Midwives- Government- Religious Freedom and the American Family

https://images.app.goo.gl/moyVck4Sj5Srpbfy6

The above cartoon comes from an article posted by the Pan American Health Organization entitled 2020 Marks the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife... a title that doesn't seem to apply if you're a Mennonite midwife in upstate New York. Midwives have played a critical role in childbirth since time immemorial- in fact it's recently been reported that there is currently a crucial shortage of midwives: So let's call a spade a spade- what this is really about is money and power- as well as another vicious attack on religious freedom along with America's families. This brouhaha centers on a midwife in New York being charged with 95 felonies for the heinous crime of delivering babies.

 It was just a few nights before Christmas, in 2018, when Elizabeth Catlin — a trained midwife who had attended the births of several hundred local Mennonite babies over the years — was arrested at her Penn Yan, N.Y. home and handcuffed in front of her 8-year-old daughter for practicing midwifery without a state license. After waiting an excruciating year, Catlin, whose midwifery certification is recognized in 34 states but not New York, was finally indicted on Dec. 17, 2019. The district attorney handed down a surprisingly multitudinous 95 felony counts. But it was one count, the most serious, that most blindsided Catlin: that of criminally negligent homicide, tied to the death of an infant. 

Had Elizabeth Catlin not been a part of a religious group she would have gotten off with a fine- if she was prosecuted at all. The charge of negligent homicide being ridiculous on its face. In the People's Republic of New York, just as in the People's Republic of China, there is no room for religion, except the worship of the almighty state. But this is about a lot more than just religion... it's about family integrity- the biggest threat to the state- and even a woman's right to choose. Had Elizabeth been assisting women in abortions she would have been hailed as a conquering hero. Where are all of the feminists rising up to defend her?

Elizabeth Catlin is a Mennonite, similar to the Amish, also under attack in NY for claiming religious exemptions to vaccinations. This is all part of the ongoing war that pits families and religious groups against the awesome power of the state... similar to totalitarian attacks on churches in the USSR and now in Communist China. Religious communities focus on strong nuclear families- the biggest threat to totalitarian regimes... there is no room in these regimes for people that refuse to worship the state. That's one reason that CPS was founded- not to combat "an epidemic of child abuse" as the NGOs behind it claimed, but to root out families that refuse to heel to statist values.

First the state goes after smaller denominations- those whose values are considered "outside the mainstream." Mennonites, like the  Amish frequently hold services in homes in a family setting- anathema to statist dictators like NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, a "Catholic" who's evidence in himself of how the current anti-pope Bergolio has sold the Church out to the UN and totalitarian globalists. It's only small traditional groups like the Little Sisters of the Poor that are targeted with no help whatsoever from Rome... but I'm getting off track.

Another peculiarity in this case is the interest of the NY Education Dept.- what's their vested interest in a midwife case? One thing is certain- if the NY Education Dept. is involved, CPS isn't far behind, the two work hand in hand to destroy America's families.

 Still, “Yates County District Attorney Todd Casella contends they are merely a “representative sample of what we had evidence of,” telling Yahoo Lifestyle, “There could’ve been over a thousand,” and noting that the charges result from a coordinated investigation by the New York State Police, New York Education Department and the District Attorney’s Office.” 

What the Mennonites and other Christian groups represent is strong families and the values that go along with them, also anathema to the statists and why CPS has been weaponized. This whole case stinks from top to bottom:

 “Criminalizing women for helping other women have babies tells us all that women still are not free to make our own health care decisions — even about something so extremely personal,” said Cristen Pascucci, founder of the organization Birth Monopoly. Honestly, haven’t midwives been helping women deliver babies since the beginning of time?  Why, yes they have.  Why is that a crime?  Because the state didn’t get a cut?  That’s hardly a crime, that’s more like organized crime and thuggery on behalf of the state. 

