Think about detrimental effects, too

Last week the Supreme Court began hearing arguments regarding religious freedom. Does the HHS mandate to provide extensive contraceptive care, including the morning-after pill, supersede the religious beliefs of Hobby Lobby owners?

I have been following this case with the group, Women Speak for Themselves. Here is a quote from the news release that has been drafted by the group: "Women Speak for Themselves is delighted that Oral Argument day for the HHS Mandate has finally arrived, giving the Supreme Court the opportunity to respond to the federal government's increasingly extreme arguments against the exercise of religious freedom. Since the inception of the Mandate, the federal government has struggled to paint its position as the only legitimate pro-woman stance, and to paint religious Americans as irrational and anti-women. ...

"In the United States, women practice religion more often then men, and women oppose the Mandate in greater numbers than men. Women business owners and charitable service providers are among the leading plaintiffs in lawsuits challenging the Mandate."

As I follow the coverage, it seems to me that the news media do not present the views of many women who have become concerned about the detrimental health effects of hormonal birth control and others with deeply held convictions about the sanctity of human life.

Carol Van Der Woude

Hoffman Estates