Feminists Against Choice

 

imageThere is no easier, simpler, more efficient way to ensure that people have access to the products and services they want than to leave them to exchange money for them, unencumbered by mandates, quotas, or subsidies. One might argue that doing so is insufficient toward one’s aims — which usually begs the question of who exactly you think you are to get to decide such things — but it’s the logical starting point for all but the most committed of petty totalitarians.

Unfortunately, the dominant strain of leftist feminism is exactly that. For further evidence, look no further than Elizabeth Nolan Brown’s latest article on leftist opposition to a Republican-sponsored proposal to streamline the approval process for over-the-counter oral contraceptives:

The “Allowing Greater Access to Safe and Effective Contraception Act,” co-sponsored by Sen. [Cory Gardner (R-Colorado) and] Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), would encourage birth-control pill manufacturers to file an application with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sell products over-the-counter (OTC), as well as repeal the Affordable Care Act’s restriction on using health savings accounts to buy non-prescription medication. The full text of the proposal has not yet been released.

That hasn’t stopped some from flipping out about the bill, however. “This bill is a sham and an insult to women,” said Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Cecile Richards in a statement. “It would give women fewer birth control options and force women to pay twice for their birth control.”

Jezebel blogger Stassa Edwards admits that “allowing [the pill] to be sold OTC would be a sizeable step in” the direction of expanding access. But “it seems like Gardner and Ayotte’s proposal is a sneaky way to effectively end Obamacare’s mandatory contraception coverage,” she warns. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has previously advocated for OTC oral contraception. But ACOG President Mark S. DeFrancesco cautioned against Gardner and Ayotte’s bill, stating that “instead of improving access, this bill would actually make more women have to pay for their birth control, and for some women, the cost would be prohibitive.

I commend the whole thing to you, particularly Brown’s points about leftist obfuscations regarding the word “access” and how — even from the perspective of someone who buys into that language — this bill shouldn’t precipitate a hailstorm of doom and gloom. Nothing in it would prevent manufacturers from keeping their wares regulated through prescription, which means they would continue to be fully subsidized through ObamaCare. This bill would merely create a market-friendly option to supplement the existing regulatory mandate (and if you’re wondering, yes it broke my free-marketeer heart to write that sentence).

The inescapable conclusion — observation, really — of this is that leftist feminists care far less about the welfare and choices available to women than about their ability to impose their preferences on others. Best of all, most people think they’re wrong on this.

I’m chalking this one up to another Easy Political Win

Published in General
Like this post? Want to comment? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Join Ricochet for Free.

There are 27 comments.

Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.
  1. user_331141 Member
    user_331141
    @JamieLockett

    How can anyone say with a straight face that providing OTC birth control is restricting access.

    • #1
  2. Matede Inactive
    Matede
    @MateDe

    Plan B is over the counter and these same folks applauded that.

    • #2
  3. Tom Meyer Member
    Tom Meyer
    @tommeyer

    Jamie Lockett:How can anyone say with a straight face that providing OTC birth control is restricting access.

    Here’s the thing: anyone who thinks there’s even an impression of a shadow of point to this Amy Schumer sketch should be against the people who sponsored it on precisely the issue at purports to address.

    • #3
  4. Tom Meyer Member
    Tom Meyer
    @tommeyer

    Matede:Plan B is over the counter and these same folks applauded that.

    That’s a really good point.

    • #4
  5. zepplinmike Inactive
    zepplinmike
    @zepplinmike

    Wow, maybe Republican Senators should start proposing bills that would enact all of the other parts of the radical feminists’ agenda. The need to oppose Republicans in all things seems to be the one thing that’ll get them to change their minds!

    • #5
  6. user_331141 Member
    user_331141
    @JamieLockett

    Tom Meyer, Ed.:

    Jamie Lockett:How can anyone say with a straight face that providing OTC birth control is restricting access.

    Here’s the thing: anyone who thinks there’s even an impression of a shadow of point to this Amy Schumer sketch should be against the people who sponsored it on precisely the issue at purports to address.

    Clearly, the real issue isn’t access – its that they want other people to pay for it.

    • #6
  7. Songwriter Inactive
    Songwriter
    @user_19450

    zepplinmike:Wow, maybe Republican Senators should start proposing bills that would enact all of the other parts of the radical feminists’ agenda. The need to oppose Republicans in all things seems to be the one thing that’ll get them to change their minds!

    That’s so crazy…it just might work!

    • #7
  8. Matede Inactive
    Matede
    @MateDe

    Jamie Lockett:

    Tom Meyer, Ed.:

    Jamie Lockett:How can anyone say with a straight face that providing OTC birth control is restricting access.

    Here’s the thing: anyone who thinks there’s even an impression of a shadow of point to this Amy Schumer sketch should be against the people who sponsored it on precisely the issue at purports to address.

    Clearly, the real issue isn’t access – its that they want other people to pay for it.

