Cecile Richards: “Highly-Edited” Videos “Created Hysteria” Leading to Planned Parenthood Shooting

To hear Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards tell it, the videos exposing the abortion business selling the body parts of aborted babies are to blame for a deranged man shooting people outside a Colorado Springs abortion center.

In an interview with MSNBC, Richards claims the videos are really to blame for creating the atmosphere that led a long shooter unaffiliated with the pro-life movement to kill three people and injure 9 more in a tragic and senseless act of violence.

Here’s the transcript and video:

MITCHELL: “Can you respond to the continuing rhetoric about selling baby parts?”

RICHARDS:  “Absolutely, Andrea. We have been very clear, there are only a handful of centers in the country that allow women to donate fetal tissue. There is no profit involved. There is nothing like that. In fact, at this point, not a single clinic in this country is receiving even reimbursement for costs. This is an issue that I think has created a lot of hysteria by these incredibly highly edited videos and unfortunately, created the kind of climate that we are now seeing that leads to the harassment of doctors and the violence at clinics which really just has to stop.”

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MITCHELL: “In the past, there was reimbursement for fetal tissue but that was also changed after those hearings and from now on or from then on. There is no reimbursement to the costs created by sending the fetal tissue to the research centers, is that correct?”

RICHARDS: “That’s correct, Andrea. It’s only been in a handful of centers and only in two states. Again, I think this is an issue that was created by the folks who are opponents of safe and legal abortion and opponents of Planned Parenthood. Again, I think it’s more important that we focus on how to get women health care in this country, that they can access safely and affordably and that’s what we are doing today at Planned Parenthood all across the country, health centers are open for women.”

On Monday, alleged Colorado Planned Parenthood shooter Robert Lewis Dear appeared frazzled in his first court hearing following his arrest. Dear, 57-years-old and residing in Colorado and North Carolina, was arrested at the scene in connection with the violent shooting that claimed the lives of three people, including one police officer and injured 9 others, including multiple officers.

Dear reportedly mentioned “baby body parts” when arrested at the scene of the crime, but he  has no connections with the pro-life movement and those who know him best say he was never interested in the issue of abortion.

As LifeNews has reported, the picture neighbors are painting of Robert Lewis Dear, who allegedly shot over a dozen people outside a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic on Friday, is one of a “rambling and incoherent” loner who never talked about abortion.

Dear appears to have no association with the pro-life movement and those who know him say he is an awkward man who never discussed religion or abortion. The profile they paint is far from a caricature of a pro-life activist who has an issue with the Planned Parenthood abortion business and more of a loner or renegade who may have mental health issue and, at a minimum, is a bit “off.”

Since the shooting, a massive debate has ensued over any bearing it may have on the abortion debate.

Less than 24 hours after the shooting, the CEO of the abortion company, Cecile Richards, issued a fundraising email essentially blaming pro-life people for the shooting, saying the “feed domestic terrorism.”

Planned Parenthood officials have confirmed none of the people killed in the shooting or 9 victims who were injured were Planned Parenthood abortion clinic staff or patients and authorities have released no motive for the shooter as to whether or not he actually targeted Planned Parenthood. And, according to the Associated Press, all of the shooting took place outside of the Planned Parenthood abortion clinic, not in it.

As LifeNews reported, the police officer killed during Friday’s shooting at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood is pro-life and a co-pastor at his local church. Garrett Swasey, 44, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs police officer who was shot and killed while responding to the shooting and was described by his fellow church members and friends as a courageous man and loving father who drew strength and inspiration from his Christian faith.

Family members and friends identified the other two victims as 29-year-old Ke’Arre Stewart and Jennifer Markovsky, 35. Both accompanied friends to the Planned Parenthood on Friday.

Multiple pro-life groups quickly condemned the shooting while pro-abortion presidential candidate Hillary Clinton sent a tweet exploiting the active shooting before the shooter was apprehended or a motive known to push for support for the abortion business and then went on to say pro-life people should “defend Planned Parenthood, not attack it.”

Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains issued a statement responding to the shooting, saying it doesn’t know if Planned Parenthood was the target of the attack.

“We don’t yet know the full circumstances and motives behind this criminal action, and we don’t yet know if Planned Parenthood was in fact the target of this attack,” Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains President Vicki Cowart said in a statement.

Cowart was accused of pushing abortion at the memorial for the shooting victims and one woman walked out after she politicized the event.

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