I?d just sat down for my breakfast repast when a bit of news made me choke on my Fuji apple: thepillkills.com Taking a rejuvenating sip of my coffee (yes, apples and coffee?I do live in Seattle, after all), I figured that I?d stumbled upon another site touting the evils of Plan B (a/k/a the morning after pill). While the opposition to Plan B is more than irksome, it?s sadly something that doesn?t surprise me; what did surprise me was that the site it not about Plan B, but hormonal birth control. Yes, you read that correctly: hormonal birth control.Normally, I?d be slightly annoyed by such a site, and then write it off as another example of anti-choice extremism. I may even have a few chuckles as I read through the Q & A section:

Q: Isn't it better to be on the pill when you are sexually active?A: Better for whom? The pill does not prevent you from getting a sexually transmitted disease, it is not 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy and you could conceive a child who gets chemically aborted before the baby's presence is even known to you. Moreover, sexual activity outside of marriage is seriously wrong.

Yes, I?ll admit that the above made me chuckle a bit more than the rest. Regardless, let?s get back on track: it seems as if this site?s message is going live this Saturday, June 7th, in the form of Protest the Pill Day:

Everyone should know the deadly consequences of the pill and similar contraceptive products- they cause chemical abortions. Therefore, American Life League, along with Pro-Life Wisconsin and Pharmacists for Life International Associate groups, calls all pro-lifers across the country to speak out on Protest the Pill Day '08: The Pill Kills Babies, scheduled for the Griswold anniversary of Saturday, June 7. We encourage you to gather with your friends for peaceful protests in front of facilities that distribute birth control products.

Now they?ve gone and done it: no longer slightly annoyed, I am now fully irked. Its one thing to publish this on the internet, but a whole other thing when these folks will be staking out territory at Planned Parenthoods across the country. While I?m sure that I?m preaching to the choir here, I?ll remind you all that PP offers a host of affordable health care options and resources for women of all walks of life; it is a place that women feel comfortable going to, knowing that their needs will be met with respect, quality, compassion, and accessibility. Facing a faction of protestors (who are attempting to shame and mis-educate these women) casts a negative pallor upon PP?s many positive attributes.If you?re interested in countering these protests, I highly suggest getting in touch with your local Planned Parenthood to see if they?ll be in need of additional escorts. New Yorkers in particular may want to attend the Union Square counter protest, time TBA. For more information, contact PPNYC Action Council at ppnycupfront@gmail.comTake care of yourselves, and let?s nip this in the bud before it reaches full bloom.