As you can imagine, I’m not much for “moral victories” because the term is synonymous with “losing;” however, I consider the fact that the common sense Blunt Amendment only lost by a few votes to be encouraging since it’s an indication that even some liberals can vote in the right direction some of the time.
I say common sense because the amendment would have allowed companies to not provide contraceptive insurance coverage–or any other type of coverage–that is morally objectionable to the company. In other words, it would have allowed companies to make decisions based on their own religious preferences, not on what is best for the country as a whole, which seems fair to me for two reasons:
- Jesus would have liked it
- The Pope likes it.
What more would I need to say?
Perhaps just as important, however, is that the Blunt Amendment would reinforce some of the principles that have made this country great, much of what is symbolized in the picture of a panel discussing women’s rights above.
- Men decide what’s best for women.
- Men decide what’s best for men.
- Women accept what men decide is best for them.
- The Pope decides what’s best for all of us when it comes to matters of sexuality and health care.
- Sex is something that we shouldn’t talk about and pretend doesn’t happen in circumstances that we don’t like.
Things would be much different if it were a women-only panel making decisions about women’s health–and I’d hate to live in a world like that.
I’m relieved that so-called moderate Democrats, such as Senator Robert Casey of Pennsylvania, stood up for the right of men to dictate what women get in life.