You widdled something about the dark ages but I prefer a law to be something that was arrived at through a process of moral judgment and conscientious consideration. Did you miss that bit earlier about the fact that nobody in S. Dakota was sufficiently interested in involving themselves in the medical extermination of babies that those that do find that a good practice have to fly in outside doctors to perform the procedure? Try to focus on the underlying ethics there. They do not offer or extend that “service” to their citizens but obey a law that says that such services must be available and don’t prohibit the practice of this little service. And so we return to my point. If you want it and I won’t sell it or do it then take your pregnant ass elsewhere and find somebody who will. How hard is that?

Wrap your mind around this: if the State can compel you to perform an abhorrent act such as abortion, how long before the State compels you to undergo an abortion?

This is my last post on this subject since those who disagree on this subject tend to make other people just wish that they’d go away and die somewhere quietly. Preferably, someplace without electricity or an internet connection and would please stop bugging them on the topic.

Don’t forget, the job is not the employee’s. The job is at the pleasure of the employer. Employees who cannot do that job need not apply. Self-employed, such as doctors who have their own practice and choose their cases, have some leeway.

Granted, you could choose a dentist to perform heart surgery and if government was filling the costs you could stipulate he couldn’t refuse your bypass operation and then take money for somebody else’s root canal, but isn’t that sort of idiotic?

Oh, wait. I was talking about government.

In the case of health care, we’ve a slightly different scenario where *my* tax dollars go to a private physician. I want to be treated by said private physician, because he does good needlework and by goodness I just like the cut of the man’s jib. So I’m sold on this guy, I want him to do whatever medical thing I need.

Government saying he can’t get paid for services rendered to me, because he refuses to render others services and instead makes a referral, is wrong. Smacks of tyrrany. Makes one wonder why we bother with insurance now and single-payer later on if somebody in a suit is going to decide who we can see and what they can do.

My solution to all this is that every time an insurance claim is denied, every time a VA benefit is denied, every time a doctor is told they must do something or cannot do something, the patient has a right to a meeting.

The doctor, the patient, and the insurance or government person get to meet for 15 minutes. Personally.

Shirts off. No weapons. First two to walk out win.

If we’re going to institute the divine right of kings to decide our lives, at least with respect to our private dealings with professionals who can help or hinder our health, to my mind the traditional trial by combat seems appropriate.

For indeed, we’ll be back to the Dark Ages.

– Max

Once is a tragedy, twice is circumstance and the third time leads one to think that there’s some sort of fetish involved…

Ever so glad I didn’t get to attend Jesuit High in NOLA (but wish I did, you get a hell of an education from Jesuits!)