Please Help Our Doctors!

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PLAL

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We knew it was coming. The thirty day** public comment period** for removing conscience protection for health care workers began on March 6, 2009 and the clock is ticking. It is hard to believe that in America our doctors, nurses, pharmacists and religious hospitals would be forced to provide controversial services that conflict with their personal, moral and religious beliefs. One of President Bush’s last actions was to reinforce this traditional protection and many of us made use of the official website at that time to express our support for an action that should be a sacred right in our country.

PLEASE take the time to voice your objections to this assault on the religious liberties of our good and dedicated medical personnel. Your comments must be registered on the official website in order to be counted. It’s not enough to contact the White House. They have also made it more difficult by having certain guidelines that must be followed. Here is the website: www.proposedrescission@hhs.gov

According to the Proposed Rule comments should provide the following:
  1. Information, including specific examples, where feasible, addressing the scope and nature of the problems giving rise to the need for federal rulemaking and how the current rule would resolve those problems.
  2. Information, including specific examples where feasible, supporting or refuting allegations that the December 19, 2008 final rule reduces access to information and health care services, particularly by low- income women.
  3. Comment on whether the December 19, 2008 final rule provides sufficient clarity to minimize the potential for harm resulting from any ambiguity and confusion that may exist because of the rule; and
  4. Comment on whether the objectives of the December 19, 2008 final rule might also be accomplished through non-regulatory means, such as outreach and education."
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is preparing guidelines to assist people in making their comments. They should be available very shortly. We want to make sure that we jump through all the hoops that this most pro-abortion administration in the history of our nation has set up for us. Do use your own thoughts, however. We don’t want it to come off as a “form letter” type of response. Off the top of my head I can think of several reasons, such as the first amendment of the Constitution that guarantees freedom of religion, not freedom** from** religion.
 
What about the impact on our health care systems if Catholic hospitals and other Christian hospitals are forced to close their doors rather than comply? Some members of the Catholic Health Association are dismissing the idea saying they would just exercise civil disobedience. Sister Carol Keehan, President and CEO of the CHA, is trying to reassure everyone that there is no imminent threat. I wish I shared her optimistic viewpoint. More and more Catholic hospitals rely on government funding in part, and especially for reimbursement for Medicare patients. What if those funds were withheld? How long would they survive?

Congratulations to Senator Tom Coburn, R. Oklahoma and a Physician/Obstetrician. He boldly proclaimed that he and his fellow doctors would go to jail rather than commit the sin of performing an abortion. His public statement forced the media to call attention to what is happening to our medical providers. Would they really jail them? I’m not sure, but you can bet that they would fine them and restrict licenses and hound them out of the medical field. And it would certainly discourage young people from entering the field of obstetrics and gynecology. This is serious. We need YOUR involvement. Do not miss this opportunity to protect our religious freedoms. In spite of the outstanding lobbying efforts of the Catholics at the Capitol on March 4, it is very disappointing that the Illinois Freedom of Choice Bill, so-called Reproductive Justice and Access Act, HB 2354, was voted out of committee by a 5 – 2 vote. It is such a radical attempt to overturn all protections for women and their unborn children it’s hard to believe that it is even something we would have to worry about passing. But we do! This would enshrine abortion as a permanent “right” in Illinois. Please contact both your State Rep and your State Senator to vote NO. If it passes in the House it will move on to the Senate. We want them forewarned. You remember how to reach your elected officials, go to www.ilga.gov and click on Legislator Lookup then the Zip + 4 tab and enter your nine digit zip code. It has all of the terrible provisions that the federal Freedom of Choice Act has. We need your help to stop it.*** (For the very latest info click on the attachment above from the Students for Life of Illinois and if you haven’t yet signed their petition, please do it there.)***
 
And in a separate call, email, or letter please ask them to vote NO on HB 2234 the Civil Unions Bill which has also passed out of committee and is on the floor. When you hear “civil unions” think “same-sex marriage”, because this bill is the foot in the door. It carries all the same rights and privileges as marriage and has been used in other states to **legalize **same-sex marriage. People with homosexual inclinations can get rights to visitation in hospitals by enacting a durable power of attorney, and inheritance rights by writing a will. What we can’t give that they so desperately want, is the stamp of approval on their lifestyle. There is no discrimination involved and it is not a “fairness” issue as our legislators seem to believe.

Eric Scheidler is asking for people to sign up at prolifeaction.org/forms/newlist.php to receive updates from him to keep us current on these issues. Many of you who are already on his list forward his emails to others. It would be more efficient if they got them directly from Eric. For an excellent video that puts all of this in perspective go to www.priestsforlife.org and click on their newest video “Everyone for Abortion, Raise Your Hand”. (By the way, you can contact any United States Senator at www.senate.gov. Click on Senators at the top and they will all come up in alpha order. You can search by name or state.)

