Hospitals Must Employ Anti-Choicers

Double negatives be damned, a New York Times article recently slipped by me. The article, called “Abortion Proposal Sets Condition on Aid” stated that “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.”

 ...I know, the double negatives are killing me too.

It basically says that medical professionals who refuse to hand out birth control can and should absolutely be hired by hospitals, clinics, and medical schools.

Weirdly enough (sarcasm!), this is quite similar to the ways in which anti-choice pharmacists are able to cite a conscience clause and refuse to dispense birth control, Plan B, or whatever else they deem immoral on your behalf.

So, not only are you getting intimidated and talked down to at your monthly pharmacy trip, the next time you have a medical emergency that may in any way be related to your reproductive organs – you may encounter the same judgment.

And that is A-Okay with the Bush Administration! Handing out patriarchal politics, one dose at a time, since 2000!

Any hospital/clinic/school that refuses to go along with this latest “accept those that judge” philosophy now loses crucial federal funds. Which is the last thing we need when preeeeeeeetty much everyone in the country (save for that .00001% of people who also get the sweet tax breaks) has either lost their job/insurance/home/matching 401k or is waking up every day wondering if they are about to lose their job/insurance/home/matching 401k.

Furthermore, as the LA Times points out, the proposed rule intentionally blurs the line between birth control and abortion, a sure way to mislead the ignorami and support the Ridiculous Right’s commandeering of my uterus a little more each day.

Jeff Merkley, running for the Senate in Oregon, is hosting a petition here: http://www.jeffmerkley.com/petition/righttochoose