Despite staunch opposition from the U.S. bishops
Damn. Honesty compels me to retort to my own angry post about Sister Carol Keehan’s response to the ACLU report. I had the thought of emailing her to ask how it’s possible for Catholic hospitals to do both: to obey the ERD and perform abortions…and by doing that I found she’s not a heartless episcopal mouthpiece. So in all fairness here’s another view of Carol Keehan:
Sister Keehan, who earned a bachelor of science degree in nursing from St. Joseph’s College in Emmitsburg, Md., and a master of science degree in business administration from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, has watched medicine evolve and new policies rise. She has demonstrated unwavering commitment to the mission of providing healthcare to everyone in need, and has been a steadfast advocate of the Affordable Care Act, despite staunch opposition from the U.S. bishops. She worked closely with President Barack Obama on his signature reform law and, due to her support, received one of the president’s 21 pens used to sign the bill.
Plus I just like her face, dammit.
That’s the problem with religions with a powerful hierarchy. They can corrupt even genuinely good people, by forcing them to toe the party line on abominable practices.
May we know exactly what she said in response to your email?
You have not previously had such good things to say about Carol Keehan. May we know what has changed your mind? Or is it all to do with her face?
Ohtobide @3: Re-read the post. Keehan bucked her dark overlords in fighting for the ACA (commonly known as Obamacare).
Freemage
I have read the post. Normally I would not reply to those who ask me to ‘re-read the post’. But in this case I would ask: ‘So what?’ She is a rich, clever employee of a corrupt, cruel, misogynist organisation. Ok, she is not quite as bad as some of them. So what?
Ohtobide @ 2 – sorry, I worded that badly – I didn’t actually email her, I merely thought about it and then did some Googling in order to learn more.
I was annoyed by your comment @ 3 at first because I didn’t remember having talked about Keehan before, but I searched and found that I had – and you’re right. What she had done when I blogged about her last time was pretty intolerable. She basically said the bishop of Phoenix had every right to tell Catholic healthcare administrators in his diocese to let women die rather than do an abortion.
http://www.usccb.org/news/archived.cfm?releaseNumber=11-024
To answer your question – I didn’t exactly change my mind, but I did regret my harshness. I think I said why in the post.
But now that I’ve re-read that news release from the bishops…I regret my harshness less.
And I will apologize for my earlier tone (yes, ‘re-read the post’ was rude) and for speaking out of turn. Apologies to you both.
Oh I don’t call that speaking out of turn.
And I still think she’s probably less wicked – less callous – than the bishops. But ugh this is what submission to a hateful patriarchal religion gets you – complicity in their hideous evil. “Certainly, bishop, go right ahead and order hospitals to let women die. Praise Jesus.” UGH.