The Associated Press has published an article about a new pharmacy that refuses to sell any contraceptive of any kind. Writer Matthew Barakat describes this policy as "pro-life," clearly insinuating that contraception is abortion.
That policy covers condoms, spermicide, and other contraceptives that prevent sperm from meeting the ovum, as well as Rx only birth control that acts after fertilization like Plan B.
AP enthusiastically becomes a tool of the right wing culture warriors who have spent years trying to confuse the subjects of abortion and contraception as part of a campaign to criminalize sex and exercise theocratic control over American's bodies.
Furthermore, the article describes the opponents of this policy as "abortion rights groups," insinuating that they agree that contraception is abortion.
UPDATE: The article also ignores the public health issues of a contraception ban. Some women are not healthy enough to survive a pregnancy and condoms prevent the spread of HIV and STDs.
Associated Press writer Matthew Barakat writes an article on a new pharmacy in Virginia that refuses to sell any contraceptive of any kind and calls this choice "pro-life."
That policy covers condoms, spermicide, and other contraceptives that prevent sperm from meeting the ovum, as well as Rx only birth control that acts after fertilization like Plan B. This buys into the propaganda that birth control pills and the morning after pill equal abortion (which only make sense if pregnancy begins at fertilization, which the statistics show is clearly false). He not only reports the lies unquestioned, but he expands this argument to the extremes. AP enthusiastically becomes a tool of the right wing culture warriors who want to criminalize sex and exercise control over American's and Women's bodies.
Furthermore, the article calls the opponents of this kind of store policy "abortion rights groups," insinuating that they agree that contraception is abortion.
The Virginia store's policy has drawn scorn from some abortion rights groups, who have already called for a boycott and collected more than 1,000 signatures protesting the pharmacy.
"If this emboldens other pharmacies in other parts of the state, it could really affect low-income and rural women in terms of access," said Tarina Keene, executive director of the Virginia chapter of the National Abortion Rights Action League.
The author may have only contacted abortion rights groups but opposition to such restriction of safe and legal birth control has nothing to do with abortion. They could have found opposition or concern from advocates of Woman's Rights, Privacy Rights, Consumer Rights, or basic Human Freedom.
It is very telling, that the groups that openly support and even certify, this kind of drug store identify themselves as "pro-life." The group featured in this article, Pharmacists for Life International, certifies drug stores as with these sorts of policies. Either these "pro-life" groups are arguing that anything that prevents sperm from reaching the ovum is abortion and life begins when the penis enters the vagina, or "pro-life" is just a trick to expand an anti-sex agenda in opposition to woman's rights and safety, any sort of privacy, and consumer choice. Who would think that pro-life means anti-capitalist and anti-freedom.
The drug store is the seventh in the country to be certified as not prescribing birth control by Pharmacists for Life International. The anti-abortion group estimates that perhaps hundreds of other pharmacies have similar policies, though they have not been certified.
The pharmacy, Divine Mercy Care Pharmacy in Virginia follows Roman Catholic beliefs concerning what to sell both over-the-counter or by prescription. They also cite their religious and moral beliefs in refusing to stock candy and soda. The drug store itself seems legal, especially under Virgina laws that, according to the article, say "pharmacists can turn away any prescription for any reason." Considering that kind of law, a pharmacy that openly tells potential customers that they do not stock any contraceptives or carry the pill, is tame.
But these groups and this article are about redefining "abortion" so that the theocratic right can wage a war against sex and women.
And while I'm quoting, let's take note that a roman catholic priest came down to the mall to bless the store's opening
On Tuesday, the pharmacy celebrated a blessing from Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde [...] who sprinkled holy water on the shelves stocked with painkillers and acne treatments.
UPDATE 2 10/23:
The reporter also ignores the health issues. Condoms prevent the spread of deadly diseases. And some women-- even married monogamous women-- have health issues that make pregnancy dangerous, or are on medication that causes birth defects. They are using contraception to avoid a medically necessary actual abortion later. This is a real public health concern that frankly, is crucial. That basis alone should be enough to make this kind of store policy problematic and threaten any pharmacy licenses and medical accreditations. I can't believe I missed that aspect even on closer readings.
UPDATE:
The Catholic Church is anti-condom because the Pope told them to be, as well as anti-masturbation and anti-non-procreational sex. Not because it is anti-choice (which it is). But at least the Catholic Church is honest. The theocratic pro-lifers are not honest. They are lying and the AP is helping them lie.
They don't really believe condoms are abortion. Despite what they say, they don't believe "The Pill" or "the Morning After Pill" are abortion either. But since the morning after pill comes AFTER sex, they can claim it comes AFTER pregnancy. And since birth control pills can prevent a fertilized egg from implanting, they can claim that it "aborts" the fertilized egg. They can get people, like politicians, journalists and pundits to believe that. But here we see a pro-life group, Pharmacists for Life International, gladly go after Condoms and methods that prevent fertilization by keeping sperm away from an ovum. Kidding aside, this can't possibly be abortion, and they all know it.
So this article makes two things clear: First, that pro-lifers don't care about saving life they just want to control people's bodies and dominate women's lives. And second, the AP here is shamefully promoting the propaganda and the OBVIOUS lies behind the pro-lifers' theocratic mission.