 |
 |
President Bush has announced his plan to select Dr. W. David Hager to head up the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee. The committee has not met for more than two years, during which time its charter lapsed. As a result, the Bush Administration is tasked with filling all eleven positions with new members. This position does not require Congressional approval. The FDA's Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee makes crucial decisions on matters relating to drugs used in the practice of obstetrics, gynecology and related specialties, including hormone therapy, contraception, treatment for infertility, and medical alternatives to surgical procedures for sterilization and pregnancy termination. Dr. Hager is the author of "As Jesus Cared for Women: Restoring Women Then and Now." The book blends biblical accounts of Christ healing women with case studies from Hager's practice. His views of reproductive health care are far outside the mainstream for reproductive technology. Dr. Hager is a practicing OB/GYN who describes himself as "pro-life" and refuses to prescribe contraceptives to unmarried women. In the book Dr. Hager wrote with his wife, entitled "Stress and the Woman's Body," he suggests that women who suffer from premenstrual syndrome should seek help from reading the bible and praying. As an editor and contributing author of "The Reproduction Revolution: A Christian Appraisal of Sexuality Reproductive Technologies and the Family," Dr. Hager appears to have endorsed the medically inaccurate assertion that the common birth control pill is an abortifacient. We are concerned that Dr.Hager's strong religious beliefs may color his assessment of tech nologies that are necessary to protect women's lives or to preserve and promote women's health. Hager's track record of using religious beliefs to guide his medical decision-making makes him a dangerous and inappropriate candidate to serve as chair of this committee. Critical drug public policy and research must not be held hostage by antiabortion politics. Members of this important panel should be appointed on the basis of science and medicine, rather than politics and religion. American women deserve no less. There is something you can do. Below is a statement to be sent to the White House, opposing the placement of Hager. (1) Please copy and paste (DON'T forward) the entire email into a fresh email; then sign your name below. After you sign, SEND THIS TO EVERY PERSON YOU KNOW WHO IS CONCERNED ABOUT WOMEN'S RIGHTS. (2) Every 10th person who signs the list (i.e., #10, #20, #30, etc.) -please forward the entire e-mail to [log in to unmask] We oppose the appointment of Dr. W. David Hager to the FDA Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee. Mixing religion and medicine is unacceptable in a policy-making position. Using the FDA to promote a political agenda is inappropriate and seriously threatens women's health. Members of this important panel should be appointed on the basis of science and medicine, rather than politics and religion. American women deserve no less. 1. Susan Tannenbaum (Owings Mills,Maryland) 2. Susan Levine (SilverSpring,MD) 3. Audrey Funk (Henderson,NV) 4. Susan Lowe Shlisky (LasVegas,NV)5. Michelle Straub-Wilensky (Los Angeles,CA) 6. Patricia Phel an (San Francisco,CA) 7. Victoria Einhorn(san anselmo, ca) 8. Brad Einhorn(Brooklyn,NY) 9. Bethany MacMillan (Brooklyn,NY) 10. Amy Russell(Louisville,Kentucky) 11. Beverly D. Moore(Louisville,Kentucky) 12. Co!nnie O. Byrne (Kannapolis,North Carolina) 13. JanetC. Haas (Charlotte, NorthCarolina) 14. Heather Vrana (Charlotte,NC) 15. Clare M. Evans (Newport,VA) 16. Kathy Chadwick 17. Jim Chadwick 18.Claire Grimm Chadwick 19. Lindsay Addison (Naples,FL) 20. Peggy Addison(Naples,FL) 21. David Addison(Naples,FL) 22. Howard Schumsky (Orlando,FL) 23. Kristie Born (Orlando,FL) 24. Paul Boyd (Atlantic Highlands,NJ) 25. Lois Jensen (NYC, NY) 26. Catherine Rubenstein (Belvedere, CA) 27. Anne Rubenstein (Belvedere, CA) 28. Dirk Rubenstein (Belvedere, CA) 29. Barbara K.Westover (Oakland, CA) 30. Sharon Bjornson (Oakland, CA) 31. Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell (Philadelphia, PA) 32. Hana Elwell (Brooklyn, NY) 33. Jen Song(Brooklyn, NY) 34. Janet Lo (New York, NY) 35. Emily Horowitz (New York, NY) 36.Daniel Horowitz (New York,NY) 37. Josh Hyman (New York, NY) 38. Mona Goldsmith (Plainview, NY) 39. Kate Striano (Newtown, CT) 40. Elissa Gellis (Newtown, CT) 41. Diane Thompson (Sandy Hook, CT) 42. LInda Parsloe (SandyHook, CT) 43. Judy Juracek (Darien, CT) 44. Deborah Meisels (City Island,NY) 45. P. Briggs Saroch (Greenfield, MA) 46. Diane Fisher-Katz(Northampton, MA) 47. Kirsten Cirincione (Florence, MA) 48. Jane Lynch (Florence,MA) 49. Kathleen Kennedy (Santa Barbara, CA) 50. Leslie Palmer (San Antonio,TX) 51. Julie Toland, Middletown, RI 52. Josie Merck,( Cos Cob, CT) 53. Elizabeth O'Neill (Boston, MA) 54. Joan O'Neill (Traverse City, MI) 55. Barbara Becker (Concord, CA) 56. Ken Bruckmeier (Oakland,CA)57. Margret Elson(Oakland, CA) 58, Marsha Sherman (Portland, OR) 59. Marin ell Eva (Santa Rosa,CA) 60. Sharon Oman (Petaluma, CA) 61. Adrienne Dav! is (Santa Rosa, CA) 62. Barbara Carlson (Santa Rosa, CA) 63. Karen Grace-Kaho (Sacramento, CA) 64. Mary Beth Love (San Francisco, CA) 65. Ruth Finnerty (Oakland, CA) 66. Rosalie Holtz 67. Kay Corlett (Albany, CA) 68. Connie Barnes (Oakley, CA) 69. Donna Ventura (Brentwood, CA) 70. Nancy Herman(Lafayette,CA) 71.Shirley Chang (Berkeley, CA) 72. Nola Chavez (El Cerrito,CA) 73. Elspeth Wells(Clayton, CA) 74. Phyllis Berger (Los Angeles, CA) 75. Joan Barnett(Boston, Ma.) 76. Karen Danaher(Los Angeles,CA 77. Susan Rice (New York, NY) 78. Alan Wagner (New York, NY) 79. Jane Altman (New York, NY) 80. Sheila Friedman (Yardley, PA) 81. Susan Cooper (Brookfield, CT) 82. Elissa Fisher(Pleasantville, NY) 83. Angela Usobiaga (Pleasantville, NY) 84. Katherine Procopio Goodman (Katonah, NY) 85. Karen Ursitti (Danbury,CT) 86. Donna Kaspak (St. James, NY) 87. Ellen Feig 88. Raina Feig(MT.Sinai,NY) 89. Lauren Askinasi(Mt. Sinai,NY) 90. Adena Mansback (Manchester, NH) 91. Wendy Mansback (Manchester, NH) 92. Arlene Fishbein (Manchester, NH) 93. Audrey Kudler (Manchester, NH) 94. Johanna Varner (Boston, MA) 95. Kathleen Digre (Salt Lake City, Utah) 96. Lynn K. Pershing (Salt Lake City, Utah) 97. Edith O. Kochenour (Salt Lake City, Utah) 98. Leslie Zaricor Carey (Salt Lake City, Utah) 99. Catherine C. Voytovich RN (Salt Lake City, Utah) 100. Karen Curtin (Salt Lake City, Utah) 101. Tracey M.Douthett (Park City, UT) 102. Nancy Pottish 103. Diana Papageorge (Manchester NH) 104. Barbara Kurz (Falmouth, MA) 105. JoAnn Fishbein (Falmouth, MA) 106. Jodi Swartz (Sudbury, MA) 107. Wendy Sternburg (Sudbury, MA) 108. Sheryl Schlackman 109. Tracy Cassidy (Hopkinton, MA) 110. Roberta Solomon (New York, NY )111. Roberta Julien (Jackson,Wy.) 112.Joann Perahia (Port Washington,NY) 113. Amy Booth (Port Washington, NY) 114. Lisa Gulino (Huntington, NY) 115. Mary Kelly (Huntington NY) 116. Ann Rathkopf (Huntington, NY) 117. Alexa Fischer (San Diego, CA) 118. Erin Fowler (San Diego, CA) 119. Janelle Broadbent 120 Brooke Walker, New Hampton, NH. 121. Gail Roberts (Northwood,NH) 122. Dana Mackey (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla) 123. Helen Spitzer (Glen Allen,VA) 124 Leila Youmans (Prince George, VA) 125. Jocelyn McRae (Gilbert, AZ), 126. Deborah Mars (Big Horn, WY) 127. Penny Gaither (Bloomington, IN) 128. Francie Hurst (Bloomington, IN) 129. Kristina Makowski (Bloomington,IN) 130. Sharon McGhee (Overland Park KS) 131. Maureen Davis (Overland Park, KS) 132. Julie R. Hall (Fairway, KS) 133. Teresa LaManno (Kansas City,Mo.) 134. Katherine G. Thompson (Philadelphia, PA) 135. Christine B. Kane(Philadelphia,PA) 136. Lauren Simmons 137. Brooke Owens (New York, NY) 138. Nina Carbone (New York, NY) 139. Ashley Muldoon (New York, NY) 140. Jane Herman (New York, NY) 141. Eva Y. Chen (New York, NY) 142. Ning Chao (New York, NY) 143. Erin Wang (Los Angeles, CA) 144. Frances Chew (Los Angeles, CA) 145. Imee Fe Alba (Los Angeles, CA) 146. Elisa Brown (Los Angeles, CA) 147. Jessica Joines (Los Angeles, CA) 148. Janet Vrcic (San Francisco, CA) 149. Tish Cortez (San Francisco, CA) 140. Arezoo Jafroodi (San Francisco, CA) 141. Andrew C. Sigal, Esq. (Valley Village CA) 142. Leonard Farr (Los Angeles, CA) 143. Yolanda Curtis Farr (Tarzana, CA) 144. Tracey Farr Hannel (Thousand Oaks, CA) 145. Kay Young, PhD (UC Santa Barbara, CA) 146. Jeffrey Saver, MD (UC Los Angeles, CA) 147. Jeanne Provost (Santa Barbara, CA) 148. David Lee Miller (Columbia, SC) **************************************** Jeanne Provost Department of English University of California, Santa Barbara ****************************************