Local News
Letter to the Editor
Published: August 20, 2009
To the Editor:
While it is true that our country is in great need of health care reform, we must realize that a good health care plan should have the proper foundation. Because health care can involve life and death decisions, it is important that our plan be based on a respect for life from conception to natural death.
Unfortunately, at the current time, our country has no laws that specifically protect human life before birth or in certain health care decisions. With this in mind, our bishops have requested that “a fair and just health care reform bill must exclude mandated coverage for abortion, and uphold longstanding laws that restrict abortion funding and protect conscience rights.”
Why is this request necessary? According to the largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, government funding of abortion increases the number of abortions by 20 to 35 percent. There were 1,206,200 abortions in 2006. Using this statistic, if the proposed heath care package were to cover the cost of abortion, the result could easily be 240,000 to 420,000 more abortions in the first year alone. This would be a very significant increase in death all because of a “health” care plan. Not only that, but by simply implying that the killing of an unborn child is “health care,” it sounds more acceptable and easier to justify.
Health care reform based on compassion and the culture of life can be very helpful to the people of our nation. If its foundation is the culture of death, however, it will bring great destruction upon us, particularly those who are most vulnerable: the poor, the unborn, the handicapped and the elderly.
… Please contact your legislators and let them know our bishops’ request for a respect for the sanctity of all human life and conscience. Please also pray for a spirit of wisdom and charity in our legislators and our president as they make critical decisions that will affect our lives and health.Brenda Stoll, Lilburn
