Go to different health care providers. I'ts a free country.
Freedom doesn't mean "your way or the highway." On Dec 24, 7:53 am, "mike [a nasty combo ] 532" <[email protected]> wrote: > Keep your freaking conscience out of my health > carehttp://www.lastchancedemocracycafe.com/?p=1663 That’s > quite a goodbye kiss George W. Bush just blew America (not to mention > a big wet one to the Religious Right). This from the Washington > Post:: > > The Bush administration yesterday granted sweeping new protections to > health workers who refuse to provide care that violates their > personal > beliefs, setting off an intense battle over opponents’ plans to try > to > repeal the measure. > > Critics began consulting with the incoming Obama administration on > strategies to reverse the regulation as quickly as possible while > supporters started mobilizing to fight such efforts. > > The far-reaching regulation cuts off federal funding for any state or > local government, hospital, health plan, clinic or other entity that > does not accommodate doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other employees > who refuse to participate in care they find ethically, morally or > religiously objectionable. It was sought by conservative groups, > abortion opponents and others to safeguard workers from being fired, > disciplined or penalized in other ways. > > It would be hard to overstate the damage this absurd regulation could > cause. Let’s say, for example, you want to fill a prescription for > birth control pills? Maybe you even view this as your right, given > Griswold v. Connecticut and all that. > > Silly girl. It isn’t up to you (or your doctor) at all: it’s entirely > up to the personal beliefs of the pharmacist on duty. If he (or she) > disapproves of contraception in general, or simply disapproves of you > getting contraception — because, say, you’re unmarried (you hussy) — > he has an absolute right to refuse to fill the prescription. > > And you’ll be left with no recourse, except perhaps to fume, unless > you’re prepared to drive from pharmacy to pharmacy (assuming you have > that option) until you find a less “morally committed” pharmacist. > > It’s a question of priorities, I suppose. According to Bush and his > new regulation, the pharmacist’s ethical objection to, well, you > know, > doing his job is more important than your constitutional right to > privacy, not to mention your dignity as a person. > > Even more troubling, of course, is the impact this rule could have on > the rights of rape victims, some of whom will inevitably face > interference in efforts to obtain emergency contraception. Given the > time-sensitive nature of such treatment, an arbitrary “act of > conscience” by a key hospital employee could doom the victim to an > unwanted pregnancy by her rapist. > > But then that’s the idea, isn’t it? > > And we haven’t even touched on the most absurd aspect of this > particular act of Bush & Co. stupidity. Under the literal language of > the regulation, birth control clinics would be prohibited (at the > risk > of losing federal funding) from “discriminating” against job seekers > who have moral objections to birth control. In other words, clinics > could be forced to hire and retain employees who refuse, for alleged > ethical reasons, to carry out the basic functions of their jobs. > > It isn’t hard to see where this is going. If the regulation stands, > antiabortion groups will soon begin sending “undercover” job seekers > to abortion clinics associated with health care providers that > receive > federal funds, with the specific intention of sabotaging the clinics’ > operations. “It is going to cause chaos among providers across the > country,” predicted Cecile Richards of Planned Parenthood, quoted in > the Post article. > > But then that’s the idea, isn’t it? > > Hopefully, Congress and/or the Obama Administration will find a way > to > quickly repeal this monstrosity. In the meanwhile, join me in praying > for the rapid and safe arrival of the 20th of January --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
