You might think Bush has done all the damage he possibly can to reproductive rights. But he's not done yet:
The Bush administration wants to require all recipients of aid under federal health programs to certify that they will not refuse to hire nurses and other providers who object to abortion and even certain types of birth control.Under the draft of a proposed rule, hospitals, clinics, researchers and medical schools would have to sign "written certifications" as a prerequisite to getting money under any program run by the Department of Health and Human Services.
The rule defines "abortion" so broadly that it could also apply to birth control pills and emergency contraception. And because the rule would apply to federal health programs, low-income and uninsured women will be most affected.
Sam at Lazy Circles summarizes:
So, the inner city women's clinic employee who refuses to talk to patients about birth control? Can't touch her. The hospital pharmacist who refuses to fill prescriptions for birth control? She can't be fired or disciplined. The doctor who refuses to give emergency contraception to a rape victim for "religious reasons?" Give that man a promotion.
He also points out that the Bush administration is interested in preventing "discrimination" against anti-choice health care providers, but is a-OK with discrimination against gay people. Sigh. Only 188 days left. Count 'em down.
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The thing about this is that the article is unclear what, if any, requirements there are after hiring. And since it's a bona fide occupational qualification for a nurse or practitioner to provide care uninfluenced by their own personal prejudices, I don't see this lasting very long. It's on extremely shaky legal ground anyway, and seems like a disgusting but pointless symbolic gesture.
lets hope it doesn't last very long. I mean this is such bull! If i were a vegitarian I wouldn't apply to "Steak & more Steak" restaurant and then be required to be hired even though I refuse to serve any meals containing meat, just cuz they can't discriminate based on my beliefs. IF YOU REFUSE TO DO PART OF THE JOB YOU SHOULDN'T BE HIRED. blah you all know this, this is just frustrating
I wish Bush was more like Kennedy.
It's truly amazing how Viagra costs $10 a prescription and my damned birth control costs $60 per pack!!! So the point taken here is - we want old men to be virile so that they can get us younger women preggers?
And this new push by Bush to have his conservatives cronies decide as to whether I get pregnant is insane. Why should I be exposed and subject to someone else's religious beliefs? If a pharmacist refuses me birth control based on their religious views - I call it harassment and illegal!
And yet, if a Muslim or Hindi or Wiccan person were to use these "laws" to their advantage, these Christian fundamentalists would be screaming bloody murder.
Isn't this a bit like hiring Mary Baker Eddy as your brain surgeon?
Erm, is a picture of Bush with his eyes closed and hands in a mudra-type position quite the most sensitive choice for the backdrop to a "Japlish"-based macro?
I mean, I'm just sayin'.
Xtine: I don't know if this helps you, but Target offers the generic version of Ortho-Tri-Cyclen on their $4/month $10/three month plan.
thanks kbrook!
I should switch back to OTCyclen. I'm currently taking Seasonique. i have to admit, i have the worst health care plan ever. Unicare. Please if you're offered a job and this is the health plan? Avoid it at all costs. And to boot, with this plan, anything prostate related has no copay and prenatal care or gynecologist visits are at least $20! BS!
I have a moral objection to reviving someone who's crashing during surgery. Now that there is this legal precedent, I can sue hospitals for not hiring me based on this. /sarcasm
What utter bullshit.
If you're against abortions and birth control, DON'T GO INTO THE FUCKING MEDICAL PROFESSION!
My doctor growing up was a pretty hardcore catholic, but that never stopped him from advising me on my birth control. Any doctor or nurse who has a problem with this should just go into dermatology. Wait! They might have to prescribe birth control for acne prone teenagers, tough fucking luck.
Misspelled, I chose the picture because Bush is praying, and this rule protects health care providers who want to discriminate because they say providing care to women violates their religious beliefs. The type over the top isn't "Japlish," it's LOLcat.
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt . Contact Information
Office Phone: 202-690-7000
Email: mike.leavitt@hhs.gov
Fax: 202-690-7203
Correspondence Secretary: 202-690-6392
(Anyone outside of the DC/metro area can call 877-696-6775 toll-free and ask to be transferred to the Secretary's office.)
The fact is that religious traditions have different beliefs on the value of fetal life, including when human life begins. Like many religious leaders, I do not believe that a fertilized ovum, zygote, or embryo is "the life of a human being" as this new federal definition would provide. But more, I find it (excuse the wording) inconceivable that those who oppose abortion are now making headway to oppose birth control methods that prevent unplanned pregnancies, with the support of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Surely if there is common ground between those who are pro-choice and those who oppose abortion it is that we should support the widespread availability of all medically safe methods of contraception. This proposal demonstrates how hollow those calls for common ground might really be. Let's see how quickly those who call for common ground on abortion to speak out into this latest attempt to control women's moral agency and rights.
Rev. Debra Haffner
http://debrahaffner.blogspot.com
It's not lolcat. The "All your base are belong to us" meme originated with a bad English translation of a Japanese video game.
I wasn't saying you chose the picture for that reason. I just don't think it's the greatest visual juxtaposition. Maybe it won't mean anything to others, but it really jumped out at me.
Wouldn't want to infringe on health care provider's rights by making them provide healthcare. I find the fact that doctor's can refuse to perform legal procedures because they disagree with them, but trying to change the rules to suit the rule so that they can stand in the way of women's healthcare is sick. Even more abhorrent is how this will only punish the women who depend on federally funded clinics and federally provided healthcare. Surely the government will support these underprivileged women's children once they're born right? What a joke. They want to play games with women's fertility and produce children that the government is in no way interested in supporting. Further, they seem to hope to end abortion by ending contraception--seems self defeating.
Here's a fantastic response to this (written by someone FAR more articulate than me) on LiveJournal: http://naamah-darling.livejournal.com/339769.html?view=17859129#t17859129
Perhaps we should all just go out, purchase some burquas and get it over with.
Thanks for the link. I'm flattered.
outcrazyophelia, not only did your first sentence make me chuckle, but your entire response was good. Props to you.
They call this a "rule"--does this mean congress has to approve it, or no? This worries me most if he's going to try and sidestep congressional approval (again).
I had a friend that was denied birth control at a local CVS. The man claimed that he "didn't believe in birth control" and therefore would not fill the perscription. Call me naive, but at the time (it was about a year ago) I didn't know anyone could do that! She stood at the counter arguing with the pharmacist for 20 minutes until another pharmacist came up and filled the perscription for her. Ludacris!
If John McCain gets elected, I might cry.