The legislators that dictate medical procedures for women can also decide to dictate them for other groups. Once they assume office and claim the right to make medical decisions for us, why stop at women? Why not say that young black men can't get liver transplants because they're more likely to die soon than young white men? Why not refuse to allow overweight people to get heart transplants, even though medication may be the cause of that weight gain? Will we refuse blood transfusions for unmarried women having a miscarriage?
WHERE DOES IT STOP?
Once politicians have grabbed the right to dictate medical policy, none of us can be safe. Medical conditions could be picked off and treatment refused on any grounds the political megalomaniacs choose. My blood runs cold at the thought of what politicians will do with genetic information.
Do you know that more children die of mitochondrial disease than childhood cancer? Do you know that there are genetic markers for some of those mitochondrial disorders? What will politicians do when they figure out that they can isolate the group of kids with the genetic markers and tell them what kind of medical care they can or can't have? Will they decide the kind of life these kids can have with a line in the budget, like the Ohio legislature did to decide women's health issues this week?
Take that another step, and tell me that the state of Texas isn't already doing that same kind of thing with autistic and special needs kids. Some school districts refuse to test for learning disabilities because then they don't have to pay for the special education these kids (whose parents pay school taxes) need. If the district doesn't test and won't acknowledge outside testing, then the kid is cured, right? Stick your fingers in your ears and holler, "LA-LA-LA" because that's what school districts are doing already. Scary, isn't it?
The GOP has started the ball rolling on medical interventions by legislation. Take that along with the genetic testing that some patients need before their condition can be treated appropriately, and we have a terrifying situation ahead of us.
What are we going to do about it?
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