Position Papers

 

members Toi Clawson and Lynn Lewandowski on Legislative Advocacy Day 2007
Legislative Advocacy Day, 2008

 

Reproductive Health Act (S.5808) Opposition Statement (Advocacy Day 2009)

Feminists Choosing Life of New York opposes the so called Reproductive Health Act because it:

  • Raises abortion to the status of a fundamental right.
  • Offers greater protection under the law to abortion clinics and providers than to women.
  • Denies women full and complete informed consent.

FCLNY understands that rather than a fundamental right, abortion is an exploitation of women through their childbearing capacity and a violation of the human rights of children in the womb that is akin to slavery. Just as white slave owners justified slavery because of the skin color and cultural practices of African slaves, the RHA seeks to justify abortion based on societal convenience and the size and location of the child.

FCNY opposes the Reproductive Health Act (S.5808), formally the Reproductive Health and Privacy Protection Act, because it places the protection of abortion providers ahead of the protection of women by removing all current abortion restrictions, disallowing any charge of manslaughter should a woman die at the hands of an unqualified abortion provider and by removing abortion from the penal code thus leaving women without recourse should she receive unwanted abortion medication, is coerced into an abortion or experiences a “botched” abortion. RHA removes the requirement that abortions only be performed by licensed physicians thus leaving women vulnerable to substandard medical care.

FCLNY seeks full informed consent requirements for all abortion legislation including the Reproductive Health Act. As with all medical procedures, patients have a right under the law to have a “clear appreciation and understanding of the facts, implications and future consequences of a procedure and must be in possession of all relevant fact at the time of consent. New York State is remiss in this requirement related to abortion. Full informed consent for abortion would require abortion clinics to provide in-depth information regarding the procedure, short and long term health consequences, information on fetal development and the gestational age of fetus to be aborted and finally, in-depth information about Post Abortion Syndrome (PAS). A woman cannot make a truly informed “choice” without this information and its withholding constitutes willful deception.

Feminists Choosing Life of New York demands a “NO” vote to this dangerous, anti-woman legislation.

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Statement opposing: Conscience Rescission Proposal (RIN 0991-AB49)

March 31, 2009
Office of Public Health and Science
Department of Health and Human Services
ATTN:  Rescission Proposal Comments
Hubert H. Humphrey Building
200 Independence Avenue, SW, Room 716G
Washington, DC 20201

RE: RIN 0991-AB49; Conscience Rescission Proposal:   STRENUOUS OBJECTION!

Dear Sir or Madame:
In response to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)’ request for comments regarding the RIN 0991-AB49 - Conscience Rescission Proposal, Feminists Choosing Life of New York (FCLNY) would like to make the Department of Health and Human Services aware of its most strenuous objection to rescinding the Conscience Regulation proposal of Dec. 19, 2008. 

History and Mission of FCLNY

FCLNY is a not-for-profit, secular, pro-life, pro-woman organization, incorporated in the State of New York, whose mission seeks to:

…open minds to its philosophy of pro-life feminism, the belief that all people, by virtue of their human dignity, have a right to live without violence from conception to natural death.”

As such, FCLNY has been fighting for the rights of women and their children, born and unborn, for the past twenty years, first as a chapter of Feminists for Life of America and now as an independent non-profit organization. We have advocated for minimum working wages in New York State, affordable childcare, medical oversight for emergency contraception, unborn victims of violence legislation and money for adult stem cell research and umbilical cord blood banking and research. FLCNY opposes abortion, the death penalty, euthanasia, war, and many other pro-life issues. Our web site is:  www.feministschoosinglife.org.

FCLNY Opposition to Rescinding Conscience Regulation

FCLNY is opposed to rescission of the Conscience Regulation for the following reasons:

1. Affront to US and International Basic Human Rights: Given our pro-life, pro-woman philosophy, and our active opposition to violations of human rights, we assert that to rescind the Dec. 19, 2008 conscience regulation (“Conscience Regulation”) which allows health care providers and others the freedom and basic human right to not violate their consciences, especially (but not limited to) abortion procedures, would be tantamount to stripping the human dignity of impacted individuals.

Women and men have an innate human dignity and corresponding human rights which are fundamental to human nature and which are recognized in the United States Constitution and by the 50 individual states. Further, basic human rights are recognized by the United Nations which has as the stated purpose of “promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction…” (United Nations Charter, Preamble, Purpose #3). Among these fundamental human rights is surely the most basic: the right of an individual to act in accord with her/his conscience, without interference from the government or employer.

