MEDIA LIES – CONSTITUTION DIES by T. Edwin Perry
Let’s start with some HEADLINES:
AMISH TOWN CHARGED ELECTRIC UTILITY ACCESS FEE
BILL FORCES JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES TO DONATE BLOOD
MOSQUE TAXED TO FUND NATIONAL PORK PRODUCERS COUNCIL
CONGRESS DENIES TAX EXEMPTION TO SCIENTOLOGISTS
LAW FORCES JEWISH DELI TO SERVE CHEESEBURGERS ON SATURDAYS
REPUBLICANS DECLARE WAR ON BIRTH CONTROL
Every single one of these headlines is a LIE. Yes, folks: they’re ALL lies. Unfortunately, one of these headlines is actually REAL, and (surprise, surprise) it’s the one about the Republicans. So let’s take a step back from the lies and focus on the truth for a moment.
The TRUE Headline should be “CONGRESS FORCES CATHOLIC CHURCH TO PAY FOR ABORTION.” The controversy begins with a mandate in the “Obamacare” law that requires Catholic (Church Owned & Operated) Businesses & Hospitals to provide Health Insurance Coverage that includes Birth Control at no charge (including the “Morning After” Pill, which is a type of abortion) for their employees. It also requires Catholic (Church Owned & Operated) Hospitals to PERFORM Birth Control “Procedures” (Yes, that includes abortion) on demand, not just as a life-saving procedure for the mother. The LEADERSHIP of the Catholic Church have a well-known position that the use of Birth Control, including “The Pill” and Condoms, is a sin; therefore, PAYING for Birth Control to be made available to EMPLOYEES of the church, or providing Birth Control Services on demand to consumers, would violate their stated beliefs. Get it?
The objection being made by Republicans (and not by all of them) is that forcing a group to do something that fundamentally violates their religious beliefs is UNCONSTITUTIONAL. If you don’t understand that, allow me to refresh your memory about the First Amendment:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
The parts in bold are the parts you need to focus on: Congress cannot pass a law that forces you to participate in any religion or to force any group to stop practicing their religion. “Obamacare” was passed as a LAW by Congress, and the mandate forcing the Catholic Church to provide these services prohibits “The Free Exercise Thereof.” The opposition to the mandate IS Constitutional because it is a petition to the Government “for a redress of grievances.” Because the law VIOLATES the religious freedom of the church, it is their right to demand that the Government correct the violation. It really is that simple.
But here’s the argument from the “Leftists” in the media and Government: The Catholic Church is “Hurting Women” by denying them access to Birth Control. OK, let’s go through that argument for a moment. Is Birth Control LEGAL in the United States? Yes, it is. Condoms are available. The Birth Control Pill has been approved by the FDA and is available BY PRESCRIPTION in the United States. (The fact that many different types of the Birth Control Pill have been found to be DETRIMENTAL to the health of the patient (“YAZ” comes to mind right off the top) is seemingly irrelevant.) Abortion Services are legal and available at facilities that SPECIFICALLY offer these services Nationwide! So is the Catholic Church really CAPABLE of denying women Birth Control? No: it can only refuse to take the responsibility to PAY for it or to PERFORM the service directly…but not according to “Obamacare.”
Now here’s an interesting fact: There is actually only ONE type of FREE Birth Control, and that is ABSTINENCE. No, it’s not the most ENJOYABLE method, but it does the job for free and it is 100% effective. No sex equals no birth. (Some will argue that it’s not really 100% effective because of Mary in the Bible, but I’m not going to go there.) For every other type of Birth Control on the market, there is a price, someone has to pay for it, and it is NOT 100% effective! Even if you go to a “Free Clinic,” it is PAID FOR through taxes and donations to that clinic. (OK, technically speaking, masturbation is ALSO a free form of Birth Control, but the Catholic Church considers that a sin, too. CRAP!)
Here’s another interesting fact: Nobody can be FORCED to be a Catholic. That’s right, folks: MEMBERSHIP is completely optional, and your right NOT to be Catholic is ALSO protected by the First Amendment. (Feel free to go back & read the Amendment again. We’ll wait for you to catch back up.) If you don’t like the positions of the Catholic Church, then don’t be a member. The fact that “a large number of Catholics” believe that the church is wrong and choose to use Birth Control (including abortions, even though they know it violates the teachings of the church) is irrelevant, except that it tells me that they’re not very good Catholics to begin with. It’s like saying that you’re Jewish while eating a ham sandwich, or saying that you’re Amish while surfing on the Internet. I’m sorry, but if you aren’t PRACTICING your Religion, you’re a hypocrite to claim to be part of it. (And, yes, that IS the definition of a Hypocrite: “a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion.”) And if the CATHOLICS have a problem with the teachings of their CHURCH, the solution isn’t to have the GOVERNMENT force the church to comply. They can either push from within to have the Church reconsider its positions on Birth Control OR they can FIND ANOTHER CHURCH! (Seriously: do you have any idea how many denominations of Christianity there actually are out there? And that’s just CHRISTIANITY! Don’t even get me started on the alternatives!!!)
