In the world of politics, there is nothing better than an opponent that shoots themselves in the foot. Hence, President Obama is having a much better time currently, than he should be.

Unemployment is still high and the debt is astronomical. Gas prices are high and rising and many of the President’s foreign policy accomplishments are footnotes because of Syria, Iran, and he’s continued throwing of Israel under the bus. But, none of that matters as much, because for the last three weeks the topic of choice has been the controversy regarding birth control and the President’s healthcare mandates.

If this is new to you, here are the bullet points. The Affordable Care Act that President Obama passed, mandates preventative medical care at no cost to anyone. No co-pays, no deductibles. Included in the preventive care list is coverage for birth control pills, the morning after pill, and elective sterilization procedures. Most company insurance plans already provide coverage for birth control, but now it must be covered for no co-pay.

The morning after pills and the sterilization surgeries would be at no cost as well. However, the Catholic Church does not believe in birth control and want waivers for having to provide coverage to employees of their schools and nonprofit organizations. The President refused, and the Republicans had an issue right up their wheelhouse.

So for the last two weeks, Republicans have been chopping at the bit regarding the infringement on religious rights by the President and the President has not been hurt by the debate because all that Americans hear are Republicans railing against birth control pills.  Except, that is not what they are upset about. The issue is that the government should not be trying to make religious organizations do things against their religious beliefs. The real problem however is that the Republicans have again allowed the Democrats to frame the issue.

Most women in the country, 98%, have used birth control pills. Though it is easy to make people who fight against the mandate sound as though they are against birth control, that is not the real issue. The real issue is one of personal responsibility. If you are a woman reading this, or a man that is discussing this with a woman, you need to ask yourself: “Why I should have to pay for your birth control pills?”

That is the real issue. No one disputes that women should be able to get birth control pills, if she wants them. But, why should they be free? Whether a woman uses them is a personal choice, but at what point did we start thinking that other people are required to pay for your choices?

Food is more important than sex, should others pay for your groceries as well? Sterilization surgeries are elective, so it makes equally little sense to not let the person electing to do it, pay for it. I believe there is no difference between that and a woman getting a breast implant. Should we pay for them as well?

This is not only the more effective line of attack, but it is also the more understandable. Not only should the religious employers not have to pay for a woman’s birth control, but also neither should anyone else.

Republicans have allowed themselves to again get distracted by a social issue that does not win the election or overall opinion polls.  If they focused on the personal responsibility aspect of this issue, they would be winning the debate. Because even women could disagree to pay for the decisions that other women make.

This is a classic case of what is right: arguing against the infringement on religious rights, versus being effective in arguing that it is wrong to make others pay for the elective decisions that individuals make in their own lives. If the Republicans continue to make this mistake, not only will they lose the election, but the U.S. will take an even closer step toward a society in which personal responsibility is absent from all areas of life.

Image Courtesy of    http://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/

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About the author

Kiara Ashanti
Kiara Ashanti is a freelance writer, and reporter in Central Florida. He has written for Black Enterprise Magazine, Active Trader Magazine, Atlantapost.com, and even had appeared on the Oprah show. He covers the areas of business, finance, politics, and travel. He is currently at work on the web documentary How Do I Survive.

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6 Comments for Republicans Dropping Ball on Birth Control Debate

Dawn

This argument is ridiculous. Birth control should not be covered because it’s elective? Does that mean that if you want to get a vasectomy, it should not be covered? Or if you need Viagra? Sex isn’t important, so why should anyone pay for a pill for you if you can’t get it up? Or if you indulged on burgers a little too often, or didn’t exercise enough in your life, and you need medication and a triple bypass because of that? Hey, that was a choice YOU made, so why should anyone else have to pay for it? I think these arguments alone justify why birth control should be covered by insurance plans. But you probably need more convincing. How about this…I’m a married woman that has used insurance covered contraception for years. I have 2 children now, and that’s all I want. When I got married, I used contraception until I wanted to get pregnant, and after I had my children, I started using it again. If I wasn’t on contraception because my insurance company didn’t cover it and I couldn’t afford it, I would probably have more children. And WHO do you think would pay for their birth and future healthcare? It is you best interest for birth control to be covered by insurance companies because it is much more expensive to cover childbirth and the future years of healthcare of those children than it is to cover birth control to prevent pregnancy.

