Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, has said she feels "excited" when she hears about how and why women chose to get abortions and said she hopes the practice will soon become "normalized".
"The exciting thing to me now is that young people are telling their stories and they are living out loud," Richards said during an interview with The Daily Iowan. "More women are telling their abortion stories, and I told mine...I think once we get out of the shadows, and I think the LGBT movement has led the way in this, it normalizes what should be an open and honest conversation."
During the interview, which occurred following a campaign appearance with Hillary Clinton, Richards praised the Democratic presidential nominee for her "long history in fighting for women's issues" and warned that the upcoming election should be of the utmost importance to abortion advocates.
"I think one of the biggest things that's on the line is actually Roe vs. Wade and the Supreme Court," Richards said, "Donald Trump and Mike Pence have said they would appoint justices that would overturn Roe. Mike Pence "has a very long career of trying to end safe and legal abortion."
She continued, "And of course they've come out to completely defund Planned Parenthood - which means that millions of folks who count on us for healthcare through public programs could no longer come to Planned Parenthood for preventive care like cancer screenings and family planning. So those issues are certainly on the ballot."
Evangelist Franklin Graham has also emphasized the importance of the upcoming election; however, he warned that God "cannot bless" a nation that embraces the murder of innocent children and urged believers to elect political leaders who will "stand up for the most vulnerable and voiceless among us."
"Abortion is murder-it is infanticide! It should not be paid for with our tax dollars," he wrote.
The leader of Samaritan's Purse added that he is not endorsing any particular candidate - he is simply "speaking out on issues that impact all of us as Americans."
"I'm encouraging Christians to look at the facts, line them up to what the Bible says and their faith, and vote on November 8," he wrote. "Research the candidates and the party platforms and see what they stand for. ... Christians can bring change for the good in this country if we will stand up and let our voice be heard."
