On Monday, October 19th, 2015, the Burnt Orange Report published a commentary written by Andrea Greer titled "BREAKING: Gov. Abbot Pulls Medicaid Funds from Texas Planned Parenthoods". Greer's commentary argues that it was Governor Abbot made the wrong decision by deciding to defund Planned Parenthood in Texas as it would lead to many consequences for the public.
Greer's credibility comes from her substantial involvement in activism, fund raising, and marketing. She has had a long career in fundraising, exclusively working for individuals and agencies that she strongly believes in, and with much success in doing so. She has worked as a Development Director for Teach for America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening equality in schools, and as Vice President of Development and Marketing for the Houston Area Women's Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing assistance for individuals affected by domestic and sexual violence. It is evident that throughout her career she has had major roles in organizing funding for organizations meant to assist the public. Her credibility is most notable in her involvement with Planned Parenthood, in which she has worked for and supported from being a volunteer to a board member. This greatly influences her credibility because it shows that through her involvement with Planned Parenthood and its affiliates, she is able to understand the organization well and provide accurate information based on her experiences. However, this also shows a possibility that her opinion towards Planned Parenthood is biased because of her substantial support and involvement with the organization.
Greer's argument is directed towards the general public, more specifically Democrats and women, in order to mobilize people to be concerned about the issue regarding Governor Abbot's decision to defund Planned Parenthood. She presents the issue and Abbot's reasoning to make the decision, then provides information about Planned Parenthood and the issue revolving around it that ultimately refutes all of his pretenses. Greer argues that while Abbot's decision was based on false premises, it will also cause major consequences for women seeking affordable health care.
Greer poses her argument as a response to Governor Abbot's decision to defund Planned Parenthood based on specific premises in which she claims to be false. She provides various reasons and information as to why she believes so. She first provides a screenshot of a tweet published by Governor Abbot, publicly announcing his decision end Medicaid participation in funding Planned Parenthood, followed by a series of tweets published by Greer directed to him, criticizing his decision and premises in which he made the decision. She then references a federal judge issuing an injunction that stopped Governor Bobby Jindal from cutting Medicaid funds for Planned Parenthood in Louisiana, which happened on the same day. The ruling was based on the fact that 5,200 clients would be left without care if Planned Parenthood could not care for them. She does this in order to show that the federal government does not and will not support a decision like this, playing a role in proving her claim that the decision was wrongfully made. Greer then refers to an investigation conducted by the Texas Health and Human Services over allegations of irregularities in fetal tissue handling, and its recommendation to pull funding based on the premises that Planned Parenthood can no longer effectively provide care in an ethical and legal manner, that there are plenty of alternate care providers in Texas that are covered by Medicaid, and that providers should inform clients of those alternatives. Greer attempts to refute these statements by providing the that Planned Parenthood in Texas has not participated in any fetal tissue donations since 2010, and by pointing out that the basis for the investigation was from deceptive videos released by an anti-abortion activist, Center for Medical Progress that falsely portray Planned Parenthood selling fetal tissue. She then claims that many anti-choice officials have admitted there were no violations. She does this in order to further prove her claim. She then goes on to assess facts about Planned Parenthood that also further prove her claim and refute Abbot's decision. She clarifies that Planned Parenthood clinics that receive Medicaid funds do not provide abortions, but do provide a variety preventative care and treatment for impoverished people. It is also helpful to acknowledge that Planned Parenthood clinics that do provide abortions do not do it under Medicaid. Greer then references the federal government's refusal to support the defunding of Planned Parenthood by any state, and even sites an article that proves so. This piece of information is effective in not only proving her claim, but in persuading her audience. In the final paragraph of the commentary, Greer's language is incredibly effective in persuading her audience as it poses a sense of urgency. She lists the consequences that Abbot's decision will have on people in Texas needing the care most. She highlights the statement that "Texans will suffer" under this decision.
Overall, Greer's commentary is effective in persuading her audience but not very effective in providing substantial evidence for her claim. Although she provides much information, it takes a bit more research on Planned Parenthood to truly understand her claim. However, that is not the case for coming to agree with it.
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