Enough

Some people don't seem to know when they are overreaching, but the religious right's new avenue of attack in the culture wars really goes very far over the line, and I can't imagine that mainstream America can buy into these wacky ideas. The religious right is pushing for state legislation to allow health care workers to refuse treatment based on their religious beliefs.

We've all heard about pharmacists denying women morning after pills or contraception, but this goes far, far beyond that. From the Washington Post:

At least nine states are considering "right of refusal" bills that are far broader. Some would protect virtually any worker involved in health care; others would extend protection to hospitals, clinics and other health care facilities. Some would protect only workers who refuse to provide certain health services, but many would be far more expansive.

At least five of the broad bills would allow insurance companies to opt out of covering services they find objectionable for religious reasons. A sixth state, Pennsylvania, is considering a bill designed for insurers.

"These represent a major expansion of this notion of right of refusal," said Elizabeth Nash of the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit organization that studies reproductive health issues and is tracking the legislation. "You're seeing it broadening to many types of workers -- even into the world of social workers -- and for any service for which you have a moral or religious belief."

Basically, most of these laws simply give health care workers free reign to discriminate against whoever they want with no recourse for those who are refused treatment. This is decidedly un-American and a sad day for civil rights, and shame on the Washington Post for the title of this article "Health Workers' Choice Debated." I'm sorry, but patients rights trump health care workers rights everyday in my book.

I think every Democrat who is not considering filibustering Alito should read this article and ask themselves if they are comfortable with Samuel Alito sitting on the Supreme Court when some of these laws inevitably come before the court. It's a tough thought to stomach.

Just in case you don't think these people are nuts, check out this quote from the same article from David Stevens, executive director of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations. From WAPO:

"We are moving into a brave new world of cloning, cyborgs, sex selection, genetic testing of embryos," Stevens said. "The list of difficult ethical issues involving nurses, physicians, research scientists, pharmacists and other health care workers is just continuing to increase."

Cyborgs? Who said anything about cyborgs? But, if this is true, where can I get my Salma Hayek sex-bot?