This Is Fucking Stupid

Oh jeebus.

"The Bush administration today issued a sweeping new regulation that protects a broad range of health care workers -- from doctors to janitors -- who refuse to participate in providing services that they believe violates their personal, moral or religious beliefs.

The controversial rule empowers federal health officials to cut off federal funding for any state or local government, hospital, clinic, health plan, doctors' office or other entity if they do not accommodate employees who exercise their "right of conscience." It would apply to more than 584,000 health care facilities.

"Doctors and other health care providers should not be forced to choose between good professional standing and violating their conscience," Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said in a statement.

The regulation, which was issued just in time to take effect in the 30 days before the change of administrations, was sought by conservative groups, abortion opponents and others as necessary to safeguard workers from being fired, disciplined or penalized in other ways."

Um, what about this...

The Geneva Declaration

At the time of being admitted as a member of the medical profession:
I solemnly pledge to consecrate my life to the service of humanity;

I will give to my teachers the respect and gratitude that is their due;

I will practise my profession with conscience and dignity;

The health of my patient will be my first consideration;

I will respect the secrets that are confided in me, even after the patient has died;

I will maintain by all the means in my power, the honour and the noble traditions of the medical profession;

My colleagues will be my sisters and brothers;

I will not permit considerations of age, disease or disability, creed, ethnic origin, gender, nationality, political affiliation, race, sexual orientation, social standing or any other factor to intervene between my duty and my patient;

I will maintain the utmost respect for human life;

I will not use my medical knowledge to violate human rights and civil liberties, even under threat;

I make these promises solemnly, freely and upon my honour.

Where exactly does one draw the line here? By catering to the anti-choice right, Bushie has opened the door to all sorts of interpretation.

This isn't about freedom of conscience. Of course people have freedom of conscience. But if your conscience prevents you from performing a professional task in your profession, then you have the right to exercise that freedom by LEAVING that profession. I can't be chef in a steak restaurant if my conscience prevents me from cooking animals.

And do the conservatives even think through the consequences of their own actions? This won't just affect women. What happens when a nurse who's a Jehovah's witness refuses to perform a blood transfusion on Tony Perkins' child? Does he realize that the rule George Bush just put into effect would allow this?