aware of how their political party stands on [abortion],” said Reagan Barklage, Midwest regional director for Students for Life of America.

Cycle of Corruption tour also hit the University of Iowa and Iowa State University campuses earlier in the week.

Four red and blue panels standing about five feet tall displayed information about federal funding to Planned Parenthood, political party stances on abortion and information regarding views of millennials on abortion.

According to the panels, Planned Parenthood received more than $553 million in federal funding for the year of 2014 to 2015.

“Millennials — we’re the most pro-life generation than ever before,” Barklage said.

A panel bore figures, Barklage said were taken from OpenSecrets.org.

The panel also stated fifty three percent of millennials believe abortion should be illegal in all cases

Seventy one percent believe abortion should be illegal after 20 weeks, according to the panel.

The panel stated that only 17 percent think abortion should be legal “at any time, for any reason.”

“Citation needed,” said Oliverio Covarrubias, junior psychology major. “This is all very tin-foil hat … and throws a wrench in meaningful discussion on the issue.”

Covarrubias added that an attack on Planned Parenthood is more than just about abortions, it’s about women’s health. He said abortions make up only a small percentage of Planned Parenthood services.

Estere Treimane, sophomore public relations major and UNI Right to Life member, said abortion is legal for up to nine months under federal law.

“If my baby was due tomorrow, I could abort it today,” Treimane said.

Roe v. Wade upholds that women have a constitutional right to abortion up until viability, or the the point at which the fetus is capable of surviving outside the womb — the 22nd or 24th week, typically.

According to Roe v. Wade, the state may prohibit abortions unless it is in the best interest for the mother’s physical or mental health. Nineteen states in the U.S. have banned partial-birth, or late term, abortions, according to Guttmacher Institue’s website, a reproductive health organization.

Some states further restrict late-term abortions.

Treimane added that voting Republican would be more beneficial for what she called “the pro-life generation.” Barklage said that the Democratic Party, in their platform, supports abortions up to nine months.

There is no such wording in the 2016 Democratic Party Platform, according to the Democratic Convention website.

Rylee Junk, public relations director for UNI’s Feminist Action League, said the demonstration yesterday is at-odds with women’s rights.

“A woman has the right, and should always have the right, to take full possession of her body,” Junk said. “When a woman becomes pregnant, her body is not owned by the fetus inside her.”

UNI Right to Life, when asked about whether the group supports cases of rape and incest, said less than one percent of abortions fall under cases of rape and incest. Treimane said women often feel regret for having abortions even if they were raped.

“Because it’s still taking someone’s life away,” she said. She advocated for seeing the pregnancy to term and putting the child up for adoption.

Treimane said yesterday’s demonstration is the one of the most visible events for UNI Right to Life.

“We’re not trying to really change anyone’s mind here,” she said. “We’re trying to provide our side of the story — that voting Republican would be better for the pro-life generation.”