Equality for All?

I was inspired today when I tuned into NPR and heard "Staffers walk out of Congress in protest over Brown and Garner cases." This was to show support for protesters angered by the recent grand jury decisions in Ferguson and Staten Island not to indict police offers involved in the deaths of two unarmed Black men, Michael Brown and Eric Garner. Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Rep. Marcia L. Fudge noted "In the span of two weeks, this nation seems to have heard one message loud and clear: there will be no accountability for taking Black lives."

Protests have been happening across the United States since the killing of Michael Brown in August of this year. They began in Ferguson following Brown's death, and often erupted into acts of vandalism and violence as an almost war-like state encroached the city. Following the decision regarding Garner's, protests were reignited. Right now in Oakland and Berkeley, protests have been going on for 5 straight nights, with some instances of window breaking, vandalism, and clashes with police authorities. There were more than 1,000 protesters in the street, mainly young and multiracial, stating charges of police brutality.

When civil rights are at risk, it's important for citizens to speak out and be heard. There have been many Supreme Court cases supporting citizen's right to freedom of speech, which is protected in protests. What protesters should be wary of, however is allowing demonstrations to turn violent and criminal. Protests will be much more difficult to defend if actual laws are being broken. However, a frustrated public is crying out to authorities, and sometimes it's necessary to cry out as loud as possible.

These cases will no doubt make it up to the Supreme Court for debate. In the meantime, I urge the public to continue speaking out as peacefully (yet forcefully) as possible.

Commentary on "Contraception"

In a blog posted by Stephanie Chattat titled Contraception, she advocates for the free contraception offered by President Obama's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Back in 2000, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled that employers who provide health insurance for prescription drugs who did not cover birth control were violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prevents discrimination on the basis of sex. However, it took more than 10 years until this came to fruition (...and for George W. Bush to leave office). The ACA was signed into action in March 2010, and as of August 2011 contraception was added to the list of preventative services covered.

In my opinion, this is a huge landmark in women's health. Easy access to contraception is instrumental to a young woman's health, and in the medical community we know that preventative health measures not only save patients from untoward health effects, but also save lots of money for everyone involved (patient, healthcare provider, government). It's estimated that contraceptive use in the United States saves $19 billion in direct medical costs each year. That's no small number. And when examining the fact that about half of pregnancies in the US are unintended, it's clear that women need better access to highly effective forms on contraception.

There is no doubt that debate over free contraception will continue over the next decade(s) as the ACA takes full form (...and Obama leaves office in 2016). In June 2014 in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, for-profit corporations are exempt from the contraception mandate if they object on religious grounds. It was argued that although insurance coverage is meant to protect the health of female employees, all women still have access to birth control--it just may not be covered by the provider's health insurance plan. I have a strong suspicion that we will see many cases trickling into the Supreme Court regarding opposition to the ACA.

As somebody who has worked for a NON-profit Catholic hospital for 5 years (paying about $90/month for contraception) and having a medical condition in which birth control pills are medically necessary, I gotta say "Thanks, Obama!" And thank you, America, for recognizing this as my inherent right.