In an effort to combat COVID-19, aside from mandating “social distancing,” Gov. Jay Inslee’s administration issued a directive requiring all medical and dental offices to cancel elective health care services, procedures and surgeries “that are not anticipated to cause harm to the patient within the next three months,” in order to preserve needed medical supplies for those who are fighting the virus.
I understood why this was necessary and still do. But what I do not understand is why his directive specifically and explicitly exempts abortion clinics.
Politics aside, up until this point, I had been relatively impressed with the way Washington’s governor had handled this health crisis in a nonpartisan manner in our state and with the Trump Administration. He made difficult decisions early, and was forced to make those unpopular decisions before any other states had done so. And it appears that the growth of the disease in Washington has, to this point, not followed the trend of massive spread that has been seen in other parts of the world.
But to issue this mandate and exempt abortion clinics from it shows that he appears more serious about protecting political agendas than he is in containing this disease. I hope that I’m wrong.
I’ll say it bluntly – regardless of your opinion towards abortion, COVID-19 is a far greater threat to human health than a closed abortion clinic. Hospitals need masks and gloves to handle COVID-19 cases more than abortion clinics need them to pull terminated children from the womb.
Banning elective healthcare procedures and prohibiting church services during a time of national emergency are tough decisions. But if they’re going to be enacted, they should be enacted in all circumstances – not just ones that suit a political agenda. I’m having a hard time believing that church meetings are dangerous for health and disease transmission but operating an abortion clinic is not.
In the meantime, please continue to do everything you can to keep your families healthy and safe.
Thank you for your quick action!
