Tuesday, April 24, 2012

taking care of each other

I know this topic can instantly instigate heated family discussions... but I think that a recent action of the Nebraska Legislature needs a bit of recognition. 

The governor of Nebraska recently vetoed a bill to "provide free prenatal care to undocumented immigrant women" in the state.   The state lawmakers passed the bill by "taking women out of the equation" and using the argument: "The Legislature finds that unborn children do not have immigration status and therefore are not within the scope" of the Nebraska law that "denies benefits to people who cannot prove they are here legally."  This bill will provide undocumented women the opportunity to sign up ("their fetuses") for the State Children's Health Insurance Program. 

The part in the article that I especially like is this statement: "If devoutly anti-abortion lawmakers can decree that immigrants' children are precious people before they're born, maybe at some point they can extend some of their compassion to children who have already entered the world, and to their parents who lack legal status."

A great thought, I think, for all of us.

2 comments:

Marisa said...

Thanks for sharing this.

Anonymous said...

Good thoughts. It's sad to hear politicians expressing negative attitudes toward hispanic children born in the US to undocumented parents. These children should have the same rights to education and health care as any child born here.