An Email from my sister begins, " in just three days of taking office he (President Obama) has struck down the ban and prolife people's taxes will again go to promote abortion around the world."
The recinding of the Mexico City Policy was not a surprise as he had promised that action to one of the largest and richest lobbyists, the abortion establishment. He took this anti human rights action quietly on a Friday evening with out fanfare, at least in comparison to the pro human rights orders concerning torture, justice and international relations that he made with great fanfare earier in the week.
He exceeded expectations concerning ethical issues, at least in comparison to Senator McCain, at the Pastor Warren interview, and seemed embarassed by the brutality of the rational he had used in the Illionois legislature in oppossing the protection of chidren born alive during abortions Act. He made a strong case that he supports efforts to reduce abortions. This interview gave much hope that at last we might be getting a President that will move this issue in the human rights direction after years of political stand-off. It is the direction supported by a majority of Americans (see Planned Parenhood Statistics) and combined with the biparisan ideals he voiced seems to indicate some pro human rights progress might actually be possible.
At odds with and some say negating this hope is another promise he made to the abortion lobby - that he would get the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) passed and signed. Like so much of our legislation its very name is a deliberate confusion. For several decades the US Supreme Court has upheld the freedom of mothers to choose to terminate the lives of their unborn children. The FOCA does not therefore establish such a right. In fact it appears to most serious readers of the various versions that the title is actually a contradiction in that they propose to invalidate all national and state laws established to support informed consent, licensing of abortionists, waiting periods and partial birth abortions.
These things have all passed muster at the Supreme Court. The contradiction arises by going further and removing or invalidating the choice of hospitals, doctors, nurses and other health workers to not participate in these human rights violations. In some forms it also restricts my ability as a citizen to work with others is petitioning (lobbying) my elected officials on this issue and supporting or opposing politically and financially candidates stands on human rights issues.
If you you think the issue has been contentious heretofore the removal of conscience choice protections for professionals, health care institutions and citizens will trigger a major upheavel. Perhaps it would be more honest to title the measure ROCA (Removal of Choice Act).
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