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| Personally Irresponsible |
I raised this question in 2013 when I testified against SB1, the infamous anti-women's health legislation now before the Supreme Court. I wondered about her claims that the anti-abortion legislation was going to improve women's health.
What was she willing to pledge if these claims proved untrue? My question went unanswered.
Well, it now seems that the medical profession is quantifying the results from earlier legislation championed by Sen. Nelson attacking Planned Parenthood in 2011. Sen. Nelson's response? Rather than accept what The New England Journal of Medicine has to say, she's gone after their study. What does she think - that this is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change? Check this take-down of her critique here.
In any case, this seems an apt opportunity to remind Sen. Nelson of the question I asked her - and what it means that she failed to take personal responsibility for her actions.
***
July 8, 2013
Madam Chair Nelson, Vice Chair Deuell, members of the Senate committee on
Health & Human Services, my name is Carl Lindemann and I live here in Austin.
Thank you for this opportunity to speak.
Last week marked 150 years since the battle of Gettysburg. Today we have our
own Civil War brewing. What I offer now is intended to keep things more civil
than war.
I am against SB 1 because there is no element of personal responsibility.
Legislators supporting this do so against the strong opposition of mainstream
medical professionals. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Texas Medical Association denounce it.
Proponents say the legislative intent is to improve health for women. Medical
professionals say this will harm them. The bill needs benchmarks built into it to
see which is true.
Legislators have professional responsibility. Harm the public and hopefully you
don't get reelected. But legislators need to take personal responsibility for a bill so important and so far out of the medical mainstream. This will reassure those on both sides that the stated legislative intent is, in fact, the true intent. How to take personal responsibility here?
Before voting to support the bill, show your commitment by pledging that:
If things do not turn out as you say, you will resign from this committee. Those
with a greater commitment to personal integrity will also pledge not to seek
reelection.
Those with the greatest personal integrity will pledge to resign from office altogether if women are harmed, not helped, by this bill.
And if you're not willing to take any personal responsibility? What does that say
about the true legislative intent of this bill - of the personal integrity of those that support it?
Again, thank you Madam Chair for this opportunity to speak.
Last week marked 150 years since the battle of Gettysburg. Today we have our
own Civil War brewing. What I offer now is intended to keep things more civil
than war.
I am against SB 1 because there is no element of personal responsibility.
Legislators supporting this do so against the strong opposition of mainstream
medical professionals. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Texas Medical Association denounce it.
Proponents say the legislative intent is to improve health for women. Medical
professionals say this will harm them. The bill needs benchmarks built into it to
see which is true.
Legislators have professional responsibility. Harm the public and hopefully you
don't get reelected. But legislators need to take personal responsibility for a bill so important and so far out of the medical mainstream. This will reassure those on both sides that the stated legislative intent is, in fact, the true intent. How to take personal responsibility here?
Before voting to support the bill, show your commitment by pledging that:
If things do not turn out as you say, you will resign from this committee. Those
with a greater commitment to personal integrity will also pledge not to seek
reelection.
Those with the greatest personal integrity will pledge to resign from office altogether if women are harmed, not helped, by this bill.
And if you're not willing to take any personal responsibility? What does that say
about the true legislative intent of this bill - of the personal integrity of those that support it?
Again, thank you Madam Chair for this opportunity to speak.
###
