Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA)

The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) at first glance appears to be another simple, boring act that is trying to be passed in the U.S. Congress. Do not let politics deceive you, this is not another simple nor boring act to be signed. This is a complicated act trying to be passed that has numerous ramifications.

FOCA, if passed, by the U.S. Congress WILL be signed by President Elect Barak Obama January 21-22 of 2009. Obama is quoted as saying that signing FOCA will be his first act as President. FOCA has been long planned and prepared for in the event that Obama did indeed become President.

The following outcomes are the ramifications of FOCA being passed:

1) All hospitals, including Catholic hospitals will be required to perform abortions upon request. If this happens Bishops vow to close down all Catholic hospitals, more then 30% of all hospitals in the United States.
2) Partial birth abortions would be legal and have no limitations.
3) All U.S. tax payers would be funding abortions.
4) Parental notification will no longer be required.
5) The number of abortions will increase by a minimum of 100,000 annually.

The law specifically states that Partial Birth Abortions will be legal yet again, U.S. tax payers will fund abortions, and that parental notification will no longer be required. The increase of abortions is only an estimation, but very likely since it will pave the way for minors to have abortions performed. Abortion has become a new form of birth control.

Obama has been quoted as stating that he feels it is wrong for religious organizations to receive government money and not abide by the same laws that apply to non-religious organizations. This was in mention to an interview question concerning hiring only religious people for religious organizations and yet receiving government funding. Obama felt that if religious organizations received government funding they should have to hire non-religious people without discrimination.

If Obama is of this opinion on such a little thing, how much more so on a greater issue? There is no doubt that if FOCA is passed given time Christian hospitals will have to perform abortions as well. These hospitals will have two choices; perform abortions or shut down their hospitals since they cannot afford to stay open without government funding.

The most terrible consideration is that if FOCA becomes a U.S. law then abortion is in the control of the government and not the people. Unfortunately the government has a history of choosing what is financially less of a burden than what is right. Our health care is exorbitantly expensive at the moment and many hospitals spend way too much for machinery and medicines. If the government were ever to decide that they should not provide care to people who would cost thousands of dollars to survive 1-40 years otherwise, they could easily pass laws to have babies with chromosome abnormalities aborted.

You do not believe that is possible? Did you know that if you have a baby diagnosed with Tri 13 or Tri 18 (meaning a third chromosome in the thirteenth or eighteenth location) they will NOT provide the baby with life support? They will refuse to take care of your baby or try to save their life. There isn't enough chance of them living long enough to pay back the insurance for what it costs to maintain their lives.

They allow your baby to die. I know this from personal experience. When I had Arrayah I was told, long before I knew what was wrong with her and while I was pregnant, that if she was diagnosed as Tri 13 or Tri 18 before birth she would be allowed to die. Government laws concerning that. If the government can refuse to treat a child, and many have lived to be 20 years old or older, then they can easily demand abortions for other people who cost a great deal of Medicare money to keep alive.

This is very troubling for me having had Arrayah. That there is a possibility they can force women to abort babies who have chromosomal abnormalities, as they force women who give birth to Tri 13 and Tri 18 babies to watch their babies die helplessly, strikes a deep cord with my heart. To me this means the difference of having held my daughter for 20 hours and knowing her and not having met her at all. To have had her ripped from me without a choice in the matter. The outcome of FOCA in this regard could take a very long time to happen, but we should not even take the risk of allowing it to happen.

If you still have doubts that this could happen, Euthanasia has already been legally passed in Switzerland. It will not be many more years or decades before it is passed throughout all of Europe and eventually America. Meaning that if someone can prematurely kill a person they have known for numerous years, they can easily kill an imperfect baby they have never met before.


Still doubt? Statistics show that 80-90% of down syndrome babies are aborted per year. We should allow abortion to be the choice of the people and individual states. Least we give the federal government more power than is safe for it to have in this matter.

If you doubt Obama will sign FOCA, please watch this link:




PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION:
http://www.fightfoca.com/


Stop for a minute before replying to this post. Whether you support abortion, you don't support abortion, or are neutral on the issue; please try to speak respectfully with your comments. Realize this is an emotionally loaded subject, especially for women, and try to speak with that in mind. People make mistakes on both sides of these issues, but let us talk about it without making rude or vicious statements.

Now please share your thoughts.




Sources:

Using US Tax Payer Dollars
http://www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/FOCA/FOCA_FactSheet08.pdf

Parental Notification
http://www.christianliferesources.com/?/foca/focaexplanation.php

Increase of Abortions
http://www.christianliferesources.com/?/foca/focareasonstooppose.php

Euthanasia Switzerland
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/326/7383/271

Percentage of Down Syndrome Babies Aborted
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=22533