    Of course it isn’t about access, and it is more than just wanting other people to pay for it, it is getting people who have an objection to birth control to pay for it.

    • #8
  9. user_331141 Member
    user_331141
    @JamieLockett

    Matede:

    Of course it isn’t about access, and it is more than just wanting other people to pay for it, it is getting people who have an objection to birth control to pay for it.

    That might be a bridge too far. I don’t think they are specifically targeting the religious objectors, they just don’t want exceptions to their “perfectly crafted” law.

    • #9
  10. Tom Meyer Member
    Tom Meyer
    @tommeyer

    Jamie Lockett:

    Matede:

    Of course it isn’t about access, and it is more than just wanting other people to pay for it, it is getting people who have an objection to birth control to pay for it.

    That might be a bridge too far. I don’t think they are specifically targeting the religious objectors, they just don’t want exceptions to their “perfectly crafted” law.

    I’m in the middle on this: their socialism is, IMHO the root cause of their support for this policy. That it happens to hit people with religious objections the hardest is (thick) icing on the cake.

    • #10
  11. user_331141 Member
    user_331141
    @JamieLockett

    Tom Meyer, Ed.:

    I’m in the middle on this: their socialism is, IMHO the root cause of their support for this policy. That it happens to hit people with religious objections the hardest is (thick) icing on the cake.

    That is a knock on effect, but not really what they care about. Unless you’re talking about Bill Maher.

    • #11
  12. Matede Inactive
    Matede
    @MateDe

    Jamie Lockett:

    Tom Meyer, Ed.:

    I’m in the middle on this: their socialism is, IMHO the root cause of their support for this policy. That it happens to hit people with religious objections the hardest is (thick) icing on the cake.

    That is a knock on effect, but not really what they care about. Unless you’re talking about Bill Maher.

    Tom: that was my point, except you stated it better.

    Jamie: What makes you think that many of these people objecting don’t think like Bill Maher?

    • #12
  13. user_331141 Member
    user_331141
    @JamieLockett

    Matede:

    Jamie Lockett:

    Tom Meyer, Ed.:

    I’m in the middle on this: their socialism is, IMHO the root cause of their support for this policy. That it happens to hit people with religious objections the hardest is (thick) icing on the cake.

    That is a knock on effect, but not really what they care about. Unless you’re talking about Bill Maher.

    Tom: that was my point, except you stated it better.

    Jamie: What makes you think that many of these people objecting don’t think like Bill Maher?

    Bill Maher is pretty extreme in his anti-religiosity.

    • #13
  14. user_82762 Inactive
    user_82762
    @JamesGawron

    Matede:Plan B is over the counter and these same folks applauded that.

    I think that this plus Tom’s post about over the counter birth control is the QED that modern feminism is not about an objective improvement in Women’s lives & health but about a twisted ideology that can be employed in left wing pressure tactics.

    The original reaction to Bill Clinton’s numerous abuses of Women by feminists was the first clear signal that this was not a movement about Women but about leftism.

    As long as Bill continued to support left wing programs he could do anything he wanted. Hillary never objected then and to this day doesn’t object. This is one of the purest examples of hypocrisy that I can think of.

    Regards,

    Jim

    • #14
  15. Ross C Inactive
    Ross C
    @RossC

    …Act…would encourage birth-control pill manufacturers to file an application with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sell products over-the-counter (OTC)…

    Why would the manufacturers do this?  They must think it is not in their interest or they would do it on their own.  What will they want to go through this process?

    Isn’t this just a big government solution (i.e. creating crony capitalist incentives meant to move big pharma in a certain direction) for a big government problem (i.e. how to socialize supply of medicine).

    What a world we live in.

    • #15
  16. Douglas Inactive
    Douglas
    @Douglas

    Tom Meyer, Ed.:

    Matede:Plan B is over the counter and these same folks applauded that.

    That’s a really good point.

    Makes no difference, because they’re dishonest. “Access” isn’t the point here, and never was. The point was to make abortion/birth control Holy Writ in America, step by step, something that’s revered in a feminist culture. The first step was to make it legal. Done. The second step was to dehumanize the fetus, make it a clump of disposable cells, like getting a wart removed. Initially done, but now in danger of losing this. But this is moot because step 3… make it mandatory and make it a right… and thus, free of charge… is being threatened by this bill. If you make BC just another item to be bought and sold, it can’t be an object of holy veneration at the Church of Feminism forever and ever amen. BC pills are their holy wafer, and abortion is their mass.

    • #16
  17. Kozak Member
    Kozak
    @Kozak

    Jamie Lockett:

    Matede:

    Of course it isn’t about access, and it is more than just wanting other people to pay for it, it is getting people who have an objection to birth control to pay for it.

    That might be a bridge too far. I don’t think they are specifically targeting the religious objectors, they just don’t want exceptions to their “perfectly crafted” law.

    But a nice little extra.

