Wednesday, April 12, 2006

When things get out of hand

So I found via Bitch, PhD. this article about pharmacists refusing to give antibiotics and vitamins to women because of "moral objections". This is bullshit. The whole moral objection to filling prescriptions idea is fundamentally flawed, because it allows pharmacists to force their moral/religious beliefs on others. Following the logic of these proposed laws doctors would not have to treat people whom they thought were immoral (such as a homophobic doctor refusing to treat a gay man), likewise with police or anybody else whose job it is to help people.

Besides, in what way is it immoral to give people medicine, even if you don't agree with what they are doing with it? If you think something is immoral then don't do it, you don't have to force other people to conform to your morality. This is just one symptom of the widespread viewpoint in this country that "whatever I don't personally agree with should be illegal". What ever happened to "I don't agree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it" (with apologies to Voltaire for possible misquotes).

No comments: