The Supreme Court's ruling supports Hobby Lobby's objection to the requirement to pay for coverage of certain contraceptives. The specific contraceptives that Hobby Lobby, for religious reasons, objects to are those that can work to terminate a pregnancy after the egg has been fertilized.
Dr. Headrick should not be disgusted by this ruling, because it is not an attack on women. This is an effort to protect human life after conception. Hobby Lobby isn't trying to prevent women from making healthcare decisions for themselves, they simply don't want to be complicit to the act of potentially ending a human life.
Whether you support or oppose this ruling by the Supreme Court, this case was never part of "an extremist war on women." This was about a historically Christian family business asking to avoid paying for only a select few contraceptives that can potentially end life after conception. Let's not make it into a case about gender because I can assure you this wasn't about women or men. It was about protecting unborn babies.
Conrad Taylor
Chattanooga
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I found Dr,. Mary Headrick's recent article voicing criticism of the SCOTUS Hobby Lobby decision quite perplexing. She writes: "The extremist war on women has now escalated to the most personal health decision a woman can make, taking away a benefit, birth control, that she worked for and earned by her labor."
Extremist war on women? Taking away birth control? Wow. One would hope that Dr. Headrick would have learned more about the case before commenting.
Hobby Lobby has always provided birth control for its employees, including:
Most birth control pills (Including those used for a variety of female hormonal purposes throughout life.)
Patches
Male and female condoms
Sponges
Diaphragm
Ring
Injections
Implantable rods
Male and female sterilization
Etc.
The SCOTUS decision does affect the items Hobby Lobby takes issue with:
Plan B "morning-after pill" (Available over-the-counter without a prescription at any local pharmacy or Big Box store for $40-50.)
Ella "morning-after pill" (Same as above)
Hormonal and copper intrauterine devices (IUDs) (Other types of IUDs have always been included in the plan.)
When all is said and done, Hobby Lobby provides access to some 16 out of 20 types of contraception dictated by the Affordable Care Act-with plenty of choices for actual "birth control" and "sexual responsibility" for both women--and men. They also pay employees twice the minimum wage, offer health insurance, dental coverage, and a retirement savings plan. They close at 8 p.m., affording more time for employees to spend with families. They are closed on Sundays. Not many others in the retail sector offer such benefits to employees.
With all due respect, Dr. Headrick, you-and unfortunately far too many Democrats/Liberals who have gone bonkers over this ruling-have again shown us that the emotional Left Wing remains stuck on "feelings" rather than facts.
Mya Lane
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Ladies, ladies, ladies, please don't fall into this dogma. There once was an actual war on women, it lasted about 30 years and those of us that were in it have to wonder just how much sand you've got in your soul that you actually believe there's one going on now.
We fought this battle when a black man could vote before we could. We fought this battle when medical benefits were an actual benefit and not something every worker got just because they punched a clock. We fought this battle before the words discrimination or harassment had any meaning. We fought this battle before the EEOC came into being, prior to the lawyers listing their services in the yellow pages and before birth control pills were invented.
Our government put laws into effect during the Civil Rights Movement that protected us all, men and women, black, white, brown and every other color of the rainbow. If, after the real history of the "war on women" you still cannot measure up it's probably because you're one of those "free riders" (as opposed to freedom riders), you most likely expect equal pay simply because, pick your excuse because that's what it's all about., excuses.
Those of us that were in the trenches knew how to stand up for ourselves, we also knew we had better be absolutely correct before we ever stated our demands. We never ever felt something was owed to us simply because we were women, we made sure we earned and deserved it. Your opportunities today, from being an astronaut, brain surgeon or even president are due to the foundation fought for an won decades ago but you don't seem to realize that. When I read the remarks of Dr. Mary Headrick regarding Hobby Lobby I had to stop and ask myself if she really believed what she was saying. A stay at home mom obviously has more reading comprehension than this candidate who is trying to win by inflaming her constituents. And her statements beginning with "five men" made me pause; it was 10 men who granted her and millions like her the "right" to abort. You are all smart women, don't fall for such nonsense.
Ladies, the world is at your feet. You can do anything you're qualified to do, you will be paid a wage equal to your ability and you will be welcomed and not scorned. We are all smart, we are all bright...too smart to fall for this false assumption that the economic world is "out to get us." If I'm going to elect someone to speak on my behalf the first thing on my list that the speaker must have is the ability to tell the truth and not the ability to inflame for the sake of winning.
Sue White
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Sue, take a trip to Saudi Arabia and see how women are treated there, and then ask yourself if "the world is at your feet." Using your "no excuses" logic, the reason women with the same education as men can make anywhere from 7 to 24 percent less must be because all of you women just can't do your job as good as men. Yep, makes perfectly good sense to me.
I know one thing, when I need to smell the vile stench of potpourri while purchasing cheap Chinese junk, I'll still go to Hobby Lobby. Hopefully, when the next closely held company like Hobby Lobby (600 stores and over 30,000 employees) decides it doesn't want to pay for vaccinations or drug transfusions, everyone will be trumpeting their courageous stance regarding religious freedom.
Herb Montgomery
Chattanooga