Staff Reports
Another day, another perplexing move from the Biden administration that has more twists and turns than a pretzel factory. This time, it’s the inexplicable decision to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Cecile Richards, the former head honcho of Planned Parenthood, in an invite-only ceremony that was strategically absent from the President’s public schedule. Apparently, this honorary moment was so exclusive that even the media was left out, making it feel more like a secret club meeting than a national commendation.
Richards led Planned Parenthood from 2006 to 2018, a period during which her organization became synonymous with abortion rights advocacy. It seems quite fitting that she would be celebrated in such a low-key and unannounced event, given how abortions and the conversation surrounding them are often shrouded in secrecy and controversy. While other honorees, like Michael Bloomberg and Al Gore, basked in the limelight during public ceremonies, Richards was quietly handed a medal, presumably out of concern for the potential backlash from a common American audience that generally prefers life over abortion.
Biden awards Medal of Freedom to former Planned Parenthood head Cecile Richards outside public eyehttps://t.co/2PWoA0jDse pic.twitter.com/MtAShpCP7c
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) November 21, 2024
Biden, in his infinite wisdom, proclaimed Richards as “a leader of the utmost character,” suggesting that anyone leading a billion-dollar abortion empire is worthy of such character accolades. He waxed poetically about her commitment to civil rights, equating the fight for abortion access to the noble struggles of the past. It’s hard to square the notion that “freedom” in any sensible American context includes the freedom to terminate a pregnancy, but here we are, living in a world where this logic is celebrated.
This award may not even be the biggest surprise; it is the glaring irony that although the Hyde Amendment is supposed to keep taxpayer dollars from funding abortions, Planned Parenthood still rakes in a staggering half-billion dollars from the government. This funding, ostensibly earmarked for contraception and screenings, occurs while many in the country remain staunchly opposed to the very core of Planned Parenthood’s mission. One has to wonder how many taxpayer dollars could be funneled into supporting life-affirming organizations instead, but that line of reasoning never seems to bother the pro-choice establishment.
The decision to honor Richards highlights the growing divide in American values—the joke’s on taxpayers when the President chooses to spotlight an organization that many Americans would prefer to see shuttered. Whether this move was a strategic play to cement his legacy among his supporters or just another miscalculation, one thing is clear: America is still waiting to see a day when the value of life is recognized as the most fundamental freedom of all.
