President Joe Biden took to the stage on Wednesday to bestow the Presidential Medal of Freedom upon Cecile Richards, the former leader of Planned Parenthood. The ceremony seemed more like a political statement than a celebration of individual achievement, with Biden praising Richards for her contributions to “women’s reproductive rights.” Richards, who spearheaded the organization known for its role in performing abortions, was a fitting choice for an administration determined to keep abortion at the forefront of its priorities.
Richards joined a lineup of honorees that reads like a checklist of Democrat priorities. The 2024 medal recipients included figures like climate change crusader John Kerry, former Vice President Al Gore, and high-profile party figures such as Nancy Pelosi and Jim Clyburn. Biden, in his typically effusive style, framed Richards as a hero of courage and progress. The award came not long after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, which handed abortion regulation back to the states, making the ceremony feel more like a rebuttal to that ruling than a genuine honor.Richards didn’t waste any time using the spotlight to amplify her message. She thanked Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for championing abortion rights and called the honor a testament to the ongoing fight ahead. Planned Parenthood’s latest statistics paint a clear picture of the organization’s priorities, with over 392,000 abortions performed in 2022 alone—a 5% increase from the year before. Despite its attempts to portray itself as a comprehensive healthcare provider, abortion accounted for 97% of its pregnancy-related services, a fact critics are quick to highlight.The timing of the award was no coincidence. As the Democrat Party increasingly leans on abortion as a rallying cry, honoring Richards fits neatly into their strategy. Vice President Kamala Harris, who heavily leaned on abortion rights during her failed presidential campaign, has long been a favorite of Planned Parenthood. Richards, meanwhile, has been a regular presence at Democrat events, including the Democratic National Convention, where she reinforced the party’s reliance on abortion as a central issue. For the left, this is no longer just a policy debate but a cornerstone of their identity.Conservatives have every reason to roll their eyes at the spectacle. Planned Parenthood’s legacy isn’t one of preserving life or promoting equality but of prioritizing abortion above all else. The ceremony felt less like an acknowledgment of meaningful contributions to society and more like an effort to double down on a divisive agenda. In Biden’s America, “freedom” appears to be redefined, celebrating practices that many believe undermine the most fundamental right of all—the right to life.