2. Rescission Will Disproportionately Impact Women Health Care Workers: According to a 2003 report, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), found that women constitute 79.1 percent of all Health Care Workers. This female ‘supra majority’ cuts across all but one sub-area (craft workers) of health care worker classifications, and includes Professionals, Technicians, Operatives, Officials and Managers, and Service Workers.  All of these sub-categories of health care workers could have a potential moral conflict should the existing Conscience Objection be rescinded, forcing disproportionate numbers of women to leave their jobs. This could and will create an unjustly discriminatory financial strain on women. FCLNY cannot support an initiative which would so disproportionately impact women in a negative fashion.

3. Rescission Will Disproportionately Impact Health Care Services for Women and Poor: Those who support rescission of the Conscience Objection fail to understand that such an action will in fact harm women’s health!  Since it is generally religious-based health facilities which provide health services in poor and underserved populations where the private health sector is not financially motivated to go, it is likely that such providers will close or curtail services if they are made to perform services that they find morally objectionable.  Women and children who make up the majority of those living in poverty will be the most impacted.

4. No Evidence of Health Care Decline When Health Workers Decline to Participate in Conscience-violating actions: Organizations who would have the Conscience Regulation rescinded have failed to provide statistics which objectively show that health care access and services have been reduced since the Conscience Objection has been in place.

5. Precedent for Conscientious Objection: The right of an individual to conscientiously object to something that is contrary to his moral beliefs has been well-established in this country and throughout the world. In the United States, an individual’s right to conscientiously object to participation in war-related service pre-dates the U.S. Constitution (Section 6(j) of the Military Selective Service Act). Such allowances go back thousands of years in history (National Interreligious Service Board for Conscientious Objectors). On an international level, the issue of the human right to act upon one’s conscience was dealt with by the United National General Assembly in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which reads: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.” (United Nations’ Universal Declaration on Human Rights, emphasis added)

As such, there is overwhelming national and international support for the inherent right of an individual to follow her/his conscience by refusing to participate in an action which is contrary to the individual’s moral beliefs, even if it is generally a government-supported action, as it is in the case of war, and provision of abortion services.  
Additionally, it is inherent in this universally-recognized right of acting in accord with one’s conscience that one is assured of being able to do so without fear of retribution or reprisals. Rescission of the 2008 Conscience Regulation will remove that assurance.

Summary

In summary, the FCLNY strenuously objects to rescission of the 2008 Conscience Regulation.  It will undermine fundamental human rights, disproportionately impact women health care workers, decrease availability of care services in poor and underserved areas, and would go against thousands of years of governments recognizing the right of an individual to act upon his conscience without fear of retribution.

Sincerely,

Kelly Vincent-Brunacini, President
Feminists Choosing Life of New York
Wendy McVeigh, Executive Director
Jean Baric, Advisory Board

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Statement opposing: Women’s Health and Privacy Protection Act (S5829)

Feminists Choosing Life of New York strongly opposes Governor Spitzer’s Women’s Health and Privacy Protection Act (5829) on the basis that it threatens the medical safety of women, disregards and disrespects the life of the fetus at all stages of development and leaves abortion as the ONLY choice for women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy.  Governor Spitzer’s bill is dangerous and blatantly promotes and supports legal but unsafe abortions for women. 

S5829 Threatens the safety of women

  • The abortion procedure would no longer require a licensed physician to be present.(S1201)
  • Makes prosecution for coerced, forced or so called “botched” abortions impossible due to removal of all abortion terminology.
  • No protection for women who unknowingly receive abortion medication from someone who does not want her to continue her pregnancy.
  • Prevents medical examiners from investigating deaths caused by suspected criminal abortion.
  • Abortions leading to a woman’s death cannot be tried as Manslaughter even if performed by an unauthorized provider.

S5829 Disregards and Disrespects the Life of the Fetus at all stages of Development

  • Seeks to override the Supreme Court ban on Partial Birth abortion by allowing termination up to the point of birth if a physician deems it necessary for the “health” of the woman.  This term, “health of the woman” is intentionally subjective and unspecific, thus can be used for virtually any minor medical or emotional difficulty.  The Supreme Court ruled that PBA is never medically necessary.

S5829 Leaves abortion as the ONLY choice for Women Experiencing Unplanned Pregnancy

  • Removes all possibility of enacting parental consent laws for minors seeking abortion.
  • Removes all possibility of enacting Unborn Victims of Violence legislation.
  • Bars state funds from being appropriated to abstinence or abortion-alternative education programs and forces public school sex education programs to encourage abortion and contraception over other alternatives

FCLNY believes this legislation has been proposed as a calculated political maneuver at the expense of all women and that the very title of the bill is designed to deceive. Don’t be fooled. Feminists Choosing Life urges you tovote “NO” to S5829

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