Small Town News
Driving Ms. Information
Email
Print
Tweet
CopyKYLE CITY LIMITS
As I was reading the story about local ex-bus driver, Edwin Graning, filing a lawsuit last week claiming that his employer violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in U.S. District Court, something just didn't sit right. It wasn't adding up. Graning accepted a job in 2009 with the Capitol Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS) in Austin, to provide public transportation to residents living outside of traditional bus routes. His job description entailed driving citizens to the destinations they requested. He refused to do his job so they fired him. Seems pretty cut and dried.
The back-story? Evidently, early one morning last January, Graning was assigned to transport a woman to a Planned Parenthood clinic. For reasons known only to Graning, he jumped to a totally unfounded conclusion that the woman he was hired to transport was in route to having an abortion, and subsequently, he could not "in good conscience" drive her to her medical appointment. When he informed his supervisor of his insubordination, he was terminated. Not because of his religious convictions but because he refused to do his job.
Just for perspective, though, let's take a look at the clinic that so riled this man's conscience. Planned Parenthood provides a wide range of medical services to men and women, young and old. In 2007, one third of their services ensured that folks who wanted birth control had affordable access to it. Hence, fewer appointments with abortion clinics. Almost 50 percent of Planned Parenthood clinic traffic is to identify and treat diseases, from herpes and .AIDS to breast and testicular cancer. Then, they offer those morally volatile prenatal visits and, at the other end of the spectrum, counseling for couples dealing with infertility. And, here you go, case in point, three percent of Planned Parenthood's clients receive abortion services. Three. What are the chances that Graning just happened to hit that inappreciable percentage that winter morning?
Graning accepted a driving job, eyes wide open, knowing full-well that he might have to transport folks to all kinds of places that he might not personally frequent himself. Did he refuse to take women to doctor's appointments in general, knowing that abortion services are provided through private practices as well? How about hospitals? Surely, though, in retrospect, he, as an ordained minister, cannot justify denying this woman the option of receiving medical attention, based on some edict he decided to enforce that day. Ond would think.
But, six months later Graning decides his civil rights have been violated and sues, seeking reinstatement, back pay and damages for pain, suffering and emotional distress? Something was amiss. And thien I read the fine print. Seems that this ex-bus driver's lawyers are from the huge D.C.-based American Center for Law and Justice (a tax-exempt religious corporation also known as Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism, Inc.) founded by none other than publicity-mongering televan-gelist Pat Robertson, who ironically, also has pending litigation against Planned Parenthood in California. Sc, that was the crux: political wrangling by the anti-choice faction, seeking to further their cause at any cost, catapulting an uninformed pawn into th<! national news.
The man refused to do his job and he was fired for it. This is not lawsuit material. Here's to hoping that Mr. Graning gets on with his life and finds employment that he feels does not conflict with his ethics. And, more pointedly, here's to the lawyers representing CARTS inflicting some pain, suffering and emotional distress on these D.C. lawyers ramming their unrelated agenda down the throats of central Texans.
brenda@haysfreepress.com
Copyright 2010 The Free Press, Buda, Texas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.
© 2010 The Free Press Buda, Texas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.
More from The Free Press