A Plea

Ok - I'm weighing in on the birth control issue, or my issue with the amount of energy and slander coming from it. Here is what is driving me absolutely nuts - men! Very few women are part of this debate, and that is super annoying to me. In today's world, where we are facing serious financial issues, violence, hunger, and other much larger issues, why are we wasting so much time on whether or not women should take the pill? I know at the root of this debate is the government mandate that Catholic organizations provide health care that covers birth control. Now I don't think anyone should be specifically mandated to do anything at this level - but I am not going to go on about my thoughts on this, because I don't have enough time and I'd lose half of you before I finished this post.

Here is what I truly want to talk about - the politicians, the religious leaders, and even my friends on facebook, that feel the need to talk about this issue are pretty much all male. Males who have never actually experienced the joy of menstruation (something that birth control pills can make much more manageable for most women). They have also moved away from the true issue to preach about the evils of birth control (because most people who are vocal about this are on this side of the argument). For every online blog post or article you can find about the dangers of birth control I can find one about the benefits (many of which have nothing to do with actually preventing pregnancy). You find an article that it increases the risks of some cancers - I can find an article about how it reduces the risks of others (http://www.livestrong.com/article/31023-advantages-taking-birth-control-pills/). I won't do this, though, because the actual issue here is not about a medication that is widely used.

My plea is this - stop using something that is a very personal choice for women to build your political platform or religious beliefs. As a practicing Catholic, I know that forgiveness and love are supposed to be the true meaning of this religion, so spreading half truths that can be hurtful for some, and make them second guess their choices, isn't fair. If you don't like the government mandate, fine. Stop turning it into a debate about the evils of birth control and stay focused on the main issue at hand. Lent started yesterday - maybe some people can give up focusing on and going on and on about choices they have never had to personally make and they can put some of that energy into helping others who truly need some help.