Obama may throw over 'conscience rule'

By Rick Moran

Ah - state compulsion; the essence of tyranny. When the state demands that you do something that goes against your most deeply held beliefs, they are exercising the same level of control over you as any dictator or tyrant.

Welcome to our Brave New World - Obama style:

Taking another step into the abortion debate, the Obama administration Friday will move to rescind a controversial rule that allows health-care workers to deny abortion counseling or other family-planning services if doing so would violate their moral beliefs, according to administration officials.

The rollback of the "conscience rule" comes just two months after the Bush administration announced it last year in one of its final policy initiatives.

The new administration's action seems certain to stoke ideological battles between supporters and opponents of abortion rights over the responsibilities of doctors, nurses and other medical workers to their patients.

Seven states, including California, Illinois and Connecticut, as well as two family planning groups, have filed suits challenging the Bush rule, arguing it sacrifices the health of patients to religious beliefs of medical providers.

A couple of caveats; first, the repeal of this rule will not force doctors or nurses to perform abortions. Second, the issue of whether the health care provider should point the patient to alternative professionals who will supply them with what they need is a good one and should be looked at carefully. This matter becomes most controversial when dealing with the "morning after pill" that many pharmacists do not dispense as a matter of religious or moral consideration. But should they direct the woman to another pharmacist who will supply the pill?

Beyond that, this question should be a no brainer for anyone living in a free country. The idea that the Obama administration is contemplating doing away with it says more about their radicalism on the abortion issue than it does health professionals living by their deeply held beliefs.