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Kiara

Dawn,

So what you’re saying is that because you have decided that you do not want to have kids anymore, your birth control must be covered 100% free. You should have no money out of your pocket? How about this. Someone has cancer, and when they get their medicine, they have a co-payment to pay. They pay a co-payment to fight cancer, but you can’t or don’t want to come out of your own pocket 30 bucks for birth control?

That seems a bit ridiculous to me?

As for this idea that it saves money in the long run, it’s what they cal petty-fogging the issue. That no child is less money than having a child is not relevant to the issue. The issue is as an adult, you are responsible for you own decisions. If you want birth control pills, then you have a responsibility to pay a co-payment. Its not mine or your co-workers responsibility to pay higher insurance premiums for your choice. Since you brought it up, I will use Viagra as an example. If it is for a medical condition that is not ED, then it is covered, but I pay a co-payment. That is as it should be. If it is for ED, or for a young dude that wants to just be “up” all night, it is not covered. And that is as it should be. Why should you have to pay for my choice to take Viagra if I don’t need it?

If I work for a company that does not cover it at all, then I can just get another job. So can you. Now if you don’t want to, that’s, again your choice as an adult. See, its not society’s job to bend over backward for you. it’s your job to bend over backward for yourself, and for the things you want in life. IF you could not afford birth control, you can afford condoms. If you cannot afford a 30 co-payment, then the hard truth is you and your husband need to make more money, or prioritize other expenses. I’m willing to bet there is something in your life you could cut out or not buy, and put toward the costs of birth control if its that important to you. See, that’s what adults do. They make choices for themselves, and do not expect others to pick up the tab for them.

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Amanda Bohannon

I’m not a republican or democrat, but I think the republicans are making themselves look bad because some have made controversial comments about women. I know Rush Limbaugh isn’t a politician, but calling the woman that supported birth control for health reasons (it’s not just used as a contraceptive) a slut and saying she should post sex videos of herself online isn’t going to make the republican party look good. Neither is saying women should practice abstinence. It just seems like they gloss over the real health problems women have that birth control can treat and just make lewd jokes about women’s sex lives.

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Kiara Ashanti

Amanda you are right Rush’s comments, meant to be sarcastic, was a bit over the line. But the thing here is that whether its to prevent pregnancy or for other medical reasons. There is no reason for me to pay for the birth control of a woman. Women work, they scream that they’re independent, so be true that and pay your $30 co-pay. I mean come on, a working woman can afford to buy shoes, but not birth control? I think its just an example of an entitled mentality.

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Amanda Bohannon

Rush Limbaugh’s comments weren’t “a bit over the line”, they were extremely sexist and crass, and he obviously harbors a lot of hatred towards women. From what I’ve read, it’s not about paying a co-pay (and wow, I wish my co-pays were only $30), it’s about requiring companies, even religious ones, to include birth control on their coverage, which they should. Again, it’s not just used for pregnancy prevention. If they want to include something that says you have to have a medical reason for it, then I think that would be a good compromise, and I guess the Catholic ones can only allow married men to get prescribed Viagra if they are so worried about premarital sex.
I go to a public university, and they do not offer any birth control coverage whatsoever on their student plan, and they should. Good healthcare for women shouldn’t be something that is optional.

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Carol Gronli

I am a registered American voter and let me tell you – I am one confused person. I heard a news story a couple of weeks ago that had to do with Corporate America getting a say in what they would allow their employees to get on their health insurance. Specifically – birth control pills. This issue was wrapped in the time-aged and still ongoing Religious Bigotry.

You know what? Most of these corporations should go take a look at their shelves of merchandise they sell to willing Americans of all colors, all religions and a variety of political persuasions. See that label marked “Made in China”? Okay. Do the math. China is a Communist country. Everyone knows that – it’s not a secret. The nice people there making the wonderfully cheap good are usually prisoners. The U.S. of A. is using that model here. Prisoners don’t get paid. They don’t get health insurance and in China – HA!

So, hypocrisy aside Corporate America – I would expect nothing less than you to tell an ignorant American public what you will allow them to get with their “free” health insurance and what they cannot purchase. When will Americans grow a set and just stop this nonsense? When will education become more than a babysitting situation that harried American workers use? We are a young country and nothing screams that louder to the rest of the world like this pre Election nonsense.

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