Word: gagging
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...time for a little kumbaya, a little hand-holding and coming together. So in that generous spirit, in spite of our many differences, I hope that we can all, pro-choicers and pro-lifers alike, join together in condemning the Bush administration policy known as the Global Gag Rule...
First adopted by President Reagan and later abolished by President Clinton, the Global Gag Rule—officially titled the “Mexico City Policy”—was reinstated by Bush on the second day of his presidency. The Global Gag Rule prohibits the provision of U.S. family planning aid to foreign NGOs that perform abortions (except in cases of rape, incest, or threat to the woman’s life), offer abortion counseling or referral or lobby for the legalization or increased availability of abortion in their country. Groups that engage in any of these...
...begin with, U.S. law already prohibits the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for overseas abortions and abortion lobbying; even if the Global Gag Rule were repealed, it would still be illegal for U.S. family planning aid to fund these activities. And we could ensure that NGOs would continue to use our aid appropriately—our government keeps close track of how its money is spent. The question is whether essential health services should be undermined because they are performed by organizations with whom some Americans have a sharp difference of opinion...
...Global Gag Rule also puts the U.S. in the intolerable position of undercutting democracy abroad. How would we feel if other nations sought to set the terms of our national abortion dialogue? America purports to champion democracy around the world, and yet we smother the speech of NGOs, restricting free and open discourse in foreign nations. Consider this double standard: If the Global Gag Rule were applied domestically—to restrict the participation of American NGOs in our national abortion debate as a condition of their receiving federal aid—it would be struck down as patently unconstitutional...
...valid, but the question is what stipulations are in our nation’s long-run interests. I would argue that perhaps our most fundamental interest lies in the promotion of democracy abroad. If we are to silence any speech, it ought to be that which undermines democracy. A gag rule that prohibits funding organizations that promote terrorism on the side is thus justifiable. But abortion advocates, unlike supporters of terrorism, are an important voice within any democratic dialogue. Last I checked, pro-choice activists weren’t the ones employing violent tactics...