How FOCA Will Spell the End of the Universe

Yes, this is another column on the Freedom of Choice Act. (FOCA) This week finds an article in Slate by Melinda Helleberger getting all sorts of folks – including friends of mine – up in arms over the prospect of FOCA being passed by the strengthened Democratic majority in Congress and immediately signed into law (as promised) by then President Barack Obama. What do they foresee as the possible net result of this? Catholic hospitals around the country (comprising up to a third of all facilities) will simply take their ball and go home. (All emphasis in quoted sections of text to follow, mine.)

While there is strenuous debate among legal experts on the matter, many believe the act would invalidate the freedom-of-conscience laws on the books in 46 states. These are the laws that allow Catholic hospitals and health providers that receive public funds through Medicaid and Medicare to opt out of performing abortions. Without public funds, these health centers couldn’t stay open; if forced to do abortions, they would sooner close their doors.

Ed Morrissey, at Hot Air, carries these dire portents to their logical (?) conclusion.

As Henneberger notes, these facilities aren’t in overserved areas, either. Catholic facilities tend to be in places other for-profit clinics and hospitals avoid. The sudden disappearance of these clinics and hospitals would leave millions of people with much fewer choices in medical attention, or none at all.

(Cue the ominous music.) One hardly knows where to begin with this. First of all, Catholic hospitals are hardly homogeneous, just as Catholics themselves – who chose Obama by nine points on Nov. 4 – and even the Bishops are not. In fact, if you take a look at this study you will find that a number of Catholic hospitals are already performing abortions without anyone forcing them to. The idea that 1/3 of the country’s hospitals would suddenly shut down if FOCA is passed seems a bit of a stretch, frankly.

And would they actually choose to do this? Would they want to shut down, as Ed points out, some of the only medical care available in some areas? This, of course, would also entail employment considerations as well. They would need to “charitably” send all of the doctors, nurses, research scientists, and everyone else right down the line to the janitors and secretaries, packing out into the streets. Then again, perhaps this isn’t beyond the scope of some advocates. From the original Slate article:

The bishops are not bluffing when they say they’d turn out the lights rather than comply. Nor is Auxiliary Bishop Robert Hermann of St. Louis exaggerating, I don’t think, in vowing that “any one of us would consider it a privilege to die tomorrow—to die tomorrow—to bring about the end of abortion.”

Hrmm… not only is Bishop Hermann willing to – I’m sorry… would be privileged to – die for the cause, perhaps he’s also willing to send his flock out into the streets as Christian Soldiers to die from any other medical emergencies they may encounter with no emergency services available close by. Well, well… very, ummm… Christian of you. But I suppose if it prevents one abortion from taking place, it was well worth the cost. One can’t help but wonder, though, if all the other residents of the community – including the non-Catholics – will feel the same about their noble sacrifice.

This “issue” shows us once again how the most radical elements on both sides of the debate have brought us to the point where we can no longer have a rational discussion of the issue. I would just like to close with one thought for Kathryn Jean Lopez, linked above. The election is over. Your guy lost. It’s a bit late to run around trying to scare all of the voters with this type of bogeyman. And, as Hindrocket of Powerline never failed to remind us after the 2002 and 2004 election cycles, elections have consequences. This is still a country playing the game by the old majority rules guidelines, and the majority made a choice where this may be something that comes to pass. It’s time to move forward and work within the system we have rather than trying to incite the hyper-devotional masses into the streets using a wedge like this to promote the politics of division.