One contention of the state is that Catlin is no longer licensed. However, Murdock v. Penn and Shuttlesworth v. City of Birmingham, both SCOTUS cases, clearly define the rights of citizens in licensing cases: "No state shall convert a liberty into a license and charge a fee thereof..." (Murdock) and "If the State converts a right (Liberty) into a privilege, the citizen can ignore the license and engage in the right." (Shuttlesworth) Both are clearly applicable here. This is not to mention "over 1000 charges" that could have been brought according to the District Atty.. The state's intent is clear here- to send a chilling message to New York's religious community, just as the threat of confiscating family farms was to the Amish who refused to submit to the state's draconian vaccination laws. The same thing happened to New York's traditional Jewish community over the same vaccinations. These are all cases of the state flexing its muscles to force citizens to comply with unconstitutional laws.

 “It has been a hard and very upsetting year,” said Brenda Zimmerman, a Mennonite woman who used Caitlin’s birthing services for her two children. “Some have accepted the change, some are like me, saying, ‘This is not fair.’ Liz didn’t call me to ask her if she could deliver my babies, I called her. We feel just as at fault.” “The prosecution of Liz’s case is just an outrageous overreach — 95 charges. I don’t think Jack the Ripper faced that many charges. It’s really insane,” Mennonite elder Ivan Martin said. “The question goes back to, who’s behind all this? It’s being driven with such a vengeance … [I challenge you to] find any Mennonite lady who says she was a victim.” 

In all fairness, Jack the Ripper didn't kill 95 people, but the principle stands. Elizabeth's arrest has had overreaching effects on the entire Mennonite community- they have nowhere to turn for midwife services- the Mennonites believe in home-birth. This is a blatant attempt by the state of New York to destroy religious traditions and the families that practice them... replacing them, of course, with the dictates of the all-powerful state.

 Following her arrest, Elizabeth complied with the demands of authorities to cease any and all work that may be considered or related to midwifery. Her “horse and buggy” Mennonite friends had nowhere to turn to continue their cultural tradition of home birthing. These women were left with almost no options and several unattended births took place. Authorities have dragged out the charges and depleted Elizabeth’s savings. They have harassed and stalked her. More than a year later, on December 17, 2019, Elizabeth was indicted on 95 felony charges. She will be due in court as soon as she can secure appropriate financing for her legal representation. Her options for funding are slim and she is contemplating selling her family’s home.  

This is what results from government overreach. The 1st Amendment guarantees that government is not to interfere with the "establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ..." What the state of New York is doing is a clear violation of Elizabeth's protected First Amendment rights. Mark my words, if the Mennonite community doesn't kowtow to the state, CPS will become involved... otherwise why did the NY Education Dept become involved. This is about destroying families, one religion at a time. I may not agree with the precepts of the Mennonites, but I defend to the death their right to practice it the way they see fit. The article goes on to say:

 WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT! Help us fight the broken system. “My body, My choice” only seems to go one way in New York State.

WE NEED TO SUPPORT a woman’s right to choose where she births her child and who attends her. We need to stop politicians from having control over decisions that should be made among family.

Don’t let this wonderful, caring mother fall victim to the corrupt system. She should not have to sell the home where her children were born and raised.  

The Mennonites and Amish are just the beginning... this is about more than religion, this is about families and the values that make them strong. "Indeed!  The utter hypocrisy of New York to advance abortion and then criminalize a woman who simply aided the mothers in her community giving birth is an outrage." There's a link in the article below to a Gofundme page to help Elizabeth. Helping her helps America's families to stay strong against government overreach. They pick on the Amish and Mennonites because they're small and defenseless, easy to intimidate- but there's a passage in the Bible that says: "As ye do to the least of my brethren , so ye do unto me." Please consider helping Elizabeth to stand up to the bullies that persecute her and the rest of America's families.

https://thewashingtonstandard.com/new-york-midwife-charged-with-95-felonies-for-delivering-babies/