Attending: “Do you know what Canadians are?”
Me: “Erm, Noooo…”
Attending: “Unarmed Americans. With health insurance.”
~ Brief exchange after expressing my despair/fury over the birth control debate, and the old go-to escape plan of moving to a (politically) saner place. I.e. Canada (Or, pretty much anywhere, I just like to use Canada for convenience’s sake. Proximity and all.).
I believe I’ve shown incredible restraint in not expressing my views on the recent debates over insurance coverage for birth control. Besides, if you read this blog for more than two seconds, you can probably surmise where my sympathies on this issue lie (that is, with women), and how I feel about the jackholes who are trying to deny women coverage for a basic human need (that is, I really don’t like them).
As far as religious beliefs, I couldn’t give a rat’s patoot less what people believe. I am totally A-OK with people worshiping whom or whatever they want as long as they aren’t hurting anyone. The truth is, this debate over whether or not employers will be required to provide insurance coverage for birth control has nothing to do with religious freedom at all. It is simply a platform for some religious institutions and Republicans to flex their political muscles and make problems for political opponents during an election year, and in the process, hurt people. Which is when I cannot, morally, remain silent any longer.
So let’s cut through the political crapola and focus on the facts.
FACT: Women need insurance coverage for birth control.
- Because without insurance coverage, many women will not be able to afford birth control:
- Because birth control helps prevent Unintended Pregnancies. Approximately 49% of all pregnancies in the U.S. are Unintended Pregnancies. Unintended Pregnancies lead to poorer outcomes for mothers and infants, including death. Not to mention that over 92% of pregnancies terminated by elective abortion are Unintended Pregnancies. That’s right, opposing easier access to birth control essentially means promoting abortions. (USE YOUR HEADS PEOPLE.)
- Because birth control is not just used for birth control, but also to treat a variety of other serious health concerns:
- Because this is 2012, not 1912. And I think (at least I thought) it is obvious and well established legally, morally, and commonsensically at this point that women have the undeniable, inalienable rights to their own bodies and fertility.
FACT: This debate over requiring employers is NOT about protecting religious freedom, but it WILL hurt women (and potentially just lots of people).
- Religious organizations such as churches, who primarily employ practicing parishioners, are already granted the freedom to choose whether or not to cover birth control. Fine, whatever.
- Organizations such as universities and hospital systems with religious affiliations employ tons of people with any number of different religious beliefs or no religious beliefs at all. And they should have to offer these alternately/non-believing employees coverage for birth control if they choose to employ them. As an added, religiously free bonus, employees who do ascribe to an anti-birth control faith, have the choice to NOT go out and buy and use lots and lots of birth control if they don’t want to. (I know, *gasp*, right???)
- The so-called Blunt amendment will not only allow any organization with religious affiliations to opt of insurance coverage for birth control, it will allow any individual, institution, or entity to deny coverage for any services or items contrary to their religious beliefs or moral convictions. And that is taken pretty much verbatim from the amendment, if you don’t believe me, look for yourself. I mean, for God’s sake, what if someone up and decides to be morally opposed to congestive heart failure or cancer treatments???? Or worse yet, impotence? (NOOOOOO, not the Viagra, anything but the Viagraaaaa!!!!)
FACT: If you would like help to stop this insanity you need to act NOW.
- The Blunt amendment is to be put before senate for a vote tomorrow. You can find your state representative’s contact information———–> HERE<————-, by clicking on your state. Email or call your representative(s) to express your adamant opposition to the Blunt amendment, and how very p*ssed you (and all the many, many, MANY voters you are close, personal friends with in their district) will be if they support it.
Seriously people, do your part to stop the insanity, or, guys like this……
Right, well that was anti-climactic. Apparently WordPress won’t let me embed the video I had intended to embed, which is a celebrity parody of all the “Women’s Health Experts” who have come forward to testify about birth control, because it contains language related to Lady Parts. Which, apparently, some people find offensive. But I won’t point any fingers or name any names *cough*Romney*cough*. If you however, have reconciled yourself to the fact that half the world’s population own vaginas (yep, I said it VA-GI-NAAAAAAS) and that they are neither offensive, nor inherently evil, then please, click HERE for something truly freaking hilarious. (Thank you FunnyorDie!!!!!!)
VA-GI-NAAAAAS!!!!
Nurse, MD 