Letter to the Editor: Hypocrisy
BY Molly Schneider, Tulsa
Sunday, February 24, 2013
2/24/13 at 7:04 AM
Another example of the hypocrisy of the Republican legislators. They bemoan unborn babies who are aborted, but don't give a damn for the ones who are born!
In the article "Children First," (Feb. 16) the 16-year-old first-time mother did not have an abortion. Instead, she enrolled in the program that provides help to poor, first-pregnancy mothers starting before their 29th week of pregnancy and lasting until the child turns 2. Public health nurses visit the home, "work on a wide variety of things, including health issues for the mother and child, jobs, education opportunities, nutrition and child-development education."
House Bill 1063 (Rep. Mark McCullough) proposes to "disband the program, return the Affordable Care Act funding it receives from the federal government and suspend three smaller home visitation programs until they can be audited," because the program "isn't a prudent use of taxpayers' money."
Really? Children First results include adequate prenatal care, healthier birth weights, mothers in the workforce a year sooner, and 80 percent did not have a subsequent pregnancy within 18 months of giving birth.
Children First probably does more to discourage abortion than all the ranting by the anti-abortion people. (I wonder if they will rise up and protest the ending of a program that gives responsible help to women who have chosen to have their babies?)
Rep. McCullough has no plan to replace Children First. (Part of the Oklahoma idea to not accept any "Obamacare" money?)
Letters to the editor are encouraged. Send letters to letters@tulsaworld.com.
Associated Images:
Catherine Ndhlovu, a public health nurse with the Children First program, enters data into a computer during a visitwith Natalie Smith, 16, and her 5 month old baby Jasmine at her home in Jenks. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
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