Letter to the Editor: 'Flawed Bill Which Should Not be Supported by Any Citizen'

• Editor's Note: The following Letter to the Editor was submitted by Thomas Lutz. If you'd like to send your letters to the editor, email plamena@patch.com.

A recent column by State Senate Candidate Justin Wagner was particularly disturbing. The impact of his public policy proposal is nothing short of an extreme and unwarranted attack on Catholics in particular, and those who believe in the sanctity of liberty generally.

Wagner’s column underlined the real threat imposed by extremist candidates and their policies. In New York State an extreme and damaging bill is being promoted by some state officials as a direct assault on the freedom of conscience of millions of New Yorkers, especially Catholics. The bill entitled the “Reproductive Health and Privacy Protection Act” (S.2844/A.6112) is a fundamentally flawed bill which should not be supported by any citizen who believes in the freedom of conscience or the sanctity of human life.

Thoughtful voters can debate every issue, but the extreme nature of this bill should be alarming to those on all sides and from all parties. This bill seeks to ensure that abortions are legal throughout all nine months of pregnancy, including late term and partial birth abortions. Furthermore, this legislation would force even Catholic hospitals and those with moral objections to perform such procedures and ignores any legitimate interest in the third trimester.

Catholic hospitals would be forced to shut their doors. It is crucial that all New Yorkers respect the conscience rights of our doctors, nurses, religious hospital administrators, and health care professions from being forced to provide a procedure which would violate their deeply felt moral convictions on abortion. 

During these tough economic times, when women and children, and families in general, are truly struggling, why would we seek to shut down even more hospitals? This bill is cruel and must be stopped. 

It is equally crucial that we send lawmakers to Albany who will defend conscience protections and our religious liberty. We need leaders at our State Capitol who will fight for our rights and protect all New Yorkers from radical legislation which are ideologically-driven and extremely dangerous for women, children and religious liberty. 

Father Thomas Lutz

Formerly of Sacred Heart Church

Patterson