Statement on the Closure of Planned Parenthood Centers

DSA regrets the closings of the Springdale and Western Hills locations of Planned Parenthood medical centers. There are now 3 medical centers and 1 surgical center left in the Southwest Ohio Region. While it is true that Trump and Republicans are to blame for loss of state funding to health centers, the closing of these centers might have been avoided if the workers had any say in higher level decisions that are instead made by a board of people (many of which are donors) and if human needs truly trumped monetary concerns. It’s also necessary to acknowledge that supporting the Democratic Party clearly isn't going to fix this. That strategy has been proven ineffective over the past several decades. Even where abortion is still legal, it's often inaccessible due to cost. We need a mass working-class movement to fight for and win free abortions on demand without apology. PPSWO has planned a rally for Thursday Sept. 12 at 7pm, which DSA will not be attending as an organization as it is being planned by the very administration that determined the closures.

This situation only highlights the need for universal healthcare, including reproductive care, and we encourage everyone to join our Medicare For All canvassing on the 21st (check our page for the details). Furthermore, it shows the need for socialism and workers’ control of their own livelihoods and demonstrates that in order to achieve that, the workers must organize ourselves as an independent force and not as ancillaries to corporate ‘non-profits.’ Solidarity Forever!