Sunday, June 17, 2007

Scientifically Accurate Information is a Must

Can you practice medicine without a medical license? Apparently Rep. AG Crowe (R-Slidell) thinks he can. He attempted to pass a bill through the state legislature that would have allowed the government to insert itself into the doctor/patient relationship. This bill, HB 25, would have forced doctors to tell women information that lacked medical consensus. A pamphlet is given to each woman seeking an abortion in Louisiana entitled a “Woman’s Right to Know” and AG Crowe wanted to insert his own thoughts into the pamphlet, instead of letting the medical community do its job. Instead of this being controlled by a scientific community specifically trained to handle medical decisions, Crowe wanted the government, whose job it is to create laws, to be left in charge. I don’t know about you, but I would rather talk to a doctor about my health instead of some Senator or Representative.

Thankfully, before Crowe could push his bill through the legislature, Senator Lydia Jackson (D-Shreveport) introduced amendments that would ensure that women seeking an abortion would be able to receive scientifically accurate information.