    • #17
  18. Ricochet Inactive
    Ricochet
    @bridget

    That hasn’t stopped some from flipping out about the bill, however. “This bill is a sham and an insult to women,” said Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Cecile Richards in a statement. “It would give women fewer birth control options and force women to pay twice for their birth control.”

    I’m already forced to pay once for other women’s birth control; why should I give a…. if women who actually use the stuff have to pay for it twice?

    • #18
  19. Ricochet Member
    Ricochet
    @JoelB

    A shout-out to Rico doctors & pharmacists. Is there any concern at all with the safety of this?

    • #19
  20. Mark Coolidge
    Mark
    @GumbyMark

    There may also be an economic factor at play here.  From what I’ve been able to find out Planned Parenthood clinics sell prescription birth control.  Would they make less if it were available OTC?

    • #20
  21. user_331141 Member
    user_331141
    @JamieLockett

    Mark:There may also be an economic factor at play here. From what I’ve been able to find out Planned Parenthood clinics sell prescription birth control. Would they make less if it were available OTC?

    They could sell it OTC too right?

    • #21
  22. Mark Coolidge
    Mark
    @GumbyMark

    Jamie Lockett:

    Mark:There may also be an economic factor at play here. From what I’ve been able to find out Planned Parenthood clinics sell prescription birth control. Would they make less if it were available OTC?

    They could sell it OTC too right?

    But would the margins be less?

    • #22
  23. user_82762 Inactive
    user_82762
    @JamesGawron

    Mark:

    Jamie Lockett:

    Mark:There may also be an economic factor at play here. From what I’ve been able to find out Planned Parenthood clinics sell prescription birth control. Would they make less if it were available OTC?

    They could sell it OTC too right?

    But would the margins be less?

    The point of the Plan B objection is that this form of morning after pill always had a much greater potential health risk than other birth control methods. The original studies showed that 3 out every 100 times a women ingested the morning after pill she hemorrhaged badly. This was why originally it was not even given out as a prescription but had to be administered under a physician’s direct care. This risk was glossed over and political feminist pressure groups insisted that the morning after pill be sold prescription. At least a prescribing physician would be sure to instruct his/her patient to avoid malpractice. I doubt that Planned Parenthood clinics are completely reliable. OTC would be even worse.

    Of course, it’s all about the sexual liberation of Women so real health risks don’t matter.

    Regards,

    Jim

    • #23
  24. Douglas Inactive
    Douglas
    @Douglas

    Mark:

    Jamie Lockett:

    Mark:There may also be an economic factor at play here. From what I’ve been able to find out Planned Parenthood clinics sell prescription birth control. Would they make less if it were available OTC?

    They could sell it OTC too right?

    But would the margins be less?

    They’d never, ever be able to match a Walgreens or a CVS on price. And it’s not just a matter of the cost of the drug itself, but the fact that a real drugstore attracts people for their other drugs and small scale grocery items. A modern Walgreens is a general store that also sells a lot of drugs. So maybe there’s an economic self interest in this for PP.

    • #24
  25. Fake John Galt Coolidge
    Fake John Galt
    @FakeJohnJaneGalt

    Mark:There may also be an economic factor at play here. From what I’ve been able to find out Planned Parenthood clinics sell prescription birth control. Would they make less if it were available OTC?

    My understanding.  Not sure were I saw the article is that planned parenthood gets government and other subsidies to provide BC at a low cost.  If they are also selling them to the public it may be that they are doing a little double dipping and going OTC will mess with a very profitable revenue stream.

    • #25
  26. user_1030767 Inactive
    user_1030767
    @TheQuestion

    I think this analogous to the different reactions the Left has to Walter Scott and Michael Brown.  Walter Scott was unjustly killed by a cop, Michael Brown was not, but the Left is much more interested in Michael Brown then Walter Scott.  Conservatives aren’t defending the killing of Walter Scott, so the Left isn’t interested in that case.  Conservatives are defending the killing of Michael Brown (Officer Wilson was defending himself), so the Left is interested in that case.  They want an issue to fight over.

    It’s even more clear here.  OTC contraception takes away an issue, the contraception mandate, that conservatives had to fight over.  The contraception mandate puts conservatives in a position where they have to fight, and in a position where they can be portrayed as wanting to ban contraception, and that’s what the Democrats want.  The want an issue to use against Republicans.

    • #26
  27. Kozak Member
    Kozak
    @Kozak

    JoelB:A shout-out to Rico doctors & pharmacists. Is there any concern at all with the safety of this?

    OCP’s are pretty potent medications.  Increased risk of thrombo embolic disease stroke and heart attack especially in women who smoke, have hypertension,  or are over 35. Slight cancer risk.  Also many prescription meds interfere with the effect of OCP’s, a common example is many antibiotics, so the patient may end up with an unexpected pregnancy.

    Probably safe enough for OTC use, but it’s critical a woman tells her doctor she is taking them.  Frequently when I get a medical history and ask a patient if they are on any medication, they completely neglect  to mention any OTC meds.

    • #27
Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.