A Modest Proposal

(My apologies to Jonathan Swift.)

With the economy in the toilet, banks failing, soldiers dying in Afghanistan (remember the War on Terror front that  we were "winning?"), and Bush doing the happy dance toward war in Iran I try to operate under the assumption that it can't get any worse.

But when it comes to Dubya's administration, never say never.

Yesterday I read about the White House's current proposal for recipients of aid under federal health programs. Needless to say this plan is not doing much to make me a latter-day convert to the Bush way. One part of it requires hospitals, etc. to certify that they won't refuse to hire someone (nurses, etc.) who object to abortion and even some kinds of birth control. WTF?

The reason for this? So federal money isn't “support[ing] morally coercive or discriminatory practices or policies in violation of federal law." Dear Barbara.

The New York Times has more on the whole shebang, but this part seems especially pertinent to me:

The proposal defines abortion as follows: “any of the various procedures — including the prescription, dispensing and administration of any drug or the performance of any procedure or any other action — that results in the termination of the life of a human being in utero between conception and natural birth, whether before or after implantation.”

Mary Jane Gallagher, president of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, which represents providers, said, “The proposed definition of abortion is so broad that it would cover many types of birth control, including oral contraceptives and emergency contraception.”

While I really am trying to control my "outrage" over things these days, this just seems like a last ditch effort at extremism when it comes to women and their bodies. One, which unfortunately, will have the most detrimental effect on low income women. You know, the ones that need assistance with birth control the most because they can least afford the expense of another child or a child period?

My question remains to all of these anti-abortion, anti-birth control people—What happens once the kids are born? Are you going to provide for them then, emotionally and financially? If you truly believe life is sacred, doesn't that extend to their life outside of the womb?

If someone could answer that one for me, I think one of the great mysteries of the universe would have been solved.