http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/is-refusing-bed-rest-a-crime/
Or rather, there are too many. Let’s start with… ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!
Backing up, for those of you who haven’t read the link. A woman 25 weeks pregnant goes to her doctor. Her doctor detects signs of a miscarriage. To protect the child he orders bed rest and orders the patient to stop smoking. The patient, who is a mother of two children and works, says she can’t possibly take the bed rest. She has to care for her current family. She also refuses to stop smoking – not sure what the circumstances around that one are. She requests a second opinion and attempts to go see another doctor. The first doctor contacts the Florida government and gets them to force the woman into a hospital against her will. When she requests a change of hospital it is denied. Three days later, she miscarries.
First, DUH! Stress is a factor in miscarriages. You force the woman into a hospital against her will, what the hell did you think was gonna happen? Second, since when does the state get to determine whether or not a pregnant woman can seek a second medical opinion? Oh, and it gets even better. When ordering her into the hospital, the state also ordered her to under go any and all medical treatment the first doctor ordered in order to protect the fetus. Okay, since when do a fetuses civil liberties completely supersede its parents? Are we going to enslave pregnant women until their fetus’ are born? What about parents? Are we going to enslave parents and legislate everything they can and cannot do with their children? For the children’s own good? Come on people!
