Wednesday, January 28, 2009

The Mexico City Policy

A friend forwarded the following link out in response to last post on population control. Thanks, Mary! The Mexico City Policy comes up in the end - see the quote at the bottom of this post
Excerpt from here:

National Security Study Memorandum 200: World Population Growth And U.S. Security

by Stephen D. Mumford

. . . And uncovers why this commission's final report was ignored.

“In the words of a Commission member, Congressman James Scheuer (D.-NY): "The reasons were obvious -- the fear of attacks from the far right and from the Roman Catholic Church because of our positions on family planning and abortion. With the benefit of hindsight, it is now clear that this obstruction was the first of many similar actions to come from high places."

Then he goes on to describe the commissioning of the NSSM 200 study, its major findings and the Vaticans responsibility in the failure to implement the studys recommendations.

And a quote from then President Nixon:

We must help break the link between spiraling population growth and poverty....Where they have been tried, family planning programs have largely worked. .Many pro-life advocates .. .contend that to condone abortion even implicitly is morally unconscionable. Their view is morally shortsighted. . ..if we provide funds for birth control . . .we will prevent the conception of millions of babies who would be doomed to the devastation of poverty in the underdeveloped world.

Richard M. Nixon

And then a few words on the late President Reagan:
In response to concerns of the Vatican, the Reagan Administration agreed to alter its foreign aid program to comply with the churchs teachings on birth control. According to William Wilson, the Presidents first ambassador to the Vatican, the State Department reluctantly agreed to an out-right ban on the use of any U.S. aid funds by either countries or international health organizations for the promotion of...abortions. As a result of this position, announced at the World Conference on Population in Mexico City in 1984, the U.S. withdrew funding from, among others, two of the worlds largest family planning organizations: the International Planned Parenthood Federation and the United Nations Fund for Population Activities.

http://www.population-security.org/mumf-93-01.htm


No comments: