EDITORIAL
Hoping for a change
Nov. 5, 2009 | The Catholic Sun
As Congress prepares to debate health care reform legislation on the House and Senate floors, it’s critical to remember that true reform must protect the lives of all people from conception until natural death.
The rush is on for health care reform in our country, and one would hope that this coming change would ultimately provide for the common good of its citizens, not to its detriment.
Unfortunately, as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has concluded, the bills about to be debated — with the very real potential of becoming law and having an impact on the future well-being of our nation for years to come — are woefully inadequate.
Glaringly absent from the congressional committee bills are policies against the public funding of abortion or abortion coverage mandates. None fully protect the conscience rights for health care professionals, according to the U.S. bishops.
Failing to include these longstanding policies and federal restrictions on abortion funding as part of this current crop of bills is another assault on the culture of life. It also has the potential of requiring Catholics and others who value the sanctity of life to subsidize abortion through the use of federal dollars.
Regardless of whether or not one supports an overhaul of the health care system in the United States, the thought of public money — ours, yours and your Catholic neighbor’s — going toward the cost of destroying the life of an unborn child is unfathomable. Additionally, legislation must protect the rights of conscience for health care professionals morally opposed to participating in this evil act.
“Hope” and “change” don’t have to be relegated to clichéd and worn out campaign pledges.
We can find true hope in the hearts and minds of all people of good will who refuse to support health care reform void of language and policy that will protect the lives of our country’s citizens.
We can promote true change by making our voices heard to our elected government leaders. We urge everyone to contact their representatives and senators today to oppose these bills. Tell them that unless they add acceptable language providing for the incorporation of longstanding policies against abortion funding and in favor of conscience rights, the final bill should be opposed.
