Although I am a liberal, I want it to be noted prior to reading this report that I am not swayed by my political views to comment on this topic; rather, I feel obligated to stand up for what I believe, as a woman, are our constitutional rights.
At dinner the other night, the recent political debate over birth control was the main topic for our conversation. I may not be someone famous, or someone with a reputable background in politics to make my opinion credible or better than anyone else’s, however, I am a college student and a woman and I have no hesitation in speaking out against the current political oppression that seems to be overwhelmingly stripping women of their right to a certain healthcare we call contraceptives.
There are several things that have occurred during this debate that have sincerely shocked me. The first being the complete absence of women on the congressional panel during the Oversight and Government Reform hearing on birth control. According to the HuffingtonPost.com, Rep. Joe Walsh announced to all of the congressMEN on the panel that, “the national debate over birth control coverage is ‘not about women’” (HuffingtonPost.com, 2012). Excuse me? Since when is a topic that completely, if not solely, involves women’s rights and needs not about women?
There is no other answer to that question other than that Mr. Walsh is not only far beyond wrong, but also very ignorant in his declaration. He claimed, rather, that the hearing was solely about “religious freedom” and how the bill for birth control coverage is an attack on religious rights. I have many things to say in response to his claim:
First, keep in mind this man is obviously conservative to the point that it has blinded him from any rationality whatsoever.
Secondly, this is very much indeed about women. This is all about women. In fact, it’s women, men, and children that are going to be affected. Sure, this isn’t really affecting the women who have the money to privately purchase contraception for themselves through their private doctors. I am a woman able to do that, for which I am very grateful.
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Who this movement is affecting are the women in our country lacking the funds that would allow them to purchase contraceptives on their own. Through health care packages, contraceptives have usually always been available. This is for several reasons including: 1) prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, 2) prevention of pregnancy for women who cannot afford the expenses that it would cost to properly care for a child, 3) to prevent MEN from having to pay child support.
Secondly, is this an infringement on his religious freedom? In technical terms, concerning the views of a religion such as the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations, yes it is against their religions to use contraception. But, his argument is weak, and I dare to go as far as call it completely redundant. Here’s why:
Hypothetically, if the removal of contraceptives from healthcare packages occurs, lower class women will not be able to afford birth control. Resulting from this, many women might begin to become pregnant because no matter how hard any religious organization tries to shove its views down a woman’s throat, recreational sex will occur. The impregnated women will most likely have abortions, or worse yet, a child might be born into a situation in which it cannot live a normal and comfortable life.
Since Victorian times (and obviously before), the need for contraception has been crucial in lower class homes. According to victoriaspast.com, “when contraceptive methods failed, one in five pregnancies ended in abortion. Poor women, in particular, relied on this most drastic means of birth control” (victoriaspast.com, n.d.).
Children that are born then suffer either from lack of proper care, or from being stuck in foster care while waiting to be adopted into a loving and comfortable home.
So, Rep. Walsh, ask yourself this: do your religious views support abortion? Do your religious views support child suffering? And, more personally, do you honestly think the world needs to experience population growth during these economic times?
In fact, developing countries actually provide contraceptives in an attempt to limit their population growth, whilst also heightening education and improving industrialization. Even I learned this in my high school AP Environmental class.
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It is at this point that I find myself still wondering why it is you, Rep. Walsh, and your right wing followers want to end birth control coverage in religious organizations. We all can probably assume that even as a Christian, you have recreational sex. Is it that as a “man” you feel the need to control the women who do not have a voice in this situation because you think that you can? Is this a narcissistic problem you have?
It is ridiculous that comments such as women needing to hold aspirin in between their knees as a method of birth control has been made. It is pathetic that women’s rights have been so violated to the point that it is now required in one state that women are forced to have ultrasounds before an abortion; even if the woman is only 2-3 weeks pregnant, meaning that a probe has to be uncomfortably inserted into her body. I have heard this to be called “constitutional rape.”
Finally, it saddens me to know that the founding of our country, on the basis that religion is to be completely separated from government, is being ignored. Healthcare packages are a government run/funded organization. For a long time before the federal government stepped into this situation, declaring that all large religious organizations (such as Catholic universities and hospitals) across all fifty states must include contraceptives in their healthcare packages due to the fact that they have several employees and students which are not Catholic or Christian, 28 states had already been including contraceptives in their healthcare packages.
The hypocrisy of the situation stems from the fact that it wasn’t until the federal government became involved that religious organizations, like the Church itself, began to throw complaints. Religious views should not be involved.
In fact, contraceptives are much more inexpensive for insurance companies to provide rather than the aftermath of pregnancies. It does not make sense to me that a conservative is actually supporting something that would negatively affect huge private businesses. Is it solely because the federal government is now involved? What is this argument really about?
Why should women have to “incorporate” their uterus to keep the men of our government out of our personal health rights? It is far beyond irrational; the incompetency of conservative congress’s viewpoint on birth control coverage is solely pathetic. You go to church on Sunday, but you work for our country, as a whole nation including both the men and then women in it, Monday through Saturday.
*The views stated within this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the ideas of Her Campus or Her Campus Purdue.
Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/21/joe-walsh-birth-control-d_n_1288822.html
http://www.victoriaspast.com/LifeofVictorianWoman/LifeofVictorianWoman.html
Photo Sources:
http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/archive/tags/birth+control/default.aspx
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-09/birth-control-pills-shown-alter-structure-womens-brains