I am honestly sitting here shaking my head at the antidiluvian measures the outgoing American president created in his last days of office. What this law does is make it blatantly apparent that Bush wanted to overthrow the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court re: Roe vs. Wade and make it possible for further governments to reverse that decision. It also is apparent that this is a deliberate attempt to force the U. S. health system into a Christian only belief system.
The health measure he created and made into law by decree, without any possibility of debate is completely filled with bigotry. What this law does is make health providers, from doctors and nurses, to pharmacists and others the people who can impose their own bigotry and disdain for human life onto patients and clients.
Imagine this scenario. A person who has AIDS or is HIV positive has to see a doctor, and that person also happens to be gay. Well, according to this law, the doctor, the nurse and any others can refuse to treat, refer, or even see that patient because of their own “moral persuasion.” The providers can have the “moral persuasion” that being gay or lesbian is abhorrent. Now, add in the fact that the patient is possibly pregnant and wants to get some information on the genetics or have other health treatment and it becomes a total nightmare. This law gives health providers the means to impose harsh judgements on lives and the ability to deny any care whatsoever.
Or, imagine this one. A senior is looking for help with pain, and wants to be admitted to hospital for possible testing, but that patient is not a Christian, but perhaps pagan, or of another faith which requires special treatment. The health providers, including the hospital, can now deny that person the ability to have their community come in and provide any counselling or symbols. This could mean those who are Sikh being forced to have facial hair shaved, their turbans removed, and any prayer items removed from the room. Or, worse still, the patient is told, ” We cannot, with our moral stance, treat you at all. Find another place.”
When it comes to health care for women who face unwanted pregnancy, or have to find ways to deal with a health issue during pregnancy, the situation becomes very ugly if bigotry and religious belief come into play. I know there are some doctors who will absolutely refuse to refer, provide alternative information, or even talk to patients who face pregnancies that endanger the mental or physical health of a woman. This is blatant bigotry.
Doctors, pharmacists and others are in the field to provide health care, not judgement, bigotry and even racism with their medications. IF you are one of those who insist on being so narrow minded, then either limit your practice to patients who are of the same mind or get out. Find a position in another field, perhaps research, but DO NOT impose your beliefs on others, even if the outgoing president provides you the means.
It is time for Bush to get the hell out of power, and it is obvious that the beliefs of Bush are set in the early 1920’s, certainly not even close to current society belief and practice.
It is time that the American public understand some things. There have been people who are gay and lesbian since the time of Caesar, and there have been unwanted pregnancies since long before then. Women have aborted fetuses for centuries, either with medical help or without. OUR modern society is facing a huge problem already with overpopulation, scarcity of resources, and the idea that forcing another child to become part of an unwilling society is far more of a violation of their rights than stopping the process.
Each child born now needs to have at least 65 years of food, shelter, clothing, and work. For every child born now, there will be that much more drain on the finite resources of this small planet, and when that child is resented, avoided, or even worse, facing abuse because some “health professional” imposed religion on the mother, it becomes a very nasty world for that child.
I have no problem with parents who want to have children, but remember, those who are responsible parents are the ones who use birth control, limit the family, and make sure that every child they have is supported, loved and given the necessities.
Each year I see articles on the costs of supporting more and more families in poverty. The numbers increase every year, yet this law makes the likelihood of far more people either dying in agony from the bigotry, or living in poverty because of that same bigotry. Phooey. Time for our society to grow up, face the reality that we all have no other place to move to, this is the one and only planet we have! It is time to ensure that each person is given respect for their choices, their lives and their needs.