A Chattanooga group is protesting Hobby Lobby after the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 Monday that the government cannot compel closely held corporations with religious owners to provide several commonly used contraceptives (Plan B, Ella, and certain IUDs) for its female employees.
The group said, "People are gathering in descent of this decision this Saturday, July 5, on the public sidewalk in front of the Gunbarrel Road Hobby Lobby, and Hobby Lobbys all over the country. They are calling on people to boycott Hobby Lobby."
Patricia Bazemore with Move to Amend said, “This sets a dangerous precedent that grants corporations religious rights that supersede those of the individual workers they employee.
I don't believe corporations should have constitutional rights, those should belong to living breathing people. Corporations shouldn't be able to opt out of certain laws based on their religious beliefs, we can't. I can't not pay my taxes because I believe “thou shalt not kill” and trillions of our tax dollars are spent on war. I can't not pay my student loan because the bible says “all debts shall be forgiven every seven years.” First, the Supreme Court said that corporations were people and their money was speech, which allowed them to take over our political process. Now, they say corporations have religions rights that trump our individual rights and allows them to opt out of certain laws? It's just not right. If our Supreme Court will not stand up for our individual rights, we must.”
Kimberly Willett said, “Hobby Lobby claims to be acting out of strongly held religious beliefs but it seems more like discrimination of women. Hobby Lobby claims it is because these forms of contraceptives cause abortion, but science does not support that, as an amicus brief filed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and several other medical associations says, “there is no scientic evidence that emergency contraceptives available in the United States and approved by the FDA affect an existing pregnancy.” Instead, they prevent ovulation, so there is no egg to fertilize. The IUDs they are trying to deny access to work similarly to prevent pregnancy. Hobby Lobby willingly profits off the same emergency contraceptives it wants to keep out of the hands of it's female employees by investing in them in it's retirement plan, as revealed on CNN. Hobby Lobby buys a large percentage of their wares from China, which has horrific labor laws and where abortion is a state service and often coerced. They clearly disregard their “closely held religious beliefs” in other matters but want to be able to opt out of providing their female employees access to contraceptives. An IUD can cost up to a month's worth of minimum wage wages. This is clearly an attack on women's reproductive and healthcare rights and will likely increase unwanted pregnancies. This sets a dangerous precedent for allowing corporations to get away with discriminating against workers based on their religious beliefs.”