Hmm, okay at first glance this seems okay. I don't want anyone to go against their beliefs right? And then come the complications:
*Oh, I see you are a female married to a female. I'm Baptist and don't believe in that. I don't have to save you from dying now- following my conscience, I can't be sued or held responsible. WTF? (And I don't even curse!)
*Oh, You practice the lifestyle. You're a submissive so you must want to be in pain. I don't think that's right so I'll just withhold your medicine. I'll let you know, of course, but I can't be held responsible if I'm following my conscience.
*Oh, I know you just had a baby and I was supposed to perform a tubal litigation. Did I forget to tell you that I don't believe in women using any type of birth control? I won't be 'fixing' you and you'll have to make an appt. with another doctor. This will cause you major expense and it is always dangerous to open patients up multiple times without having to but- oh well?
Oh, you're a man who sleeps with men? I can't even stomach that. You'll have to find another doctor. Now, I'm the best one in this area for your particular type of problem but I don't have to help you because it's against my own personal morals.
Okay, I've gone a bit far in making up these stories but have you ever heard that with great power comes great responsibility? I'm not willing to give every healthcare worker this much responsibility. Where does this stop? Can the gas station owner quit selling gas to a certain group of people because they don't practice his religion? Can your child's teacher refuse to have them in his/her classroom because they believe you aren't morally sound? Can the local grocer refuse you entry at the door because you write those naughty books and he/she finds that personally offensive?
I'd better step off of this soap-box before I get pelted with something....made ya think though didn't I? We should all stand up and pay attention when are rights are being taken away!
Kissa
12 comments:
OMG Kissa, they sure snuck that one in - in fact, I had to google it to make sure! What you describe is so bizarre I could hardly believe it, but you are so right, and I agree, it's a travesty, and threatens all our rights to adequate care and services.
Adriana
I always knew that Bush would be the demise of the country and again this just proves my thinking. This man has brought the United States to its knees and he's just adding a extra special send off by putting this bill into effect. He is such a bastard
I couldn't believe it myself. Healthcare, while not free in the United States, has always been a basic right when really needed. This seems to take that away! And I'm so wondering why more people don't know more about it- maybe that's why the picketing hasn't yet begun?
Kissa
And don't forget that not only are they allowed to not treat you, they also do not have to give you referrals to dosctors who *will* treat you. So if you have an HMO and are required to get referrals from your GP before you can see a specialist? Better hope your GP isn't morally opposed to anything in your life, because otherwise you get no healthcare at all.
People won't have to live with it for long. Obama's transition team already has plans to reverse it.
Which is one of several reasons Boston lost its best endocrinologist to semi-retirement. Whatever beliefs we may want to protect, we have no right to demand anyone violate his or her beliefs.
Everyone has the right to select the physician of their choice. But physicians aren't slaves. They should have rights, too.
Instead of passing stupid bills like this, why doesn't the government pass a bill that socializes medicine. Makes it FREE for EVERYONE. No stupid insurance companies, no worrying if you can treat a patient properly if they are or are not insured.
I hate mixing my romance with politics but oh well. I was very surprised to read that there have been laws on the books since the 70s at least (ref Church Amendments and Taylor V. St. vincent's hospital). All of the current discussions, including discussion in my state on state laws, makes it sound like this is something new.
I'm of the opinion that health care providers should have freedom of choice (in non-emergency cases) just like every other profession. The best lawyer in the country can refuse to try and save you from a death sentence. That grocery can choose not to sell erotic books and you can choose not to shop there. I know from teacher relatives that they have quitely decided to put a child in one teacher's class vs another for various reasons (like disagreeing with parents).
I can't imagine being told I WILL help with an assisted suicide or I WILL abort a baby in it's 6th month. I don't think i could live with myself. And why should their rights superced mine? They can go to another doctor. I couldn't undo what I'd concider me commiting murder. And I'm not even remotely religious.
Another point to consider. If we require doctors to perform things like suicide and abortion that they can't emotionally handle, how many will quit. How many people from a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds will choice NOT to go into healthcare knowing they would be forced to go against their conscience? We are already short doctors/nurses and we want to make the pool even smaller?
Well since medicine is so specialized, I doubt we would see a doctor asked to perform an abortion or to tie your tubes or to assist in a suicide unless he'd hung his shingle out to do so.
With that said, wouldn't it go against the Hypocratic Oath for any doctor to refuse life saving measures to a patient simply because they did not agree with the patient's lifestyle, etc?
Your local grocer already refuses service to those they don't like. If someone pops in and is pierced out the ying yang and tattooed to the nth degree sporting a mohawk, then the grocer can ask him/her to leave. It's done all the time.
As long as a health care worker, teacher, grocer, or anyone else is not being asked to do anything that infringes on their beliefs, then they should not be able to refuse treatment/service to anyone. The beliefs of a gay man and his sexual orientation are not forced upon a nurse when she administers medicine or a life saving treatment on him. If it was the other way around, and she was somehow forced to be a part of his lifestyle (and I don't know how that could possibly be accomplished), then I'd say that nurse has the right to refuse.
The fact of the matter is, I've never met a doctor or nurse during the course of their duties who spends enough time with their patients to even know anything about them other than what is on their chart. That's why we wear name tag bracelets in the hospital. We're mostly just another number.
What I would wonder about with this law is why it was targeted with health care workers. What is the origin of this law.
And all of this is, of course, another veiled attempt, or maybe not so veiled, to legislate morality by the right wing community. What I've never understood about those self-righteous do gooders, is how they can tout laws like this, how they can look at someone and decide they are better. They most certainly use the Bible to back them up, and most of the time they simply take things out of context to do so. But they keep leaving out the part about, "judge not, lest ye be judged".
When the roll is called up yonder, St. Peter will have a major list to deal with. I bet a lot of these do gooders expect to be on it too and they are going to be sadly disappointed to learn that God loves us each and everyone. No one individual is better than another. No one person's life is more valuable than another. Not one single soul is taking up breathing room on this planet. We are all children of God, regardless of what name you call him.
This law clearly paves the way for more discrimination, no doubt. If the Obama team is on it, good for them. I'll be so happy to see Dubya leaving the White House next week.
Oh, and I do agree that a National Health Care agenda is what we truly need. I'm not terribly concerned that the majority of doctors are going to refuse to treat someone based on their conscience. Some will, but I think the numbers reflected in what I just read about this on a site a few minutes ago are grossly exaggerated. Something the self proclaimed moral compass right wing does all the time. They always spin it to look bigger than what it really is.
I"m not sure about the National Healthcare, it's not working in the countries that have it now. Good point about doctors not knowing who we are as patients. But what about these small towns where everyone knows everyone? Joe blow has to visit a major city to be treated? And I hadn't thought about the implications of referrals! Oh my.
Just something to keep us thinking.
Well i am a Nurse and i have never heard of that law. But even so we are bound by our license to help anyone regardless of the situation. When it comes to saving lives nothing else matters.
I'm not in the medical field but I would think if I was that my main goal would be to save lives. Thanks for all that you do Candy!
Kissa
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