Abby Johnson and Kamala Harris: Who’s Really Advocating for Women?

Two women, both speaking on behalf of their country, both claiming to advocate for women’s rights, but both having drastically different ideas as to what women’s rights should entail: such is the scene of the recent Democratic and Republican National Conventions, during which Kamala Harris and Abby Johnson spoke.

Kamala Harris, Joe Biden’s running mate, firmly believes that women’s rights entail the right to abortion. Abby Johnson, former director of Planned Parenthood and now founder of a pro-life organization, stands upon the conviction that women’s rights begin in the womb. 

In their speeches, as well as in life in general, these women look upon some fundamental issues occurring in our country with very different perspectives. 

 

Planned Parenthood

Kamala has extremely close ties with Planned Parenthood, having advocated on the organization’s behalf for many years in exchange for campaign funding and endorsements. In fact, while Kamala was Attorney General of California, over $81,000 flowed into her campaign funds from five different Planned Parenthoods across California. When footage and documented reports were released, exposing these very same Planned Parenthood affiliates for unlawfully buying and selling fetal body parts, Kamala Harris came to their aid. She used unprecedented legal measures to clear Planned Parenthood’s name, and instead, convict the man who exposed Planned Parenthood’s dirty dealing. It is no wonder that Kamala has earned herself a 100% approval rating from them. 

Abby, likewise, was also once an advocate of Planned Parenthood, having worked there for a time before being promoted to the position of director. In her recent speech at the Republican National Convention, Johnson says that when she was promoted to the director of Planned Parenthood, she really believed she was helping women. However, his all changed through a series of incidents during the next few months. Abby explained that during a Planned Parenthood chapter meeting, they revealed to Abby and all present their real motive. Johnson said, “I was expected to sell double the abortions preformed the previous year.” When Johnson questioned the speaker, saying that she didn’t want abortion to be her main focus, the speaker said, “Abortion is how we make our money.” Abby became sickened by what she saw going on, and as a result, left the abortion industry and renounced her previous pro-choice beliefs. She then became passionate about exposing the lies of Planned Parenthood, which ultimately led her to found her organization And Then There Were None, a non-profit focused on helping people escape the abortion industry. 

 

Supporting Black Women

Kamala often takes great care to emphasize her own black heritage and tout her support of people of color, particularly women of color.  In her speech at the Democratic National Convention, Kamala Harris spoke of her mother, and her words were filled with admiration and devotion. Kamala says that her mother, “Came from India at age 19… she raised us mostly on her own.” Kamala goes on to explain that her mother “made it look easy though it never was… [in] the course of our lives she raised us to be proud, strong, black women.” She obviously believes that black women and minorities deserve better health care. However, Kamala’s idea of better healthcare comes in the form of more Planned Parenthoods in black neighborhoods and greater access to abortion

In her speech at the RNC, Abby Johnson told the story of how she was awarded the Margaret Sanger Award by Planned Parenthood while she was still director at Planned Parenthood. Every year this same award, named after the founder of Planned Parenthood, is given to an outstanding employee. It is perhaps little known, however, that Margaret Sanger was an extreme racist who encouraged the practice of eugenics. Sanger can be quoted as saying, “inferior races like Orientals, Jews, and Blacks” are “Human weeds.” Abby pointedly draws the connection between these racist beginnings and the fact that the majority of Planned Parenthoods are strategically located in minority communities. For Abby Johnson, supporting black women means protecting the lives of mothers and the children they bear in their womb. 

 

Equality, Liberty, and Justice for All

Kamala spoke before the nation in her DNC speech, saying she believes in “the promise of equality, liberty and justice for all.” Kamala is also not afraid to stand up on the political stage and proclaim that she believes in widening abortion access such that there are no limits on abortion. So when Harris says she wants equality, liberty and justice for all, one must really interpret this to mean equality, liberty and justice only for those who have been born. If she wins, Kamala plans to introduce the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would override any state’s restriction on abortion during the last three months. One of the top goals in her campaign, in fact, is to codify Roe v Wade and make abortion legal through all nine months of pregnancy, for any reason. When she was announced to be running as Vice President with Joe Biden, Planned Parenthood tweeted, “YES! This is HUGE! With Sen. @KamalaHarris, we know which ticket won’t stop fighting for our repro health and rights. It’s time for real leadership.” Kamala’s voting records show the same thing: she is the fourth most left-leaning voter in the Senate.

Abby stood on the stage during the Republican National Convention to make it clear that until the unborn are properly recognized and protected under the law, there will not be equality, liberty, and justice for all. She is adamant that right now, the unborn are being stripped of their liberty and freedom, of their God-given right to life.  

 

Abby Johnson wants the liberation and freedom of all women- particularly those in the womb- and believes Trump is the man to do the job. Kamala Harris believes that women should have the right to abort their child up to the end of their pregnancy, and she will do her best to put that into practice if she is elected as vice president. There is a clear split in this presidential election, and two important women from different parties are on opposite sides of the spectrums.

Both of these women claim to be pro-woman, and yet their ideologies are completely different. With diametrically opposing opinions, they cannot both be right. They can’t possibly both be advocating for the true freedom, liberation, and equality of all people, particularly women. Truth must stand on one of their sides. I would argue that it’s on the side of Abby Johnson.