Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Let me count the ways ...

Via Americablog:

On how many levels is this story just horribly, horribly wrong???

Discuss.

(As per Matterdays' Terms of Service, I also invite dissenting opinions as long as they are presented in a logical manner ... )

7 comments:

Paul said...

First, I've always been pro-choice. When I was coming of age, birth control was generally a female's responsibility (guys hadn't started wearing condoms for disease prevention yet). Having to get an abortion was really no big deal.

Over the last few years or so, with the advances in sonograms and the ability to "see" early fetus development, I've really started to question whether pro-life shouldn't be the right choice.

However, I can't believe that it's ever acceptable for a public-service employee to interfere between a woman and her health care provider. The woman should have been fired.

john said...

I am against abortion because of my religious beliefs. However, I don't think that someone should be able to impose their own beliefs on another. This shoving down the throat of one's beliefs to another, is the reason that their are arguments between the different religious sectors.

She should have been allowed to act as she believed when it came to the "morning after" pill.

LSL said...

I can't do it, I can't even get started on this. I can't even explain what I think. I totally get the pro-choice/pro-life issue, but there are so many things wrong with this story I can't even begin. Argh.

CondoBlogger said...

To dissent or not to dissent? She WAS wanted. I agree that she should have recieved proper medical care and the fact that that was denied to her is wrong, but the arresting, I'm OK with.

Matt said...

First off - I am pro-choice, although I don't believe in abortion simply as a casual means of birth control.

And if there is a valid warrant out for someone's arrest, yes, they should be arrested.

My objections to this are first, that whether or not there is a warrant involved, taking care of someone who is a victim of any violent crime should be first and foremost. Handcuffing her as she was trying to lead the police to the scene of the attack is unconsciable. Investigate the crime at hand, get her the help she needs, and THEN process the warrant.

Secondly, her "Plan B" medication was given by a healthcare provider, and that directive should have been followed. There is now some differing speculation as to why it was not - but if it truly WAS due to religious beliefs ... THAT infuriates me. A whole 'nother post, yes - but that would be, oh, I don't know - WRONG.

Spider said...

You are getting no argument from me on this one... this is oh so wrong...

LSL said...

Thanks for saying more and putting some of my thoughts to words. I was a Rape Victim Advocate in Portland for seven years, so I come from the perspective of knowing how vital the treatment the victim receives is, especially right after an attack. Reading that article brought back a flood of memories of each victim (the ones I cared for ranged from age TWO to probably around 50) - I can't imagine being that heartless and completely desensitized to another human being's pain. Rape is about as traumatizing and humiliating as it gets for a woman (I never had male victims, although it absolutely happens). I hope the media attention keeps this from ever happening again, or least really teaches the arresting officers something.