12/2/08

Bush's "Right of Conscience"



Cartoon by Eleanor Mill, who I hadn't realized died July 19. 2008 To check out her art by topic, you will have to substitute her initials (em) for those of another artist according to keyword. For instance, http://www.newsart.com/em/em240.htm shows her cartoons on pregnancy and fertility.


The LAT's By David G. Savage for December 2, 2008: "Broader medical refusal rule may go far beyond abortion: The Bush administration plans a new 'right of conscience' rule that would allow more workers to refuse more procedures. Critics say it could apply to artificial insemination and birth control."

The outgoing Bush administration is planning to announce a broad new "right of conscience" rule permitting medical facilities, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare workers to refuse to participate in any procedure they find morally objectionable, including abortion and possibly even artificial insemination and birth control. For more than 30 years, federal law has dictated that doctors and nurses may refuse to perform abortions. The new rule would go further by making clear that healthcare workers also may refuse to provide information or advice to patients who might want an abortion. It also seeks to cover more employees. For example, in addition to a surgeon and a nurse in an operating room, the rule would extend to "an employee whose task it is to clean the instruments," the draft rule said. The "conscience" rule could set the stage for an abortion controversy in the early months of Barack Obama's administration.

see: "Right of Conscious as a Parthian Shot" by Leslie Anne Catlett of Poughkeepsie AKA didionsmommy. The definition, BTW, is

a hostile remark or gesture delivered while departing [from the custom of archers from Parthia, an ancient Asian empire, who shot their arrows backwards while retreating]