“Bottom Line” To Waterbury Hospital Merger Does Not Have To Make Brass City “Infanticide, Incorporated”

Doug writes: OK, Mr. Morrissey have it your way. The interim Chief Executive Officer of St. Mary’s Hospital responded to Connecticut Right To Life President Bill O’Brien’s August 3rd Sunday Republican editorial, “Put Brakes On City Hospitals’ Merger” with his August 6th Republican-American editorial, “Waterbury’s Hospitals Can’t Go It Alone.” I’m a guy who struggled with algebra in high school. I wouldn’t dare question Mr. Morrissey’s financial credentials, and barring any submitted evidence to the contrary, I am, at least for now, willing to accept at face value, Mr. Morrissey’s assertion that the merger of Waterbury and St. Mary’s hospitals must go through as planned for the good of both institutions and the community at large. But just like there is more than one way to skin a cat, there is also more than one way to reach the so-called, “bottom line,” which is not to be confused with “hitting rock bottom” for the precarious pro-life issue, which hangs in the balance of this fiscal and moral dilemma.

Modern medical technology has now taught us that by time most women realize they are pregnant, their baby, and no, I won’t say “fetus,” already has the capacity to feel pain and is already noticeably developing in what should be his or her (not “its”) safest possible home, Mom’s womb. Pro-abortionists are all for choice, but always neglect to tell us about what and for whom. Pro-abortionists don’t want mothers considering abortions to see uterine sonograms of “death row,” because in roughly 80% of the cases where mothers did see the sonograms, those mothers opted out of having the abortion. The July/August newsletter for Priests For Life contains an article revealing several documented cases of all the torn body parts, legs, arms, heads, torsos, etc, cavalierly discarded and later accidentally found in dumpsters outside of abortion mills in several cities throughout the country. Those body parts came from little, precious fellow people, not globs of flesh, and they felt every iota of physical agony and sheer terror inflicted on them by, dare I say, “doctors.” Let us all stop the conveniently naïve denial, the inane and deceitful euphemisms, and the grim and grisly folly. Abortion is legalized and brutal murder of innocent, vulnerable infants, period. It’s about time that our culture, especially in what is hypocritically and ironically called “the healthcare field” finally come to grips with that very plain “bottom line.”

Don’t preach to us, Mr. Morrissey, that you believe in “the core tenets” of your own admitted Catholic faith. Catholics cannot support abortion under any condition. To do so is intrinsically evil, grave moral sin, and utter heresy. “Pro-abortion,” or if you prefer, “pro-choice Catholic” is an oxymoron. If you mean what you say, then I dare you, and frankly, I demand that you work with the pro-life community to see to it that if this merger is realized, that abortions will not be conducted in either hospital, while the other necessary medical services, as you cited continue. It can be done, and it should be done.

A fundamental marketing principle is that the higher the expense or deemed value of an item or service, the farther people will be willing to travel to get it. For example, most people wouldn’t consider driving more than 20 minutes to pick a pizza, but they might drive an hour away to purchase a new car. Some hospitals, simply from lack of resources, do not offer some types of advanced services and/or diagnostic testing. In such cases, patients are referred to other hospitals where such services are available. It only takes roughly two and half-hours at most to drive the entire length of Connecticut. Plenty of other cities and towns in our small state sadly offer abortion services. To make it easy, let’s put the religious argument aside for a minute. Waterbury’s merged Hospital(s) could simply reject offering abortions for ethical reasons, if not moral reasons. Where is the stone on which it is engraved that that secular hospitals must provide abortion services?

Speaking of medical ethics, Mr. Morrissey, does this phrase sound familiar to you: “First, do no harm”? Doctors, including at The Association of Pro-Life Physicians (www.ProLifePhysicians.org), have already told us that there is no medical or moral necessity to intentionally perform an abortion to save the life of the mother, thus, there is no urgency for any woman procuring an abortion, and if she were to sadly opt for an abortion anyway, she certainly would not have to drive far outside of Waterbury to procure one, and I don’t believe that the slightly extra driving distance would deter her from doing so (unfortunately). Even with this proposed merger, I seriously doubt that the blood money Waterbury Hospital would loose from such a decision could not be made up elsewhere in the budget. Besides, you would no longer be killing future potential (paying) patients! Make it easy on yourself, Mr. Morrissey. If you are struggling with this concept, just close your eyes and pretend that those so-called “patients” from the general public seeking abortions are instead Catholics, protesting the distribution of the “Plan B” pill. In other words, once again, like you have done before, just say, “No.” Why do you feel so compelled to offer an unnecessary procedure that women can obtain virtually anywhere else in the state while simultaneously feeling just as compelled to so flagrantly publicly discriminate against an entire, and locally predominant religious faith, which you also belong and supposedly subscribe to? You would not be denying “health care” access. Abortions are not medically necessary, and in many cases, actually cause physical and emotional harm to women, so there is nothing at all “healthy” about this diabolical and inhumane procedure. And given the graphic details if this unnecessary and horrifically barbaric procedure, I ask you, Mr. Morrissey, “Where, oh where, is the so-called ‘care’?”

Is public funding your master? Then ditch it! Aggressively increase fundraising efforts, break with current trends, and actually become autonomous, free to thrive, and without the bondage of intrusive government mandates. Or else, let both hospitals continue on as they have been.

I’m a Catholic, too, Mr. Morrissey. Like I said before, you’re the money whiz, and I’m just a an average guy who struggled with high school algebra, but now I have given you a reasonable out, and if your Catholic faith means anywhere near what you claim it means to you, then given your financial aptitude, education, and experience, I am confident that you have the wherewithal to smooth out the bumps and rough spots and make my suggestion work. The daunting, and yet lingering question however, is, “Do you, my fellow Catholic, have the desire?”

The rest is up to you, Mr. Morrissey. We’ll all be waiting, and God will be watching. I pray for the future safety of the lives of our community’s newly conceived babies, as well as for the future of the salvation of your soul, that you will soon wisely seek His grace, and not later desperately require His mercy.

Doug