If some of our readers of Catholic Journal have the impression that the world has turned upside down, then events of this past week will do nothing to change their thinking. I am referring specifically to the testimony of Sandra Fluke before a โspecialโ congressional panel headed by Nancy Pelosi and the dustup that followed after Rush Limbaugh characterized Ms. Fluke as a โslutโ and a โprostitute,โ word choices for which he has since apologized. Letสผs look at the background of this brouhaha, because there is much in the press that has been missing.
To begin, the Democrats are purposely pushing the notion that Republicans want to deny women contraception. In a February 21 article in the Washington Post, columnist Greg Sargent quotes an aide to a Democrat lawmaker: โWomen members are going to have a regular opportunity to go to the floor and talk about womenสผs health.โ Sargent adds, โDemocrats are hoping to use this fight to relitigate [sic] health care reform on turf more favorable to them, by casting this battle as one over birth control and womenสผs health–and be arguing that the GOP sees both as lesser priorities than catering to hidebound cultural values right out of the 1950s.โ So letสผs not pretend that the actions of the Democrats are anything but premeditated.
Next, the โtriggerโ for the Sandra Fluke episode was a hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, called and chaired by Republican Congressman Darrell Issa. The purpose of the committee was to garner information from clergy of various denominations as to the effects the HHS contraception mandate would have on their ability to fulfill their doctrinal obligations and the obvious gutting of a First Amendment right. It was not the purpose to debate the merits of contraception as a right that should be provided gratis to all women by insurance companies. But when the first five witnesses who represented five different religious organizations happened to be all men, female Democrats cried foul. They wanted Sandra Fluke to be able to testify. But Issa declared that she was ineligible because she was a student at Georgetown and not a member of the clergy.
The next day female Democrats continued to criticize the committee. Nancy Pelosi wanted to know why there were no women called as witnesses. As it turned out, two women did testify in the afternoon session. One was Allison Garrett, of Oklahoma Christian University, and the other was Dr. Laura Champion, of Calvin College. Democrat Representative Carolyn Maloney accused Issa of trying to โroll back the fundamental rights of women to a time when the government thought what happens in the bedroom is their businessโ and added, โWe will not be forced back to that primitive era.โ Democrat Senator Patty Murray said, โReading the news this morning was like stepping into a time machine and going back 50 years.โ She then added, โThere is nothing new about these Republican attacks on our family planning decisions. In fact, from the moment they came into power, Republicans in the House of Representatives have been waging a war on womenสผs health.โ Other Democratic women went to the Senate floor to protest the โassault on women.โ Democrat Senator Jeanne Shaheen said, โIสผm saddened that here we are in 2012 and a House committee would hold a hearing on womenสผs health and deny women the ability to share their perspective.โ Again, keep in mind that the hearing was not about womenสผs health, but the Democrats had their template and were running with it.
Enter Pelosi. The House minority leader called her own โspecialโ committee meeting the following day. It was โspecialโ because it was not a real committee. It was simply thrown together to give Ms. Fluke a chance to give her speech, which was a whiney screed about how her sex life is so expensive because Georgetownสผs insurance does not provide contraceptives. How expensive? Would you believe $1000 per year? One wonders how this is possible. Letสผs assume that she was not talking about condoms, for condoms are free in many places in D.C. But even if she had to turn to Planned Parenthood, a dozen condoms cost only $4.00, so if she had sex 12 times a month, that would add up to $144 per year. Then how about the Pill? Again, Planned Parenthood offers a monthly supply for $30, which comes to $360 for an entire year. Even the patch, at $50 per month, would only come to $600 per annum. Any rational person would have to question her numbers, but being rational here was not part of the game plan. The rest of her โtestimonyโ was peppered with unconfirmed statistics and anecdotes, all designed to give at least two impressions: First, a large percentage of the women at Georgetown have suffered โfinancial, emotional, and medical burdens because of this lack of contraceptive coverage,โ in the words of Ms. Fluke. Second, the Georgetown position is irrational, anti-woman, and probably deadly.
As the great philosopher Bob Dylan once said, โYou donสผt need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.โ Ms. Flukeสผs speech said nothing about Georgetownสผs First Amendment rights, but her position is rather clear: Her โrightโ to free contraceptives trumps any religious rights Georgetown might claim. And as for the taxpayers who are expected to pay for Ms. Flukeสผs โsocialโ activities, well, theyสผll just have to pony up.
It is also important to understand that the thirty-year-old Ms. Fluke is not some random law school student who was asked to testify before Pelosiสผs fake committee. She is an experienced activist who was a past president of Law Students for Reproductive Justice. This leftist organization is as radical as they come. What are its beliefs? Well, for one, all governments should provide free health care for all people, especially women. Of course, โhealth careโ means, among other things, access to contraceptives. Also, abortion must be legal and available to all women. Conscience clauses, under which individuals can refuse to provide certain contraceptive or abortion services on moral or religious grounds, should not be permitted. Further, all crisis pregnancy centers use โfalse and misleading tactics and informationโ when it comes to abortion. In addition, U.S. judges should turn to international and foreign law to make their decisions. And, finally, laws against same-sex marriage should be abolished. Thereสผs more, but I think you get the picture.
It is crucial for those who value the Constitution to see through the lies and subterfuge being perpetrated by the Democrats. The HHS mandate is a clear violation of the First Amendment, specifically the freedom of religion. The Catholic Church is the prime target, but, thankfully, other denominations can see where this will lead if it is not stopped now. What can be done? Easy. Defeat President Obama and as many Democrats as possible this fall. And then make sure that the Republicans live up to their promises. The country you save will be your own.
