Hey everybody, I received a pretty important message in the mail, read on: (typos and poor grammar are not mine, so do not blame me! The message is good, though!)
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I just received this and am sending it on to you so you can do
your bit. It only takes a few minutes, and it is very important:
(Instructions on trying to stop this appointment appear at the end
of the
email. When you send this to other people, please copy and paste
it
into an email - rather then just forwarding it.)
PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENT
It doesn't matter if you are on the Right or Left on the issue of
women's reproductive
rights, please consider the following...
President Bush has announced his plan to select Dr. W. David Hager
to head up the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Reproductive
Health Drugs Advisory Committee. The committee has not met for
more than two years, during which time its charter has lapsed. As
a result, the Bush Administration is tasked with filling all
eleven positions with nenew members. This position does not
require Congressional approval. The
FDA's Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee makes crucial
decisions on matters relating to drugs used in the practice of
obstetrics, gynecology and related specialties, including hormone
therapy, contraception, treatment for infertility, and medical
alternatives to surgical procedures for sterilization and
pregnancy termination.
Dr. Hager's views of reproductive health care are far outside the
mainstream of setback for reproductive technology. Dr. Hager is a
practicing OB/GYN who describes himself as "pro-life" and refuses
to
prescribe contraceptives to unmarried women.
Hager is the author of "As Jesus Cared for Women: Restoring Women
Then and Now."
The book blends biblical accounts of Christ healing women with
case studies from Hager's practice. In the book Dr. Hager wrote
with his wife, entitled "Stress and the Woman's Body," he suggests
that women
who suffer from premenstrual syndrome should seek help from
reading the bible and praying.
As an editor and contributing author of "The Reproduction
Revolution: A Christian Appraisal of Sexuality,
Reproductive Technologies and the Family," Dr. Hager appears to
have endorsed the medically inaccurate assertion that the common
birth control pill is an abortifacient. Hagar's mission is
religiously
motivated. He has an ardent interest in revoking approval for
mifepristone (formerly known as RU-486) as a safe and early form
of medical abortion.
Hagar recently assisted the Christian Medical Association in
a "citizen's petition" which calls upon the FDA to revoke its
approval of mifepristone in the name of women's health.
Hager's desire to overturn mifepristone's approval on religious
grounds rather than scientific merit would halt the development of
mifepristone as a treatment for numerous medical conditions
disproportionately
affecting women, including breast cancer, uterine cancer, uterine
fibroid tumors, psychotic depression, bipolar depression and
Cushing's syndrome. Women rely on the FDA to ensure their access
to safe and
effective drugs for reproductive health care including products
that prevent pregnancy.
For some women, such as those with certain types of diabetes and
those undergoing treatment for cancer pregnancy can be a life-
threatening condition. We are concerned that Dr. Hager's strong
religious beliefs
may color his assessment of technologies that are necessary to
protect women's lives or to preserve and promote women's health.
Hager's track record of using religious beliefs to guide his
medical decision-making makes him a dangerous and inappropriate
candidate to serve as chair of this committee. Critical drug
public policy and research must not be held hostage by
antiabortion politics.
Members of this important panel should be appointed on the basis
of science and medicine, rather than politics and religion.
American women deserve no less.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1. SEND THIS TO EVERY PERSON WHO IS CONCERNED ABOUT WOMEN'S RIGHTS.
2. OPPOSE THE PLACEMENT OF THIS MAN BY CONTACTING THE WHITE HOUSE
AND
TELL THEM HE IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE ON ANY LEVEL.
Please email President Bush at [email protected]
or call the White House at (202) 456-1111 or (202) 456-1414 and say
"I oppose the appointment of Dr. Hager to the FDA Reproductive
Health Drugs Advisory Committee. Mixing religion and medicine is
unacceptable. Using the FDA to promote a political agenda is
inappropriate and seriously threatens women's health."
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Anyways, on a less serious note, but something that still PISSES ME OFF, THE SCIENTISTS have cancelled their show at the Crocodile (or been cancelled)..WHAAA! I really wanted to GO!
