Imagine birth control being considered an abortion. Health insurers denying coverage for the little pill. Rape victims? Denied emergency contraception. Sounds like some third world country with some wacko fundamentalist theocracy, doesn't it? It's not. As far fetched as it sounds, our current administration is trying to quietly redefine "abortion" to include birth control! According to the Houston Chronicle, this could potentially "wipe out dozens of state laws that protect women's reproductive freedom and protect rape victims." The scariest part of it all, it's being pushed as a "rule change" which means it doesn't need congressional approval!
You can contact Secretary Leavitt and tell him how you feel about this absurdity.
Sources:
1. "Redefining abortion; Federal officials considering a rule allowing health care workers to refuse to provide contraceptives,"
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/5935532.html
2. Letter to Secretary Mike Leavitt from Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and 26 other senators, July 23, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=4042&id=13487-9995024-QFZZZgx&t=7
3. "Redefining abortion; Federal officials considering a rule allowing health care workers to refuse to provide contraceptives," Houston Chronicle editorial, August 10, 2008
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/5935532.html
4. "Birth control: is administration backing down—or not?" Los Angeles Times blog, August 8, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=4043&id=13487-9995024-QFZZZgx&t=8
5. "HHS Moves to Define Contraception as Abortion," RH Reality Check, July 15, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=4041&id=13487-9995024-QFZZZgx&t=9
6. "White House Considering Contraception Restrictions," Public News Service, August 11, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=4040&id=13487-9995024-QFZZZgx&t=10
Posts
Oh my god. That is enough to give me a migraine.
The government should have no control over this. AHHHH it makes me so mad. WTF
Hope your migraine is better. :)
WHAT????? How in the world can they combine the two??? I may scratch my head bald on this one!!!
Obsurd!!!!No wonder you've got a migraine...hearing or reading this type of horseshit is enough to give me one.
I drafted 4 different comments, but none clearly expressed my thoughts.
I do believe birth control should be covered by private insurance.
I don't think a pharmacist or a hospital worker who morally objects to birth control/morning after pill should be forced to administer it.
Whether of not federal money should pay for birth control.....I am not sure how I feel about that.
But in any case, such a drastic change should require congressional approval so that the opinions of the masses can be heard.
a$$holes.....
these are likely the same people who want viagara covered by insurance....
I suspect this duffus needs to be reminded of the separation between church and government! Is he from somewhere in the bible belt?
It drives me crazy that certain organized religious groups feel they should be able to dictate how the rest of the world lives. And I am not just talking about the Taliban.
fiwa- migrane was already there, but I muttled through it because this pissed me off so much.
jessica - you are right, the govt. SHOULD have no control over this, only we can stop this by contacting our senators and rep's and making our voices heard. -migraine finally left me after 3 days ugh!
tt- i am constantly left to ponder how this administration can possibly conclude the absurdities that they do.
karen - I agree with you, birth control should be covered by private insurance. However, I disagree in that pharmacists and hospital staff who morally object not being forced to provide it...When I was a nurse, in school we were taught that in the ER, or in long term care and in psych care, if a patient comes in who is for example a suspect in a crime, and the police have shot him/her,you have to put your moral objections aside and provide the best treatment/care to the best of your ability, you are trained to treat the ailment,and the human, not the personality. Or lets say you are in the psych. setting, and you have a convicted rapist, who is mentally ill. You may not treat him with disdain because you morally object to his crimes, you just must treat him as any other patient. Just my take on it, for what it's worth.
gary - exactly, cover viagra so men can impregnate more women, but don't cover birth control so our already overflowing population can explode like china's
reb - organized religion shall be the bane of civilization.