elle
OK, no more vacations for me, because then I miss
stuff like this! Whatever your politics, the role of government should never be to allow the refusal of information. This parting shot from the Bush administration, which has shown time and time again that they prefer an uninformed citizenry, is really a reminder to us that we cannot take a vacation on the coat tails of the Obama victory; that there is always work to be done. See you in the new era!
4 comments:
Abortion is a serious issue. It’s a woman’s decision, it’s nothing any woman goes into without any thought or consideration. It’s a very confidential, scary, and not pleasant issue to be faced with. Woman should not be judged, denied service, or even information about considering or having an abortion. I don’t see why hospital workers who learn about numerous types of surgeries and all different types of procedures aren’t prepared to be faced with the topic of abortions. Woman who are having abortions should not be uncomfortable or ashamed when the seek medical care or advice on the subject. This is what hospitals and medical staff are supposed to provide. While of course not every person is going to be on the Pro Choice side there shouldn’t be any discrimination between the two. Having a new more neutral and liberal president will definitely help the constraints Bush has tried to administer on abortion.
In reference to the abortion rule from the link you provided to TheHill.com, I believe this is another example of trying to balance justice and freedom. It is logical to assume people should have the freedom to choose what services they provide based on their moral/ethical beliefs. It is also logical to assume that people should have the right to seek a completely legal service. However, I believe privately owned healthcare providers should have the freedom to choose what types of services they provide. Public healthcare services, since they are funded by the taxpayers, should provide whatever services are legal. It is not right for a public employee to refuse to provide a legal service that the taxpayers are paying for. If somebody has a moral/ethical problem with a legal public service, then they should work for a privately owned healthcare provider. The beauty of the U.S. mixed capitalistic economy is that people have the freedom to choose who they get their services from. Service providers that don’t get any business die.
Paul Jaques
I was surprised that Republicans and the in your face religious types would be able to pass something like this. It makes sense though that they might want to throw a wrench at Obama’s image. The 6 months the article said it would take to repeal the law, is a crucial time for Obama and how he will be seen throughout his 4 (hopefully 8) year service to the country. In those six months women can be refused help if the doctor thinks it is immoral to do the procedure. While I am all for protecting our doctors from the lawyers just chomping at the bit to take their money in malpractice suites, I do not think that this code adequately protects the doctors and could cause extreme harm to women. This would give a more specific target for antagonists. Doctors who would still perform abortions and other controversial services would be labeled as immoral and not worthy to be a doctor and could probably be prosecuted till they get fired. The right wing folks think that stamping down a problem means that it won’t exist, but it just goes underground and becomes far more dangerous for those who will keep trying to get those results, of a terminated pregnancy or otherwise.
Joseph Clift
WOW. I was not aware of this. I feel that health care workers should be protected in some form on performing certain things that they do not believe in. This is a hard topic to really pick a side on because a patients privacy is important and these health care workers should act as professionals and perform there jobs as needed. This is where the whole issue of where to separate morals/values and professionalism come into play because you can't force someone to do something they are uncomfortable doing but you also can't put a person's privacy and health in jeopardy.
Social structures and power all play a role in this situation. The elected government officials, whom we elect, are the ones who make laws like this that either protect us or not. They are the persons with power as are the health care workers who we trust with our health.
-Clara M
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