By Suzanne MacNevin
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Abortion Privacy Usurped
(Article from Toronto Star) WASHINGTON — The Bush administration has set forth a new, more limited view of privacy rights as it tries to force hospitals and clinics to turn over records of hundreds and perhaps thousands of abortions. Federal law "does not recognize a physician-patient privilege,'' the Justice Department said last month in court papers that sought abortion records from Planned Parenthood clinics in California, Kansas, Missouri, Pennsylvania, New York City and Washington. The latest blow to the government came yesterday, when a federal district judge in San Francisco, Phyllis J. Hamilton, denied a department demand for access to abortion records from a public hospital there and from six Planned Parenthood affiliates in the county, saying "Women are entitled to not have the government looking at their records." The city said federal officials seek records of 2,700 patients. The department says it needs the records to defend a new ban on partial-birth abortions.
What the hell does Bush want with abortion records? The whole thing stinks of possible blackmail. Or is it just "one more thing" in Bush's war against women's rights. Women in Afghanistan can have abortions. Women in Iraq can have abortions. Why is it that Bush is against women in AMERICA from having abortions? Mark my words, if Bush is re-elected, he will try to make abortion illegal. Its almost like he is declaring war on women's rights. Its an invasion on our privacy. Its not like we're "terrorists". Bush has already invaded the privacy of millions of americans in an effort to find terrorists. Now apparently nothing is sacred. Bush can now invade our medical documents too for ANY reason. And the possibility of government officials using abortion records for blackmail is also there too. And the "excuse" they are using to invade our privacy? Why its nothing less than attempting to ban "partial birth" abortions, which is simply a method of abortion and has nothing to do with actual "birth". Bush's war on abortion continues... He can't win his war on terrorism, and he WON'T win his war on abortion! Women have rights and nothing Bush can do will take that away from us. Even if Bush makes abortion illegal in America, Americans can go to Canada or Mexico to get their abortions. Or they will be forced to go to illegal abortion clinics and pay for it. The reason abortion became legal was that many people sought illegal abortion anyway, or went to Canada or Mexico to get them done legally.
Now apparently the only way to get an abortion with privacy is to go to Canada or Mexico. As a Canadian, I see this as a serious problem for America. In Canada it is taken for granted that women "have the right" to an abortion. For America to take away that right is to take away a basic civil right that American women NEED in order to control their future and to abort a child from rape. Whats next in Bush's agenda? Making condoms illegal? Apparently Bush WANTS America to be overpopulated and filled with poor women. |
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