Republicans Fighting a Losing Battle Over Contraceptives
Republicans swept to power in 2010 because the economy continued to sink. GOP leadership, along with a new crop of Tea Party members promised to focus on the economy and tie it to the president. Lately, the economy is slowly rising which leaves Republicans without a major topic to rely on. Instead of focusing on key ideas and solutions to appeal to the base of their party, they’ve taken on new causes that don’t serve their interest at all. In fact, it may cost them key demographics come election time.
When President Obama announced that businesses that provided health insurance were required to provide contraceptive services, religious leaders, mostly Catholics, flew into a rage. They accused the president of trampling on religious freedom because their church didn’t believe in contraception. If you work at a business supported by a Catholic entity and you want contraceptive services, too bad. Never mind the fact that 98% of Catholic women, age 15-44, who engage in sex use contraceptives.
Republicans picked up the battle cry and told anyone who listened that the president is attacking religion. They claimed Christians were being persecuted for their beliefs. This idea is ridiculous. Persecution is the government of Sudan bombing a Christian school full of children; persecution is the murder of a Christian pastor in Pakistan. Asking an employer to pay for contraceptive services for their female employees is not persecution.
After the president changed the policy so religious entities could get out of paying for contraceptive services, Republicans and religious leaders were still unhappy. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) convened a panel to look at how contraceptive issues. You would think Rep. Issa would gather some women for his panel to have someone speak intelligently about the issue. To my, and a lot of others, surprise, Issa didn’t have one woman on his opening panel. He had five men discussing women’s contraceptives.
Let’s not forget Foster Friess’ statement where he said, “Back in my day, they used Bayer Aspirin for contraceptives. The gals put it between their knees and it wasn’t that costly.” Well by all means, lets keep women in their place, all nice and chaste, at least until they’re needed to be barefoot and pregnant.
As a man, I don’t have the right to decide contraceptive issues for women. Neither do religious leaders or Congressmen. Women decide their contraceptive uses and how they should be used and it should be left at that. Republicans are working hard to lose the women vote.
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