During a 2010 New Jersey Budget committee hearing on funding Planned Parenthood a former patient called the abortion giant the cruelest organization she’s ever dealt with. The bill was sponsored by Senator Loretta Weinberg and Senator Paul Sarlo.
“Good afternoon, my name is Darlene Dunn, and I’m here to testify because I personally had an abortion at Planned Parenthood,” the woman tells the committee.
“They [Planned Parenthood] were the cruelest organization I’ve have ever dealt with in my entire life,” Dunn says.
As Darlene Dunn attempts to continue supporters of Planned Parenthood on the committee shut her down.
Listen for yourself:
As committee members interrupt Dunn, she tells the committee, “I went for family planning, you don’t understand. When you walk into a place for family planning, and you’re told, I am here for family planning and you are scared to death in a crisis pregnancy, and I am told you have one option. That is not family planning. That is coerced abortion and that’s what was done to me and I have a right to be heard!”
A letter describing how this citizen was treated by the State Senate Hearing has been published along with the November 15th 2010 committee audio on YouTube:
I’m writing this letter to inform the public about the appalling manner in which I was treated on Monday November 15th at the Senate Budget Hearing. I went to Trenton to present my personal testimony and provide reasons why I opposed bill S2393 sponsored by Senator Loretta Weinberg and Senator Paul Sarlo which would provide family planning centers and Planned Parenthood government funding. As I began to offer my testimony, the Bill Sponsor and Chair of the Senate Budget Committee, Senator Sarlo, immediately interrupted me and told me that I could not talk about any personal experiences with Planned Parenthood that I could only speak on the bill.
I proceeded to speak on the bill just as Senator Weinberg and Planned Parenthood did. They spoke about Planned Parenthood’s services, admitting they provided abortions. I saw no reason why I was not permitted to also speak about abortion, and explain why I felt that this same organization that promotes ending a baby’s life and personally pressured me into an abortion was not relevant to the discussion. After Senator Sarlo tried to shut me down a second time, I spoke from the standpoint of what services Planned Parenthood provided. I was immediately told I could not speak at all and ordered to turn my microphone off.
While I was trying to speak, Senator Weinberg turned around, faced the audience and put her finger up to her head acting as though it was a gun and clicked her finger. I later learned, ironically, that Senator Weinberg and Senator Sarlo are also prime sponsors of the Anti Bullying Bill of Rights legislation. I felt this was a very insensitive and offensive gesture and shocked that legislators who claim to care so much about women’s rights would treat a woman this way. These legislatures should be ashamed of themselves.
I am a registered NJ voter and concerned citizen who pays my taxes. I was treated disrespectfully, publicly humiliated, bullied and ordered to turn off my microphone all because my opinion differed from Planned Parenthood and the sponsors.
I wish to thank Senators Joseph Pennacchio and Michael Doherty for acknowledging that I had a right to testify and confirming that my perspective and experience was relevant to the discussion. I hope that no other person has to go through what I experienced that day in Trenton.
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