My letter to my Legislators
Nov. 21st, 2004 10:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ambitious_wenchDear Senators Chafee, Reed and Representative Langevin;
I am writing to you because I am very concerned about the Federal Refusal clause that's been added to the Labor, Health, Humans Services and Education funding bill.
If I understand the clause this means that Rhode Island could lose its funding from the US government if we choose to insist that hospitals, HMOs et al (who receive public funds) provide legal services such as the "Morning-After pill", first trimester abortion, or even birth control pills. Not only that, they can refuse to refer patients to caregivers that will.
What I find objectionable is that they don't even have to state ethical objections as a reason, but HMOs are allowed to do it for *financial gain* in the form of "savings".
This also strips Rhode Island of its sovereign right to decide on the issue of abortion and to protect the right of women to chose according to the dictates of their conscience.
I'd like to remind you of Jane Verin, the first woman in the world to have her religious liberty upheld in a court, right here in Rhode Island. Her husband beat her "until she went in danger of her life" (according to Roger Williams) in order to stop her from attending worship. It was argued that her husband had the right to do so because his conscience dictated that a wife should submit to her husband. The good folk of Providence disagreed, and voted to disenfranchise Joshua Verin because he had violated the tenant that no person should be persecuted for their religious beliefs. This was a remarkable decision, because it upheld her religious right to attend services. And it was upheld over his supposed right to make her submit to his will.
Don't let this historic decision go to waste. Protect Rhode Island from being brutally bullied into limiting reproductive rights for Rhode Island women. Don't let them hold our children's education hostage to this forcing of the state's hand when it comes to safe and legal reproductive health.
Please support Senator Boxer's efforts to strip this clause from the funding bill.
This letter will be hand-delivered to all the legislators named
I am writing to you because I am very concerned about the Federal Refusal clause that's been added to the Labor, Health, Humans Services and Education funding bill.
If I understand the clause this means that Rhode Island could lose its funding from the US government if we choose to insist that hospitals, HMOs et al (who receive public funds) provide legal services such as the "Morning-After pill", first trimester abortion, or even birth control pills. Not only that, they can refuse to refer patients to caregivers that will.
What I find objectionable is that they don't even have to state ethical objections as a reason, but HMOs are allowed to do it for *financial gain* in the form of "savings".
This also strips Rhode Island of its sovereign right to decide on the issue of abortion and to protect the right of women to chose according to the dictates of their conscience.
I'd like to remind you of Jane Verin, the first woman in the world to have her religious liberty upheld in a court, right here in Rhode Island. Her husband beat her "until she went in danger of her life" (according to Roger Williams) in order to stop her from attending worship. It was argued that her husband had the right to do so because his conscience dictated that a wife should submit to her husband. The good folk of Providence disagreed, and voted to disenfranchise Joshua Verin because he had violated the tenant that no person should be persecuted for their religious beliefs. This was a remarkable decision, because it upheld her religious right to attend services. And it was upheld over his supposed right to make her submit to his will.
Don't let this historic decision go to waste. Protect Rhode Island from being brutally bullied into limiting reproductive rights for Rhode Island women. Don't let them hold our children's education hostage to this forcing of the state's hand when it comes to safe and legal reproductive health.
Please support Senator Boxer's efforts to strip this clause from the funding bill.
This letter will be hand-delivered to all the legislators named