A moral quandry

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Dr.Colossus

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I work as the webmaster of my local YWCA. Since women’s groups have historically been prone to promoting things like birth control and abortion, I’ve been very careful to be on the lookout for my local organization supporting such things. Thankfully, the two CEOs I have worked under have both been Catholic, and I have not had to worry about them pursuing alliances or programs that promote the culture of death.

One of the programs we run is the SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) program, which trains nurses to work at hospitals with rape victims, gathering evidence and such for prosecution. It’s a great service. Unfortunately, in providing these services, the SANE program works directly with a number of agencies, one of which is Planned Parenthood. I don’t know to what extent they collaborate, and I have been attempting to find out. It may simply be statistics-gathering or something equally benign.

My problem arises, however, from what I have been asked to do. As I said, I am the webmaster here, and I have been assigned the task of creating a website for the SANE program. In this website we have a links section, and one of the links I am to put up is for Planned Parenthood. Part of me says that I shouldn’t worry about it, because it’s just a link to information and not even remote material cooperation. The other part of me says that linking the site suggests support from the YWCA, in which case I would be complicit in giving that support.

I’m not sure what to do. The thought of directing even one person to that site threatens to make me physically ill. I could really use some advice.
 
Dr. Colossus:
Part of me says that I shouldn’t worry about it, because it’s just a link to information and not even remote material cooperation. The other part of me says that linking the site suggests support from the YWCA, in which case I would be complicit in giving that support.
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It sounds like you have good management. Do you feel comfortable talking to them about your concerns? After all, your organization does have “Christian” in its name, you’d think they would want to be sensitive to such appearances. Who gave you the requirements that involved PP web site; are they amenable to leaving it out? If nothing else maybe a disclaimer on all your links that these are external organizations connected to the project and that YWCA has no responsibility for them, etc.

Perhaps PP’s role in this project is actually a positive one and actually does more good than harm, in which I’d say linking to their site is akin to letting the wheat and weeds grow together; at harvest they will be separated.

My son, much more adept at web design than I, just suggested you put the link in, but make it the same color as the background. That way you are meeting the letter of the requirements. Gosh, kids these days… :rolleyes:

Alan
 
The link request came from the coordinator of the program, who is a New-Ager and fairly hostile to people telling her what she should do. The management (our CEO at least) is good-hearted, but not very stout-hearted. She’s the type of person who likes to avoid confrontation, so I know she’d just ask me to go ahead and link it.

I like the suggestion of a disclaimer, though I wonder if that wouldn’t just be a technicality. The site may claim to not be responsible for the site, but actions speak louder than words, and in the end the link would still be there.

Tell your son I like his style. My initial ideas were right along his line of thinking. Things such as:
  • Make it just look like a link
  • Make it a link to something else (like BirthChoice :D)
  • Make it open the link in a new window, then close it after like 5 seconds.
Unfortunately, I don’t think many people would appreciate the irony.
 
Dr. Colossus:
The link request came from the coordinator of the program, who is a New-Ager and fairly hostile to people telling her what she should do. The management (our CEO at least) is good-hearted, but not very stout-hearted. She’s the type of person who likes to avoid confrontation, so I know she’d just ask me to go ahead and link it.

I like the suggestion of a disclaimer, though I wonder if that wouldn’t just be a technicality. The site may claim to not be responsible for the site, but actions speak louder than words, and in the end the link would still be there.

Tell your son I like his style. My initial ideas were right along his line of thinking. Things such as:
  • Make it just look like a link
  • Make it a link to something else (like BirthChoice :D)
  • Make it open the link in a new window, then close it after like 5 seconds.
Unfortunately, I don’t think many people would appreciate the irony.
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I think the idea of a disclaimer is good and maybe you can put an alterantive to PPs link on there also. Stay strong!
 
Well, still pondering the correct course of action. I put up the site, with the links list, but ahem forgot the Planned Parenthood link. If it’s noticed, I’ll have to put it up, but maybe this will give me some time to pray about it.
 
Dr. Colossus:
Well, still pondering the correct course of action. I put up the site, with the links list, but ahem forgot the Planned Parenthood link. If it’s noticed, I’ll have to put it up, but maybe this will give me some time to pray about it.
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Good for you! Let’s hope the issue is dropped.
 
I’d just botch the html tags.
And if some one fixed them, lather rinse, repeat.
 
If you are forced to put it up use your marketing skills to put up some “good” site around it so visitors will go to those links instead.

In my heart I don’t believe you should put the PP link up.
 
Dr. Colossus:
Well, still pondering the correct course of action. I put up the site, with the links list, but ahem forgot the Planned Parenthood link. If it’s noticed, I’ll have to put it up, but maybe this will give me some time to pray about it.
Click to expand...
you can show the PP link, but instead of linking to PP site, you can link to an article about PP… such as:
ewtn.com/library/PROLIFE/ZMEDIASI.HTM
 
Dr. Colossus:
…
One of the programs we run is the SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) program, which trains nurses to work at hospitals with rape victims, gathering evidence and such for prosecution. It’s a great service. Unfortunately, in providing these services, the SANE program works directly with a number of agencies, one of which is Planned Parenthood. I don’t know to what extent they collaborate, and I have been attempting to find out. It may simply be statistics-gathering or something equally benign…
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The Nurses are trained to collect evidence for law enforcement from the S-A victim as well as to offer drug “cocktails” to minimize HIV/Aids, STD’s and prevent pregnancy (like a morining after pill). The SANE program also probably trains Victim “Advocates” who are usually survivors of sexual assaults/RApe. THe advocate is a support person for the victim during the exam and afterward… I suspect Planned Parent hood provides a pitch during the training for the pregnancy prevention meds and if the meds fail the abortion option for the victim.
 
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