Planned Parenthood Official: Hateful Rhetoric Makes People Think ‘It’s Okay to Target’ Us

Planned Parenthood Rocky Mountains President & CEO Vicki Cowart said this morning that the “hateful language” from anti-abortion advocates makes people think “it’s okay to target Planned Parenthood.”

In her statement yesterday, Cowart said, “We’ve seen an alarming increase in hateful rhetoric and smear campaigns against abortion providers and patients over the last few months. That environment breeds acts of violence. Americans reject the hatred and vitriol that fueled this tragedy.”

On ABC’s This Week earlier today, Martha Raddatz asked Cowart about making that link. Cowart said there’s been such “hateful language” and a “negative environment” around the work that Planned Parenthood does, “I can’t believe that this isn’t contributing to some folks––mentally unwell or not––thinking that it’s okay to target Planned Parenthood.”

She said that the airwaves are “full of anti-abortion language,” much of it false.

Watch above, via ABC.

[image via screengrab]

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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

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