Thursday, April 6, 2017

Cecile Richards Podcast Interview

Here is a link to listen online to the interview Ezra Klein of Vox did with Cecile Richards, the President of Planned Parenthood that I mentioned in class.

(It's also available in the Podcasts App if you search for the Ezra Klein Show and then scroll back a bit). 

The episode is a few weeks old now I believe, but still very relevant. Personally, I most enjoyed the time Richards took to explain how her career evolved. Her mother was Governor of Texas and Richards became involved with labor organizing at the start of her career. The most informative part of the interview was her explanation of how PP is funded. Most of the public has no idea that it operates just like every other hospital and healthcare facility, which is such a shame. The deliberate campaign on the right to politicize PP (which is just a healthcare provider like anyone else!!) is truly disgusting and negatively impacts the lives of people just trying to access affordable healthcare. If more people took the time to learn *how* things like this worked, organizations like Planned Parenthood wouldn't be seen by so many misinformed people as a villain. 

Obviously, the interview focuses on PP, but the principle applies to so much else. If voters had a more nuanced understanding of not just women's healthcare, but also other topics that politicians and the media try to convince people are bad or dangerous (Islam, US foreign aid, trade deficits, etc. etc.) we would all be so much better off. All political issues are complex and we need to be more wary of over-simplified talking points, especially from right wing media hacks. The Cecile Richards interview is so great but it makes me sad since so many people would never listen to her speak. Why are so many Americans so susceptible to bullshit and so adverse to seeking out unbiased truth? 

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