This isn’t a moral issue. It isn’t a faith-based issue. It is an issue of equality and fair treatment by law for all citizens of the republic.
If people want to engage in recreational sex, that’s their prerogative; however, taxpayers aren’t supposed to pay for paraphernalia for other recreational activities that have health consequences, such as buying ski equipment and lessons to prevent broken bones or SCUBA gear for divers or ropes and pitons for rock climbers to prevent injuries, so what makes taxpayers responsible for preventing pregnancy due to sex?
No one is requiring anyone to have sex against their own wishes. In fact, there are laws preventing that. No one requires people to do any other recreational activity either. So how did the taxpayer become responsible for paying for those who want to participate in this recreational activity without paying for their own safety? This isn’t a morality issue. It’s common sense.
The government is, in essence, saying, “Anyone who wants to practice a risky sexual lifestyle should be guaranteed a different status than those who do not.” Basically all recreational behaviors, with the possible exception of playing chess or cards or board games, have possible injury or other detrimental health issues as consequences. If taxpayer dollars are only spent on one particular group of people participating in one particular recreational activity, then that sets that group apart from all other citizens who do not participate in that activity, in essence creating a separate class of citizens who are given different status and allowed to receive tax money for their choice and other citizens are not given the same status or funds with regard to their choice. Does this sound equal and fair under the law to anyone?
The government has no place in the bedroom and shouldn’t be responsible for what goes on there. There are plenty of issues that pertain to all citizens on which my taxes can and should be spent. A recreational activity with known possible consequences isn’t one of them, especially when it is a person’s own free choice whether to participate in that activity or not. How does your choice to do something become my responsibility to pay for that choice?
Some argue that, by not preventing the pregnancy the taxpayers are then responsible for an unwanted baby or abortion. This should not be so. Taxpayers don’t pay for people who are laid up with broken bones due to skiing accidents or diving accidents. People drive cars and, if they don’t carry insurance, which they are required to do at their own expense, taxes don’t pay for them when they are in the hospital from a car accident. Why then don’t we require taxes to pay for our car insurance? How about our plane and boat insurance? Aren’t all of these also enjoyable activities which have possible injurious and detrimental health issues as possible consequences? Why should birth control be different?
Either be sensible or be responsible for every little thing for every individual. No free society should have a government which is micro-managing it’s citizens’ lives. We are all well aware of the possibility of a woman becoming pregnant if she participates in sexual intercourse. We are all aware that a woman should have her own choice whether to participate or not. It is illegal for her to be forced whether married, in a relationship or not. No one is forced to drive their own vehicle. We can drive a car or not. Our choice. Is it convenient not to? Of course not. But it is still a choice. No one is forced to fly a plane or a use a boat. Is it fun? Yes. Why is one activity different from another with regard to who pays for possible bad consequences? If anything, driving is more of a necessity because of transportation for work to earn the money to pay the taxes. And yet, no one thinks the government should pay car insurance or registration or forego the taxes on a car. So please explain to me why the government should pay for birth control?
Has our society’s opinion of sex become so overblown (pardon any unintentional pun) that we think it necessary to pay for people to participate in it without fear of consequences? Since when are we supposed to be protected from the consequences of our own actions? Are we going to make sex the most important thing in our society or are we going to find other activities that have a lasting and beneficial impact on our society? Why is this such a big deal in the first place? What is the real reason birth control has become an issue at all? Maybe, if we’re really honest with ourselves in answering that last question, we won’t have to worry about the question posed in the title of this post. Regardless, the bottom line is: If YOU CHOOSE to do something, YOU PAY for it, no one else. You are responsible for your own choices in life. You are not a victim when the choice was yours to make.
Choice AND Consequences 