Hillary Receives Planned Parenthood's Margaret Sanger Award

In accepting the award, Obama's envoy to the world equated pro-life advocacy to anti-democratic belief that "often leads to violence and extremism."

-- From "Clinton honored for support of women's rights" Associated Press 3/28/2009

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says reproductive rights as well as women's rights and empowerment are key issues in President Barack Obama's foreign policy.

Clinton vowed her support for these issues during a speech Friday evening at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America's national conference in Houston.

She was honored by Planned Parenthood with its Margaret Sanger Award, the organization's highest honor, for her work throughout her public service career on behalf of women's health and reproductive rights.

Clinton says these rights are building blocks of democracy as societies that deny and demean women's roles are ones more likely to engage in behavior that is negative, antidemocratic and that leads to violence and extremism.

From "Hillary Says Pro-Life Is Anti-Democratic, and the Papers Only Say She 'Champions Women's Rights'?" by Tim Graham, NewsBusters.com 3/29/09

Excerpts from Hillary's acceptance speech:

The 20th century reproductive rights movement, really embodied in the life and leadership of Margaret Sanger, was one of the most transformational in the entire history of the human race. It has changed the lives of tens of millions of women. It has changed attitudes and perceptions about women and our roles in society. It ushered in demographic and social changes that have brought us closer to gender equality than at any time....

So it often is important to remember what is most basic in any of our lives. The ability to plan a family and to raise healthy children is certainly at the core of that. Ensuring that women have that freedom will be the policy of this Administration. (Applause.) And there isn't any organization in the world with a reputation for caring so much and doing so much and being so courageous or truly being a valorous organization in the tradition as a woman of valor.

A society that denies and demeans women's roles and rights is a society that is more likely to engage in behavior that is negative, anti-democratic, and which often leads to violence and extremism.

To read more Hillary excerpts and a commentary, CLICK HERE.