#509 "Choice" to Ignore?, Medical Needs by Each Issue May 1, 2020
Choice?
In an ironic new twist on an old rallying cry, the same "bodily autonomy" argument frequently made in favor of abortion is now being used in defense of willful disregard for public health precautions, such as avoiding large gatherings in close spaces and even wearing face masks. In both cases, individual choice is openly valued over human lives. See another example in the New York Times. It's not clear how much irony is intended by those using the slogan "my body, my choice" to flout precautions; maybe some are expecting it to end the discussion, based on an assumption that those advocating the necessity of public health precautions will be pro-choice on abortion, unaware that there are people who consistently believe that human lives - from embryonic to geriatric and every stage in between - are more important than individual autonomy.
Covid-19 Medical Needs Sabotaged Abortion Despite their rhetoric of “choice,” abortion advocates are taken aback at the idea abortion isn’t “essential.” Pro-lifers, of course, believe abortions shouldn’t be done at all, so are hard-pressed to see how it could be essential. But the medical protective equipment in short supply is being used in abortions world-wide. Planned Parenthood has even asked for donations of such equipment. Death Penalty Several medical experts have signed an open letter to specific State Correctional Facility Directors saying that various medicines being stockpiled for executions could, if released to hospitals, save hundreds of lives. They specify which drugs, and have researched the point well.
Covid-19 Medical Needs Take Priority Euthanasia
The Netherlands: The Euthanasia Expertise Centre was the only facility dedicated to providing euthanasia and assisted suicide, and it’s suspending the practice due to Covid-19. They explain: “it is no longer responsible to continue our current care provision . . . euthanasia care cannot be identified as a top priority in healthcare.” Belgium: Jacqueline Herremans is a member of the federal commission reviewing euthanasia. She notes there are few resources or doctors available for euthanasia now. Canada: Places doing Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) are shutting down due to Covid-19. Health authorities said MAID is being cut back as an “elective service.” War UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for a global ceasefire to focus on the pandemic. Eleven countries are considering it; here’s a Q & A from a press briefing April 24. Win Without War has on-line letter-writing to U.S. Congress members opposing the Pentagon’s attempts to get any of the emergency federal funds in the next Covid-19 crisis bill.
Our Latest Blog Post Tying in in with the current economic distress connected to the Covid-19 crisis, Richard Stith offers an allegory called “Trust Landlords”: Pro-Choice Candidate Supports Eviction Rights as part of the “My Building, My Choice!” campaign
Josh Brahm, President, Equal Rights Institute Fetus Tunnel Vision: 4 Reasons Pro-Lifers Need to Stop Doing This People won’t take your moral views seriously if it seems like your moral compass is broken. They won’t have a reason to believe your moral compass is properly functioning if you are unable to authentically acknowledge the horror of other mass killings.
[W]e need to be able to see how horrible non-abortion injustices are, and respond appropriately. Doing this publicly will also have a side benefit of helping pro-choice people see that we’re normal human beings who oppose injustice. Then we can gain the opportunity to show abortion to be the injustice it is.
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