Bush Chipping Away At Civil Rights, Again

I expect a lot of these last minute changes by Bush chipping away at our Civil Rights in the name of religion:

"A last-minute Bush administration plan to grant sweeping new protections to health care providers who oppose abortion and other procedures on religious or moral grounds has provoked a torrent of objections, including a strenuous protest from the government agency that enforces job discrimination laws.

The proposed rule would prohibit recipients of federal money from discriminating against doctors, nurses and other health care workers who refuse to perform or to assist in the performance of abortions or sterilization procedures because of their “religious beliefs or moral convictions.”

It would also prevent hospitals, clinics, doctors’ offices and drugstores from requiring employees with religious or moral objections to “assist in the performance of any part of a health service program or research activity” financed by the Department of Health and Human Services.

But three officials from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, including its legal counsel, whom President Bush appointed, said the proposal would overturn 40 years of civil rights law prohibiting job discrimination based on religion."

Lawyers point out "the rule was unnecessary for the protection of employees and potentially confusing to employers".

And what would be an example of something Bush objects to?

"As an example of the policies to which they object, Bush administration officials cited a Connecticut law that generally requires hospitals to provide rape victims with timely access to and information about emergency contraception."

Conservatives who want to deprive a rape victim to these options are evil. Classic lack of empathy towards the less fortunate. Right to privacy? They want religion to be the State.

Source: NYT