About Hobby Lobby

It's 2014, and there seems to be an attack on women.
This isn't new.
Women haven't even been allowed to vote in this country for more than 100 years.
So the fact that women's rights continue to be infringed upon really shouldn't be surprising at this point.  What else is new, right?

There are SO many things wrong with the Hobby Lobby decision, I don't even know where to begin.

I work in the medical field.  I LOVE birth control.  I love it because it helps prevent people who are not ready to become parents NOT become parents.  But more than anything, I love birth control because it is often used for reasons other than preventing pregnancy.  In fact, 60% of the women who take birth control take it for reasons beyond "I don't want to get pregnant."
What ailments can birth control treat?

Acne
Endometriosis
Excessive Hair
Hair loss
Heavy Periods
Fibroids
Irregular Periods
Lack of Periods
Painful Periods
PCOS
PMDD
PMS symptoms

Birth control is medicine.  Amazing medicine that is beneficial to women.

The idea that a company can deny women the right to having medications covered is absolutely insulting and offensive.  

The above meme is the response of some women.  
This shows a lack of basic understanding of insurance and how it works in our country.

I have health care as a benefit that my employer gives to me, for working for them.  Just because I get my health insurance through my employer does NOT mean I have free health insurance.

Every single pay period, a portion is taken out of my pay check, and goes into paying for my health insurance.  Every single month, in order for my daughter to have health insurance, and for me to have it, $125 comes out of my paycheck.

Additionally, we pay a copay when we go to the doctor.  On my health insurance plan, my copay is $25, and medications have a $15 copay.

We pay for health insurance, even when it is through our employers.

If we were to change the words of this meme to "if I want cancer medicine, I will put on my big girl pants and go get it.  My boss doesn't have to provide it for free," that would sound pretty messed up.  It's amazing that we never hear about whiny cancer patients who just want everything handed to them from their employers.  Cancer medication is expensive, and for an employer to provide health insurance and deny coverage of THAT particular medicine would be wrong.

Let's move on.

Religious freedom.

I practice freedom of religion regularly.  I was raised in the Presbyterian church.  Was in the church choir for more than ten years, and had some of the best times of my life.  I feel so grateful to live in a country in which I get to choose whether or not I want to practice a religion, and if so which one I want to follow.  I get to choose how I follow said religion as well.

Infidelity is something I believe very strongly is wrong.  It is adamantly against my religion.  I would never ever cheat on my husband, and it frustrates me to no end that others choose to be unfaithful in their marriages.

I have no idea if the coworker sitting next to me is taking antibiotics or not.  And if they are, I have no idea if they are taking antibiotics because of an ear infection, or because they cheated on their spouse and got a case of gonorrhea.  I have no idea and SHOULD have no idea because other people's medications, other people's religious beliefs, and other people's marriages are none of my business.

This is not about religious freedom.  Every single business owner has the choice about whether or not they want to take birth control, and if so, which method.  Nobody is holding the owners of Hobby Lobby down and shoving plan B down their throats.

Religious freedom does not mean that we get to impose our beliefs onto others or tell them how they should be living their lives.

Or it didn't used to mean that.

My religion opposes infidelity, but that does should not mean that as an employer, I am able to deny all employees access to coverage of antibiotics because some of those employees might be using that healthcare coverage in a way I disagree with.
My religious freedom in the matter is that I get to choose whether or not I am unfaithful to my own spouse.

"This happened weeks ago.  Get over it."

I will not.

I will not get over it, and I will not stop talking about it, because I am scared that if people stop talking, this will continue to be allowed and will continue to happen.

I am scared.
As a mother, who is raising a daughter in this world, that seems to think everyone except for her has a right to her reproductive plans, I am terrified.
I am ANGRY.
As a mother, who is raising a daughter in this world, that seems to think it is okay to tell her that the religious beliefs of the owner of a company are more important than her right to have affordable access to preventative healthcare and medications, I am livid.
I am sad.
As a mother, who is raising a daughter in this world, that she is still unequal in, I am heartbroken.

I will not sit down.
I will not shut up.
I will not get over it.
I will not stop talking about it, because it is horrible and wrong.