A reader writes:
What I find most troubling about the Stupak Amendment debate is the way that the Catholic hierarchy has elevated matters of fiscal and tax POLICY to a matter of morality. I can't be a Catholic in good standing if I have a legitimate public policy disagreement about the allocation of public dollars in a state supported health insurance system? If I believe public dollars can co-exist side-by-side with private dollars in an insurance pool that offers abortion insurance coverage, with public dollars covering everything BUT abortions, I am not welcome at the communion rail? Come on! Really?!?
As a matter of public policy, where does this end?
Is state sponsored sewer and gas hook-up (public dollars) for abortion clinics now a matter of morality? How about the building a maintenance of access roads (often paid for with Federal dollars) to abortion clinics? How about regulating the business practices of clinics that accept Medicaid (public dollars) but also accept insurance plans (private dollars) that cover abortions?
This cheapens the legitimate moral discussion about abortion in my opinion. No longer are we debating fundamental questions about life and the role of the state in the regulation/restriction/prohibition of the practice. Now the debate has devolved to one of abortion's proximity to other things.