In 1982, Clarence “Teabag” Thomas, began an extensive, persistent and unwanted effort to get between Anita Hill’s legs. He failed, but in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, he and the other four fascist Injustices of SCROTUS (Republican Constitutional VD) succeeded in placing themselves between the legs of millions of women. The Republican effort to do this has been even more extensive, persistent and unwanted. At the came time they set an unconstitutional precedent by saying a corporation can have a religion, and that the beliefs of that corporation may be imposed on employees who do not share them.
A divided Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on Monday that closely held corporations cannot be required to provide contraception coverage for their employees.
In an opinion authored by Justice Samuel Alito, the court ruled in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores and Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Burwell that the Obama administration has failed to show that the contraception mandate contained in the Affordable Care Act is the "least restrictive means of advancing its interest" in providing birth control at no cost to women.
"Any suggestion that for-profit corporations are incapable of exercising religion because their purpose is simply to make money flies in the face of modern corporate law," Alito wrote, adding that by requiring religious corporations to cover contraception, "the HHS mandate demands that they engage in conduct that seriously violates their religious beliefs."
The Affordable Care Act contains a provision requiring most employers to cover the full range of contraception in their health care plans at no cost to their female employees. The Obama administration had granted an exemption for churches and accommodations for religious hospitals, schools and nonprofits, but for-profit companies were required to comply with the coverage rule or pay fines.
Hobby Lobby, a Christian-owned craft supply chain store, and Conestoga Wood Specialties Store, a Pennsylvania wood manufacturer owned by a family of Mennonites, challenged the contraception mandate on the grounds that it violates their religious freedom by requiring them to pay for methods of contraception they find morally objectionable. The owners of those companies believe some forms of birth control — emergency contraception and intrauterine devices — are forms of abortion because they could prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus.
Monday’s opinion was written narrowly so as only to apply to the contraception mandate, not to religious employers who object to other medical services, like blood transfusions or vaccines.
Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg filed a dissenting opinion joined by Justice Sonia Sotomayor and mostly joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Stephen Breyer. Ginsburg warned in her dissent that the decision was not as narrow as it claimed to be. "In a decision of startling breadth, the Court holds that commercial enterprises, including corporations, along with partnerships and sole proprietorships, can opt out of any law (saving only tax laws) they judge incompatible with their sincerely held religious beliefs," Ginsburg wrote.
Ginsburg argued that the government has a "compelling interest" in providing no-cost birth control to women. "Those interests are concrete, specific, and demonstrated by a wealth of empirical evidence," she wrote. "To recapitulate, the mandated contraception coverage enables women to avoid the health problems unintended pregnancies may visit on them and their children."… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <NY Times>
I did find some video coverage that was better than what I expected so early.
The Republicans won this battle in their War on Women. Women can win the war with their votes. I’m sure I’ll have more on this later this week.
14 Responses to “SCROTUS Screwed Women”
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Must be the Constitution only guarantees Religious Freedom to a select few. This is another GIANT step backwards for our country. Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote an excellent dissent refuting the injustices of SCROTUS' decision.
Perhaps we should be grateful for this reminder, just four months before the election, of the importance of voting.
There must never again be another Republican President or Senate majority. They are the ones who decide who gets onto the Supreme Court in the first place.
Amen, Infidel!
Let THIS be a great motivator to GOTV!
And never EVER let anyone say again, "There's not a dime's worth of difference between 'em." Elections DO have consequences
AND RUTH BADER GINSBURG RULES! God Bless Her! (I just ordered two t-shirts that express my admiration for her)
This is my third try to post this:
"As long as they are sincere." How could anyone with a brain believe that Hobby Lobby is sincerely opposed to simple birth control when as a corporation they INVEST in a maker of actual abortifacients? Not to mention, as Ashley on Care2 says, that so much of their stock is from a country which has forced abortions. Oh, wait. I said anyone "with a brain." Never mind.
I'm quoting the link JL posted on Care2 to a petition which itself links to a list of co-conspirators.
http://www.care2.com/news/member/739002257/3784821 It is not a Care2 petition and you do not have to be a member of anything to sign it, nor to get to the s**t list.
I have no idea why our spam trap threw a net on you. I'm sorry!! I deleted the two duplicates. Thanks!
Thanks so much. I knew you would take care of it when you found it. If you ever figure out why, let me know so I can avoid whatever it it. I'm sure it wasn't s**t LOL.
My best guess is that it had domething to do with embedded ads in the Care2 page you linked to. Care2 often has ads for sites that spread malware infections.
Hobby Lobby's religious beliefs are not Christian, Jewish, Islamic or any other recognised religion. Its "religion" is GREED!
It is past time to overturn Citizens United which starts, or certainly contributes to such assine decisions. There are many good people who work at Hobby Lobby, but maybe it is time for a boycott and a PDA (public display of anger) to reinforce the wrong headedness of this decision.
I totally agree with Lynn. I posted the video on Facebook. I am hopping mad over this decision. I will be "unfriended" by a few tonight and I could care less. This hypocrisy is outrageous. The bottom line for Hobby Lobby is profit, and for Scrotus, it is to destroy the Affordable Care Act. We have to make darn sure the Republicans don't get control of the Senate. If they had spent half as much time on the eoconomy as they have on women's vaginas this country would be on the way back to recovery.
Thanks to all. Now imagine, if you will how Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christians will react, when they are denied benefits by a company that is closely held by Muslims, whose sincere belief is that their employees shoulf follow shariah.
I would buy a front row ticket to that little shindig!
Me too! May ir come soon!
See tomorrow's top story. 🙂