First, they made an attempt on the life of the president of Ecuador:
Thankfully, El Ecuadorable emerged unhurt from this oh, so Christian riot–which broke out as the newly written constitution of Ecuador is about to go to a popular vote of ratification. This constitution promises to be a human-rights milestsone for Ecuador. If it passes, it will grant greater reproductive rights to women and civil unions to same-sex couples. It is very likely to pass, which is what’s got these people all riled up. But I guess the duly elected president is not a person and therefore has no right to life any more than women and gays do, or his life would not have come under fire.
And I also guess equal rights don’t sit so well with those devout, life-loving churchgoers down there. The church is THE main opponent of the new constitution–probably because it stands to lose a tremendous amount of the control over the lives of citizens that it used to enjoy. Similar things have also happened in Bolivia and Venezuela, so this was all predictable. Funny how civil rights always bring the whited sepulchres out in violent “protest” of what promises to be a popular new constitution!
And up here, in the guise of “caring” medical doctors, the whited sepulchres are trying to go on imposing their sexist “conscience” in such ways that it ruins the lives of women who don’t share their beliefs:
Doctors across Canada are now allowed to opt out of such things as prescribing birth control or morning-after pills or doing abortions when it goes against their conscience. Physicians are also allowed to refuse to do referrals in such cases.
But a new draft proposal from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario could change that for doctors in the province.
[…]
Rene Leiva, a Catholic family doctor in Ottawa, and a former board member of the Canadian Physicians for Life, said if the new rules were adopted it would make it nearly impossible for him to operate in the province.
“This would put a burden on physicians like myself to conform to a view that basically puts my conscience under somebody’s else’s power,” said Dr. Leiva. “And the key aspect is moral integrity and the right of physicians to act in a way that does not harm the patient.”
Of course, Dr. Leiva, who is a man, doesn’t seem to realize how much this egotistical, god-playing sexism can harm a woman. I guess calling it “conscience” changes everything–except, of course, the basic facts, which are that birth control does not harm women, abortion does not harm women, and being free to choose does not harm women. In fact, all those things can help women by making them more autonomous, giving them greater freedom to pursue happiness–which, in turn, ought to be excellent for any families they might later have. The only thing that is hurt by these things is the privilege of men trying to control women by using pregnancy as a weapon.
Frankly, that privilege deserves to die.
I’m all for holding members of the medical professions accountable as scientists. And if that means they can’t impose their “consciences” on me or any other woman, so much the better. All patients have rights, including the right to be treated with dignity and respect by their doctors. Even if the doctors personally disapprove of the patients’ lives and choices, they owe it to their patients to set those attitudes aside and behave as scientists.
If someone like Dr. Leiva cannot behave as a scientist, maybe he had better find a new profession and leave medicine to those who can practise it without harming the patient through the unwanted imposition of their so-called “conscience”.