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Aug. 24th, 2008 04:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cicerThanks to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
threewalls for bringing this to my attention.
I generally try to keep politics out of this journal, but this situation is so horrifying to me, I have to say something. If you live in the US, please sit up and take notice of this.
The Bush administration is trying to push through a 'conscience rule'. Essentially what this means is that doctors, pharmacists, etc. will be able to legitimately refuse patients treatment that conflicts with their moral or religious beliefs. This is, of course, aimed at abortion, but could easily be applied to birth control and other controversial medicines and procedures. Doctor who invoke this 'conscience rule' will not be penalized for doing so; indeed, part of the legislation states that employers will be obligated to protect these employees and will not be able to fire them for, essentially, refusing to do their jobs and forcing their beliefs onto others.
This is so appalling, I hardly have words for it. Please, whatever your feelings on abortion, birth control, the Plan B pill, whatever, please realize that this gives doctors and health care workers a terrifying amount of power. It basically strips away a person's power to decide what is best for themselves and make their own moral decisions regarding their health. Worst of all, it protects these zealots and prevents people from being able to take legal steps when they are being persecuted by a health care worker. This is awful, and it must be stopped.
maho_kiwi wrote a very eloquent post on this subject, and included links for where you can take action to fight this. If enough people don't speak out against this, it will effectively go into law within thirty days. If you are a US citizen and you believe you should have the right to make medical decisions about your own health and sexuality, please, please speak against this.
threewalls for bringing this to my attention.I generally try to keep politics out of this journal, but this situation is so horrifying to me, I have to say something. If you live in the US, please sit up and take notice of this.
The Bush administration is trying to push through a 'conscience rule'. Essentially what this means is that doctors, pharmacists, etc. will be able to legitimately refuse patients treatment that conflicts with their moral or religious beliefs. This is, of course, aimed at abortion, but could easily be applied to birth control and other controversial medicines and procedures. Doctor who invoke this 'conscience rule' will not be penalized for doing so; indeed, part of the legislation states that employers will be obligated to protect these employees and will not be able to fire them for, essentially, refusing to do their jobs and forcing their beliefs onto others.
This is so appalling, I hardly have words for it. Please, whatever your feelings on abortion, birth control, the Plan B pill, whatever, please realize that this gives doctors and health care workers a terrifying amount of power. It basically strips away a person's power to decide what is best for themselves and make their own moral decisions regarding their health. Worst of all, it protects these zealots and prevents people from being able to take legal steps when they are being persecuted by a health care worker. This is awful, and it must be stopped.
maho_kiwi wrote a very eloquent post on this subject, and included links for where you can take action to fight this. If enough people don't speak out against this, it will effectively go into law within thirty days. If you are a US citizen and you believe you should have the right to make medical decisions about your own health and sexuality, please, please speak against this.
