As the health care debate continues, there is one group of people who should be jumping on-board FOR health care: Pro-Lifers.
Industrialized countries WITH universal health care have remarkably LOWER abortion rates.
The reasons are not so shocking. When a woman is able to provide health care coverage for she and her baby, she is more likely to keep the baby. Also, with free health care coverage, women are more likely to go to the doctor to get a diaphram or another form of birth control so she won't have an unwanted pregnancy.
In interviewing a Cardinal and others in Britain in an attempt to explain the lower abortion phenomenon that so many other countries have already figured out, T.R. Reid said in his article:
"The cardinal said that there were several reasons (for reduced abortion rates) but that one important explanation was Britain's universal health-care system. "If that frightened, unemployed 19-year-old knows that she and her child will have access to medical care whenever it's needed," Hume explained, "she's more likely to carry the baby to term. Isn't it obvious?"
A young woman I knew in Britain added another explanation. "If you're [sexually] active," she said, "the way to avoid abortion is to avoid pregnancy. Most of us do that with an IUD or a diaphragm. It means going to the doctor. But that's easy here, because anybody can go to the doctor free."
For various reasons, then, expanding health-care coverage reduces the rate of abortion. All the other industrialized democracies figured that out years ago. The failure to recognize this plain statistical truth may explain why American churches have played such a small role in our national debate on health care. Searching for ways to limit abortions, our faith leaders have managed to overlook a proven approach that's on offer now: expanding health-care coverage."
For the entire article, go here.
One solution to ending abortion in America is clear: Vote YES for a universal health care system!
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3 comments:
Absolutely right. And for these reasons, the anti-abortion Democrats led by Bart Stupak embraced the bill after the President made assurances, in very specific terms, of strict adherence to the Hyde Amendment, of no federal funds for abortion, in an executive order.
I was critical of Stupak for his intransigence, but my hat's off to him and his colleagues for reaching this accomodation with the President on passage of the bill. It turns out it wasn't necessary to get the 216 votes, but the outcome is a win-win all around. And an example of how civilized people with deeply held principles can work together to bridge the gap and meet somewhere in-between. It also helped that Catholic nuns came out for this bill. They're waaaay ahead of the Bishops.
The uncivilized behavior came from the other side: a Texan congressman (no surprises, there) yelling out "Baby killer!" at Stupak, and the Teabaggers outside hurling racial slurs at our African American congressmen John Lewis, a legend of the civil rights struggles, and James Clyburn, spitting on another, and shouting the "F" word at Barney Frank.
I'm fed up with Republicans egging these lunatics on and then saying, oh it's just a few bad apples. It's more than a few, and the Republicans have a moral responsibility to condemn this ugliness in the harshest terms, just as the leaders of the so-called "Tea Party" movement do.
This is the 21st century. This is unaccpetable in America.
Excellent Christina! Right on Carlos! Sorry I've been off the wagon for like a month. My arch enemy Mr. Computer and I have had a virus or two to contend with (Don't even get me started!) and Carlos I beg a thousand pardons. I shall visit more often now that I've borrowed a faster computer that will hopefully remain sick-free for at least a month.
I'm giddy with happiness about this bill passing. Never been prouder to be a Democrat.
I knew there had to be a good reason. The blog's been sizzlin' and I missed your input! :)
Posted my favorite tweet (seen on Huff Post) after healthcare passed:
"GOP posts FAQ. Q: What will tomorrow (today) be like? A: A blue sun, lava on the ground, and demons flying around everywhere." Hahaha.
Is the sun blue where you are?
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