In the ongoing debate about Obamacare, coverage mandates and the morning after pill, Conservatives continue to confuse the issue by disseminating misinformation and promoting ignorance.
Virginia Attorney General and presumptive GOP gubernatorial nominee Ken Cuccinelli, suggested on Steve Deace’s conservative, Iowa based syndicated radio program, that civil disobedience and going to jail would be an effective way to protest and attack the Obamacare mandate requiring employers to provide contraceptive coverage on company insurance plans. He told Deace that going to jail in protest would “provide an example of what tyranny means when it’s played to its logical conclusion.” Cucinelli offers the advice to serve prison time but provides no evidence he would be willing to do the same to take one for the team.
Hobby Lobby and Mardel Inc, are challenging the mandate with a lawsuit claiming it violates their owner’s religious beliefs. Despite facing fines of $1.3 million a day, the Christian family who owns both of the chains, plans to rebel against the federal health law requiring them to provide the morning after pill as well as other emergency contraception to their employees. Often the morning after pill is incorrectly thought of as an abortion pill. It isn’t. It has three modes of action:
- The normal menstrual cycle is altered, delaying ovulation; or
- Ovulation is inhibited, meaning the egg will not be released from the ovary;
- It can irritate the lining of the uterus (endometrium) so as to inhibit implantation.
The lawsuit asserts that preventing fertilization is the same as performing the act of abortion, which is patently ridiculous. Using this reasoning, one could argue that pulling someone out of the path of an oncoming train is the same thing as pushing them on to the tracks in front of it. It makes no sense.
Additionally, it will not be the companies that distribute birth control. It is an option that will be available to employees as part of their health plan. What Hobby Lobby refuses to admit or recognize is that by denying parts of coverage they don’t agree with, they are acting as dictators and guilty of the exact thing of which they are accusing the government.
Planned Parenthood Virginia PAC responded by saying Cuccinelli does not care about women’s health or economic security. “For women, access to affordable birth control is not a political issue — it is an economic issue.” said the PAC’s executive director, Cianti Stewart-Reid.
Cuccinelli who is a Catholic said. “My local bishop said he told a group, `Well, you know, I told a group I’m ready to go to jail,’ and I told him, `Bishop, don’t take this personally – you need to go to jail,”
Democratic State Senator Mark Herring said, “For Virginia’s chief legal officer to suggest that citizens break the law is not only reckless, it’s dangerous.” Herring is running for the office Cuccinelli will vacate.
Anyone who figured this would all stop after Obama was re-elected was sadly mistaken. It appears it has only added fuel to the Teapublican fire that is ablaze with blind rage.
Kimberley A. Johnson – A.K.A. The Anti Coulter is the author of The Virgin Diaries and an activist for women’s rights. Like her on Facebook, Twitter or friend her on FB HERE. Visit ARKStories to check out all of her books
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