Boycott Hobby Lobby

There is so much wrong with what Hobby Lobby is contending that it is just time to stop shopping there.  Period.  A private corporation has no religious freedom rights.  They have no business regulating which form of contraception a couple chooses.  Acknowledging that they have such a right in this instance will open a flood gate of things that private corporations could contend is within their 'religious right' to refuse.  Jehovah's witness owned companies refuse coverage for blood products, Christian scientist owned companies refuse health coverage all together.  And who is to say what is a religion?

My next objection is that contraception is not a women's issue alone.  It takes two people to conceive a child, a man and a woman.  To imply that the man has no dog in the contraception fight is ridiculous, and I am both surprised and angered that there isn't a greater voice from men in the conversation.  Children conceived who are not wanted will either be aborted or they will need to be raised.  The issue affects women disproportionately, but it also affects men.

The argument that Hobby Lobby makes that IUD's and the morning after pill are forms of abortion is without scientific basis. Emergency contraception pills work by inhibiting or postponing ovulation, or the release of the egg, and this prevents fertilization from occurring.  IUDs also primarily work by preventing fertilization. The progestogen released from the hormonal IUDs prevents ovulation from occurring so an egg is never released. The hormone also thickens the cervical mucus so that sperm cannot reach the fallopian tubes. The copper IUDs contain no hormones, but the copper ions in the cervical mucus are toxic to sperm. They also cause the uterus and fallopian tubes to produce a fluid that contains white blood cells, copper ions, enzymes, and prostaglandins, a combination that is also toxic to sperm. The very high effectiveness of copper-releasing IUDs as emergency contraceptives implies they may also act by preventing implantation, but let's be clear, this is not abortion.

Contraception leads to healthier women. The ability to time and space children reduces fetal, infant and maternal morbidity and mortality. Contraception can help families better plan for pregnancies, leading to more optimal health outcomes. Planned pregnancies lower the risk of potentially serious issues such as low birth weight, preterm birth and small-for-gestational age. They also prevent an unanticipated worsening of health for women with pre-existing health conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease. Of course, contraception reduces unintended pregnancy, but it is also used for non-contraceptive medical problems.

I suspect that the Hobby Lobby has many customers who use birth control and want to continue to do so.  Please consider boycotting this company based on their lack of commitment to the health and welbeing of women, the people who love them, as well as Americans who want to live in a country where personal freedom is protected.