If you watch Glenn Beck you are already aware of the blatant attempt by the Legislative Body in **Connecticut **to take over the financial affairs of the Catholic Church at the parish level. They have backed down from this but it is just “shelved”. If they can do it to the Catholic Church they can do it to any church. The Culture Campaign website (www.culturecampaign.com) has the story in a nutshell at the following link with video, culturecampaign.blogspot.com/2009/03/connecticut-legislature-to-overthrow.html. You can check their regular website for a wide variety of stories. Be sure to tune in to Glenn Beck this Friday March 13th, 4:00 p.m., Central Time, on the Fox News Channel. The guy is very sincere and entertaining at the same time. This Friday’s show is supposed to be special. If you can’t watch it live, please TiVo or tape it.

Another serious concern looming over us is the threat of a huge national health care program. It was P. J. O’Rourke who said, “If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it’s free!” It hasn’t worked in other countries where people wait months to even get the chance to see a doctor. And you can expect rationing and decisions from some beaurocrat about who is eligible to receive treatments. There is already a plan in the “stimulus package” for a centralized control where every doctor would have to receive permission before proceeding with the treatments he feels are appropriate. Can euthanasia be far behind? We are charging full tilt ahead with exactly the opposite policies that we need to grow the economy. Doesn’t anybody have any courage these days to put a stop to this?? Join the tea-bag protest by mailing a tea bag to President Barack Obama, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20500. Thousands of people all over the country plan to mail a tea-bag on April 1st so that it will arrive by April 15th, tax day, just to try to convey their frustration with these borrow/print money and runaway spending policies. Keep an eye on Congressman Paul Ryan from Wisconsin. He is a voice of sanity in this financial mess but is anybody listening?
 
On a lighter note, just have to comment on the CCW Legislative Day and the Catholics at the Capitol. It was such an amazing and enriching experience, unforgettable really. More than 3,600 Catholics took the time to go to Springfield along with Cardinal George of the Archdiocese of Chicago, the Bishops of the other five dioceses in the state, several auxiliary bishops, priests, nuns, parents, nearly 100 ladies representing the Councils of Catholic Women from all over Illinois, and hundreds of children in their Catholic school uniforms. It was the largest single group who had ever come to the Capitol to lobby.

At the rally the first floor of the Rotunda was wall to wall people and then as you looked up there were kids lining the railings of the galleries on every level. They started with a prayer and then the children’s choir sang God Bless America for the Cardinal and the Bishops, their sweet voices drifting up to the huge dome. It was just incredible. Thank you to everyone who came out to stand up for your values. The legislators definitely knew we were there. And thank you to the wonderful women of the** CCW** who spent the day before listening to great speakers and learning all they could about the issues. The lovely luncheon in the ballroom of the Governor’s Mansion and the tour of this gorgeous home (third oldest governor’s mansion in America) was frosting on the cake. Who wouldn’t want to live in this beautiful house?!

I recently watched a video of some of the activities early on in the culture wars in America. I had almost forgotten the anger and conflict that took place outside of abortion clinics in those days. While I admire the conviction of those who participated in Operation Rescue, I think it has left an indelibly negative image of the pro-life movement on the minds of our fellow Americans. It is so different now. All that drama and anger are gone. Now there is just **compassion **and the desperate desire to keep these girls from doing something they will live to regret. There are two or three sidewalk counselors who try to talk to the clients and the rest of the people just stand and pray in support. It is peaceful, prayerful, hopeful, and helpful.

Finally please, please do not become discouraged. Our God is an **AWESOME **God. Certainly it is within His power to make good from evil. We are just His instruments and we must remain faithful to our own values. If you don’t believe that miracles still happen then you’re not paying attention. Father Corapi has it right when he says that we **win **in the end, whether it is here or in the hereafter. Hang in there.
 
This is great news! I had no idea that there was a comment option for this.
 
PLAL said:
PLEASE take the time to voice your objections to this assault on the religious liberties of our good and dedicated medical personnel. Your comments must be registered on the official website in order to be counted. It’s not enough to contact the White House. They have also made it more difficult by having certain guidelines that must be followed. Here is the website: www.proposedrescission@hhs.gov
Click to expand...
I’m confused. When I click on your link I am rerouted to the main HHS website. I wanted to register my comments because I already sent them (there was another thread somewhere about this) to this address: proposedrescission@hhs.gov
…but you say they must be registered first? Where do you register? Is it somewhere on the HHS website??🤷
 
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