Here's a quick quiz. Which one of the following is NOT required to be licensed and inspected in the State of Michigan?
A. Beauty Salon
B. Nail parlor
C. Food booth at a carnival or festival
D. Abortion clinic doing less than 50 abortions a year
If you guessed D, you are absolutely correct! It turns out that the clinic I wrote about that was closed due to unsanitary and unsafe conditions was LEGAL but NOT LICENSED. Yes, you read that one right. Under state law it did not need to be licensed and inspected.
If my service club wants to have a spaghetti dinner fundraiser, we have to jump through all kinds of legal hoops to get permission from the health department. Believe me, they are getting stricter by the year. Some of the regulations make sense and some don't. But the bottom line is we comply.
Now I think that most of you would agree that abortion, being a surgical procedure, is far more risky than eating improperly cooked spaghetti or having a bad haircut. That is why I simply do not understand the resistance to having these places licensed and inspected.
The reason this particular clinic was shut down was that there had been a burglary and so police were called to investigate. Of course, the burglary was committed by none other than those pesky pro-lifers. Naturally. I mean, nobody ever breaks into such places to steal drugs or paraphernalia or anything that they can possibly sell. Naw. Never, ever, happens. Never. We all know who to point the finger at. It's too bad "those people" don't just shut up and go away and we can all live happily ever afterwards. Do I hear an AMEN, people?
So what I am suggesting, ladies, if you are in need of such services or you have friends or loved ones who need such services, that you do your homework. Because it sounds like this is definitely a "buyer beware" service. Since we have been repeatedly told that regulations are not necessary and are in fact just a means of harassment, then it is up to YOU to make the determination whether a particular clinic or doctor is SAFE. Remember, just because it's legal does not necessarily mean it is safe. As the law in Michigan stands (even with the updated changes), there are far more safeguards in place for that plate of spaghetti you ate at the fundraiser for the burned out family with no insurance than there is to have someone go up inside your vagina to remove an unwanted embryo/fetus. Think about that. Think about that long and hard.
I make no attempt to hide my bias here. I'm one of those awful pro-life people. But I am not the one blocking regulations to protect YOUR safety. Far from it.
All I am saying is that if you find yourself in that situation or someone you know finds themselves in that situation where you feel that this is your only or best choice, then for your OWN protection ask the following questions: Is this clinic licensed? Has it been inspected? When was it last inspected? What were the inspection results? What is your overall impression of the facility? Is it clean? It's your body, your choice--and your responsibility. Because no one else is looking out for you.
A. Beauty Salon
B. Nail parlor
C. Food booth at a carnival or festival
D. Abortion clinic doing less than 50 abortions a year
If you guessed D, you are absolutely correct! It turns out that the clinic I wrote about that was closed due to unsanitary and unsafe conditions was LEGAL but NOT LICENSED. Yes, you read that one right. Under state law it did not need to be licensed and inspected.
If my service club wants to have a spaghetti dinner fundraiser, we have to jump through all kinds of legal hoops to get permission from the health department. Believe me, they are getting stricter by the year. Some of the regulations make sense and some don't. But the bottom line is we comply.
Now I think that most of you would agree that abortion, being a surgical procedure, is far more risky than eating improperly cooked spaghetti or having a bad haircut. That is why I simply do not understand the resistance to having these places licensed and inspected.
The reason this particular clinic was shut down was that there had been a burglary and so police were called to investigate. Of course, the burglary was committed by none other than those pesky pro-lifers. Naturally. I mean, nobody ever breaks into such places to steal drugs or paraphernalia or anything that they can possibly sell. Naw. Never, ever, happens. Never. We all know who to point the finger at. It's too bad "those people" don't just shut up and go away and we can all live happily ever afterwards. Do I hear an AMEN, people?
So what I am suggesting, ladies, if you are in need of such services or you have friends or loved ones who need such services, that you do your homework. Because it sounds like this is definitely a "buyer beware" service. Since we have been repeatedly told that regulations are not necessary and are in fact just a means of harassment, then it is up to YOU to make the determination whether a particular clinic or doctor is SAFE. Remember, just because it's legal does not necessarily mean it is safe. As the law in Michigan stands (even with the updated changes), there are far more safeguards in place for that plate of spaghetti you ate at the fundraiser for the burned out family with no insurance than there is to have someone go up inside your vagina to remove an unwanted embryo/fetus. Think about that. Think about that long and hard.
I make no attempt to hide my bias here. I'm one of those awful pro-life people. But I am not the one blocking regulations to protect YOUR safety. Far from it.
All I am saying is that if you find yourself in that situation or someone you know finds themselves in that situation where you feel that this is your only or best choice, then for your OWN protection ask the following questions: Is this clinic licensed? Has it been inspected? When was it last inspected? What were the inspection results? What is your overall impression of the facility? Is it clean? It's your body, your choice--and your responsibility. Because no one else is looking out for you.
