I was on the highway when I first heard about the Supreme Court's healthcare decision, riding with the other "Nuns on the Bus." We were watching CNN coverage, dejected by the initial (erroneous) report that the Affordable Care Act had been overturned. And then, after NETWORK's Communications Coordinator called us with the correct information, we cheered!
My immediate reaction: elation mixed with relief and a sense that riding beside me were the hundreds of people I had met during our bus journey--people who, like me, would be directly impacted by this historic decision.
As Executive Director of NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby in Washington DC, I had been actively engaged in lobbying Congress for the Affordable Care Act as it moved through Congress. For example, I had written the "nuns' letter," signed by the leaders of many Catholic Sisters just before the congressional vote. (Many had credited that letter with playing an important role in getting the bill passed.)
I wrote the letter not just because of my personal beliefs, but because access to healthcare had been an integral part of my organization's mission since our founding four decades ago by 47 Catholic Sisters. Simply put, we see healthcare access as a fundamental human right. This law saves lives, a sacred obligation.
More recently, NETWORK had been instrumental in organizing another group of Sisters to sign on to an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in support of the Medicaid extension provisions. We also marched and prayed in front of the Supreme Court steps while the hearing was going on.
Being on the road when the healthcare decision was announced was perfect. Why? Because throughout our travels we "nuns on the bus" had connected with hundreds of people who brought home the human impact of decisions made in Washington.
For example -- a 30-year-old woman in Cleveland told us about being unable to get the health insurance she desperately needed because of preexisting conditions.
And an Illinois mother spoke with gratitude about how the new law already meant that her children were now able to get health insurance despite their health problems.
How can anyone ignore the needs of these people?
Particularly upsetting to many of us are the people who call themselves pro-life and who are yet unable to see that providing healthcare to millions of new people is lifesaving.
But we are not finished yet.
Immediate reactions to the Supreme Court decision from Republican congressional leaders and Mitt Romney indicate that the battle for healthcare access will continue on Capitol Hill and across the nation.
NETWORK will be there every step of the way. This law is too vital to be cast aside.
With our thousands of member activists, we will work to preserve and expand its reach. As a matter of justice, we want even more people covered, including more immigrants and more people who struggle to afford the medical care they need.
My faith tells me that saving lives is a moral duty. This law is clearly pro-life and I will work hard to protect it.
The Health Care Law & You | HealthCare.gov
Supreme Court upholds health care law - NBC Politics
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act - Wikipedia, the free ...
As It Happened: Supreme Court Upholds Health Care Law : The - NPR
There is another aspect. Walter Cronkite noted extreme rise in poverty for young men in their 20's, the age of new fathers. For the last 40 yearsI also have watched employers make jobs part time and drop medical coverage. The health care law will encourage employers to make jobs full time. The employees will then have some disposable income which in turn will create more jobs. Maybe the men will marry the mothers of their children and help raise them.
Why did you join the Catholic Church? To cause division & tear her down? Or to build her up? This is not the male hierarchy of the Church speaking. This is a fellow Catholic woman. Please pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit and discernment about the path you should take, and listen closely. I will pray for you and your fellow sisters.
While I'm happy for Sr. Simone Campbell’s (perceived) progress as she continues the good fight to bring the dying R.C.C., (kicking, screaming, whinnying), into the 21st. century, I must note that the problem remains:
As a Non-Catholic, (for example), how is it that I can be affected, (in any way what-so-ever!), by any of the R.C.C.'s (back-O-the-throne-) legislation efforts, fueled by left-over-portions of the bishop’s (thithe-supplied) bail & silence maintenance fund?
I don’t infringe on Cardinal_Princess Dolan’s perceived vocation towards re-invigorating the church’s homophobia, thus motivating thousands of buttockal-pairs in their avoidence of the pews, wallets lost to the collection plate;
Why should his antisocial dogmas have any role / effect my abortion, contraception, marriage & other ‘health-maintenance’ choices?
Where's my 'opt-out' provision, re 11th. century edics that, (minus the dunking stool, cauterising scarlet 'A' / other scarification, and / or, the very common burning stake) didn't work so well, even in the 11th. century?
In a thread below with degrae I note that we don't steal human flesh to save the lives of the born. Only money. So if a fetus is treated the same as a born person, it can only ASK for its mothers flesh. Not demand.
The only way to argue otherwise, i contend, is if you see fetuses as MORE valuable than the born.
Degrae doesn't address this directly but they slip up and reveal that this is precisely what they think.
There is a sentence in their about how the fetus deserves what the mother already had, a chance at life.
Had?
HAD?
I'll have you know that for many people the best is yet to come in your 20's. Life is not over once you have bred.
As you read through degraas response you see a thought process that treats every day of life lived as something that makes you less. each day older in that worldview is a loss as you have used up some potential life. Your maximum value is as a fertilized egg and it goes downhill from there.
This is wildly in opposite to my outlook. I see each day of life as making you MORE. Age and experience gives you breadth and depth that a child lacks. You aren't losing innocence, you are gaining knowledge.
An adult represents an immense amount of expended effort. Time, love, education. They are woven into the fabric
Everyone who is a pro-life is a liar according to you! What about Norma McCorvey who was used and thrown aside by the legal system?!
She spent lifetime on your side, look at where she is now! When you kill, you can't win, period!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQzdMv6nW4o
"Life is not over once you have bred"... that sure as h#$% is true!! Life began a whole new part of my journey.
"had".... my bad - I am aterrible editor of my posts.... always have been and am not going to chance now. I only said "had" in reference to the baby who hadn't had that chance yet.
You presume a whole lot....
She is a line speck of decency in the religious community.
It is you who are the disgrace, opposing medical care for sick people.
Shame on you. SHAME!!
I thought I was way out in front and all alone in my comments about the church.
St. Louis, MO, Catholics are praying to have the ACA overturned as of 6/30/2012.
Sr. Simone has a few overt supporters, and many, many who are keeping their silence.
As it is they support the death penalty, wars of aggression, letting people die rather than providing health care ...
The states where they dominate have the highest infant and maternal mortality rates in the nation.
Their fetal fascination is simple. You can't *do anything* for a fetus. It is safe from help in someone else's womb. You can extoll the wonders of fetal life all day and never say anything that would cause anyone to expect you personally to *do* anything.
try that about anything born and people will expect you ... to be pro-life.
A prolifer named Geo.Bush gave us ten years, $3 trillion in debts and between 100,000 & 1.something.million dead men, woman, ('preggors' & otherwise) & children!
Another prolifer, (Tony Blair), has been quite vocal in his contention that lying about Imaginery W.M.D.'s is the only problem / policy-concern, re his / Bush's econo-war...
Another prolifer, (Scott '50-to-life' Roeder), gunned down an abortion provider in church!
Another prolifer, (Muhammad Atta), flew a plane into a building!
Another prolifer blew up the Murrah federal building!
Another 'prolifer' (Pastor Worley), believers Jesus wants 1-12% of humanity rounded up, condemned to life in electric-fenced concentration camps...
Another 'prolifer' (Pastor Fred Phelps) says HIS Deity loves I.E.D.'s and dead soldiers!
So much life-affirmation…
From those who'd tell the rest of us that, (like Harold Camping's on-again / off-again, ‘revelation / last days’ frauds), THEY ALONE are sufficiently aware of the Deities’ desires!
L.M.F.A.O.!!