Ron Paul is a Dangerous Loony
So says Michael Daunt. Here’s a troublesome factoid (I haven’t been following the elections, really, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s old news). From the horse’s mouth:
In 40 years of medical practice, I never once considered performing an abortion, nor did I ever find abortion necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman.
Really? Because, according to Wikipedia, he was the only ob-gyn in his county, “reportedly delivering 40–50 babies a month and frequently busy with surgery.” And, while it’s rare that abortion is ever absolutely indicated to save a woman’s life, it’s relatively less uncommon that a woman’s life is threatened, or that the baby is fetus is crippled with a horrible genetic condition; therapeutic abortion should at least be considered as an option. To not do so is remarkably paternalistic (worse, for practicing medicine in a geographic region where his patients’ ability to choose a physician is limited).
hey there!
sounds like youre suggesting that doctors should not practice obstetrics or gynecology unless they’re willing to perform abortions.
you’re also misleading your audience to believe that because he never had to carry out an abortion this means he never would, even in a situation where the abortion was necessary to save the life of the mother.
as much as you might like it to be, this isn’t the soviet union with one state run doctor every 100 miles, paul ran a private practice and isn’t obligated to perform any kind of surgery or operation he doesnt want to, let alone terminating lives. what’s paternalistic is for you to presume the right to make that decision for him.
and oh yeah.. you really have to be a freak who gets off on abortions to call someone a dangerous loony simply for not personally wanting to be in the business of cashing in on the distress and misery of a young girl in that position.
Comment by jay — January 4, 2008 @ 1:17 am
hey jay. you really should read what people actually write. and follow links. the “dangerous loony” label is drawn from an article about paul’s views on UN membership and the federal reserve. nor is it misleading anyone to claim paul wouldn’t consider performing an abortion when, if you’d followed the link, paul says just that on his offical website.
Comment by twiffer — January 4, 2008 @ 4:46 pm
I found you because I was looking up Paul’s stance on abortion. I kind of like Paul, but I can’t wrap my head around the fact that he is an OB who is SO virulently anti-abortion. I myself had a late pregnancy loss and had a D&E after my very much wanted baby died. I never went into labor and was getting very ill. I thank god that the D&E was an option for me as it was my first pregnancy and I was terrified of giving birth to a baby who had been dead for several weeks.
I know several women who went to 20 week ultrasounds and discovered that their babies had horrible problems and would be either stillborn or die shortly after birth. Two opted for late abortions after stopping the baby’s heart. One was too late and the baby’s heart was stopped and she was induced. They were all horrible situations and they would not be any less horrible if those women had been forced to carry those babies to term.
These are the things that people never talk about when they talk about abortion. It makes me sad to hear that Paul was the only OB in his county. What did women like me do? Like my friends? If I know 3 other women personally (all who were carrying much much wanted babies) who had abortions and terminations, how many do you think Paul saw in 30 years of medical practice?
I’m dismayed about this. I like Paul because he seems like a straight shooter, but something is very off about an OB having this viewpoint. It is not practical. It is not reality-based.
Comment by Interested in Paul — January 4, 2008 @ 10:12 pm
Hi “Interested,” thanks for your post. It’s nice to be found. In my six weeks of medical school ob-gyn, I saw one therapeutic abortion (a case very similar to yours). I find it very hard to believe that Paul, in practice alone for 40 years, saw no cases where the standard of care would dictate abortion should be a possibility (and possibly even offer the best chances for the mother’s survival).
Certainly many practicing ob-gyn physicians do not perform abortions (there are a number of ob-gyn specialties, such as urogynecology or gynecological oncology, that do not deal with the obstetric side of the field of course, but even as a practicing general ob in an academic medical center or busy urban environment, one could get by without performing them, and without causing great harm to patients, since they have easy access to other options). I am uneasy when doctors put their moral beliefs above what is commonly accepted as the standard of care, though I admit that those standards are often overly political, and I would hope to do the same if I thought I ever thought I was doing more harm than good by following them. But Paul seems to have been operating in an area where his patients had little choice but to see him, which strikes me as much less defensible.
Comment by alexa-blue — January 4, 2008 @ 10:49 pm
The thing that bugs me is when people, like the above poster, discuss abortion only in terms of the young irresponsible girl. It’s so easy to turn it into a case of “she got what was coming to her” or as he put it “cashing in on the distress and misery of a young girl in that position.” Sometimes it’s not the abortion that causes the misery. And the OB who performed my abortion (the baby had already died, so….) was actually the OB who I saw throughout my next pregnancy and delivered my healthy child. I do not consider that he was “cashing in” on anything! He helped me in a time of great sadness.
Paul is getting lots of press as being the honest, thoughtful candidate, and that’s actually what I like about him. In the speeches and interviews I’ve seen, he does seem to tell it like it is. I certainly agree with you that doctors should not have to perform abortions (Although like you said…what did his patients do?). But I would expect than an OB would recognize that abortion is not a black and white issue. I except it from a politician. But I just wouldn’t expect it from an OB.
Thanks for letting me get my thoughts out. :)
Comment by Interested in Paul — January 4, 2008 @ 11:10 pm
I quick thought came to me when i read this story of abortion… So your upset that a man does not want to do an abortion. I believe in god and don’t feel i have the right to take a life, let alone i’m to help a lady kill her child.
She did the dirty dirty and the quick fix is a dump and rump. A child is magic and guidance to becoming a stronger person.. The man should be there for it all not just the woman by her self. Have sex have a kid and be happy with the moments you spend with them 1 day or 50 years it’s not going to be any less hard with the age they become when they pass on.
Comment by Kelfin — February 10, 2008 @ 6:36 am
Hi Kelfin. Just to clarify, my particular issue with Paul is that I find it hard to believe that an OB working alone in a county for 40 years would never come across a case where had to consider aborting a child for reasons of health.
Comment by alexa-blue — February 10, 2008 @ 4:14 pm