But the fact remains that this is not about the Church: it is about Tyranny. The most FASCISTIC forms of government to ever exist began by denying individuals the right to practice their own religions without interference by the Government. Why is that? The simple answer is that if the people believed that they had to answer to GOD for their actions, they would be less likely to follow the dictates of their Leaders here on EARTH, and that would RESTRICT the Government! But before you start claiming that I’m suggesting that Obama is the reincarnation of Hitler and that he’s going to put all of the Catholics in Concentration Camps, let me be clear about what I am stating: The FIRST STEP toward Fascism…of Totalitarian Control…of TYRANNY…is to deny the PEOPLE the Liberty to live their lives or to believe (or not believe) in God as they choose, and forcing a religious group to undermine its core beliefs takes that first step. The second step is to allow the Government to do it unopposed. Perhaps you’re familiar with a quote that is often misattributed to Edmund Burke: “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” (Ironically, it actually comes from a Soviet Russian movie adaptation of Tolstoy’s “War and Peace.”)
Here’s one more fact: I am not a Catholic. In fact, I don’t belong to any church, but I strongly believe that NO CHURCH should be forced to do something that violates its core values, and, unless that church promotes the killing or injuring someone else, they should be left alone. Rick Santorum, for example, is a Catholic. He believes, based on his faith, that the use of contraception is a sin; however, he has publicly stated MULTIPLE TIMES that he does not believe that the Federal Government should make it illegal. Of course, that’s not the story that the media is sharing. (Yes, he said that the STATES should have the right, but not the Federal Government. That’s important.) But, yes, he did state that “Contraception is harmful to women & society.” Is he wrong? Since the widespread popularization of birth control in the 1970’s, are teen pregnancies up or down? Since condoms have been made FREELY AVAILABLE in high schools, are there more or fewer sexually transmitted diseases contracted? And, again, what about the side effects of products like “Yaz,” an FDA-Approved Birth Control Pill, which include “Pulmonary Embolism, Pancreatic Cancer, Kidney Failure, and Stroke.” I’m just going out on a limb here, but I’m pretty sure that PANCREATIC CANCER is pretty damn harmful to women!
But, again, I’m not opposed to Birth Control. I’d be opposed to a mandate by the Government that requires everyone to USE it, and I’m opposed to a mandate that requires anyone to PAY FOR IT for someone else, but I’m not opposed to it being available on the market. But that’s the point: I BELIEVE in the MARKET. If Catholic Hospitals choose not to provide those services, that should be their right. The Government doesn’t force Kentucky Fried Chicken to sell Hamburgers. Why? Because it’s a CHICKEN place. If you want a hamburger, DON’T GO TO KFC! Go someplace that actually OFFERS hamburgers. And if they offer “lunch” to their employees as a BENEFIT of working there, then KFC should not be expected to pay for a HAMBURGER someplace else! The employee knows that KFC sells chicken, and they should expect to eat CHICKEN if they get their lunch at work. Maybe that’s an oversimplification, but it seems pretty clear to me. Catholic hospitals don’t provide Birth Control Services. Why? Because they violate their Beliefs! So what does the Consumer do when they want a condom, birth control pills or <GASP> an Abortion? They go someplace that OFFERS those services & products, and if the INSURANCE provided as a BENEFIT to EMPLOYEES of the Catholic Church doesn’t pay for Birth Control and the CONSUMER wants it, here’s the FREE MARKET solution: BUY IT FOR YOURSELF SOMEPLACE ELSE!
I think that the worst part of this is the fact that the CONTROVERSY is a clear manipulation of the argument by the Media. Maybe you recall George Stephanopoulos posing the question to Mitt Romney (when he was the frontrunner) in a January Debate about the LEGALITY of making Birth Control illegal. Now the Media is targeting Santorum about it. The truth is that this Controversy is nothing but a manipulative tactic meant to undermine the Republican Candidates in support of President Obama, and it reveals their fear that Obama is going to lose in November. Unfortunately, there are far too many people who don’t read past the Headlines.
When are we going to stop letting the MEDIA distract us from the real issues?
So true – last election was all horrid lies by the right against Obama. Now it’s the left’s turn show their ass. Let’s face it – if you really watch the news or read the newspaper for anything factual then you’ve be sucked into the system. All parts of the government, the Fed, and the 1% control the media. Pick a channel and it should take you less than 5 minutes to figure out who is spinning their crap.
Well, Big Sis, I’m not sure which “horrid lies” that you’re referring to, but if it’s the question of his citizenship, that was started by Hillary Clinton’s camp, not by the right, and perpetuated by his reticence to show his birth certificate. Beyond that, the “Right” was downright milquetoast about him. In fact, if you get right down to it, McCain’s campaign managers had mandated that there be no direct accusations about Obama’s policies throughout the campaign.
As for the “1% Control of the Media,” you’re not far off, but it isn’t a matter of wealth so much as philosophy. When you have the likes of George Soros (very wealthy/in favor of a “New World Order” with “One World Government” (Under Soros)) and Progressive groups like The Tides Foundation (supporters of Media Matters, ACORN, MoveOn.org, the Center for American Progress, the openly-socialist “Democracy Now!” and the openly-communist “Free Press”) pulling the strings, then, yes, the MEDIA becomes an instrument of spin, and it takes a lot not to get dizzy. Five minutes on MSNBC is enough to make my head explode, and while FoxNews WAS a very right-leaning news station, the assault on Fox by these organizations (and others) have forced them to “Moderate their tone,” removing a majority of their more Conservative and Libertarian “Talking Heads” and replacing them with the leftist mouthpieces who actually do openly spin the news. Oh, and let’s not forget folks like Debbie Wasserman-Shultz, who could stand in the middle of a snowstorm blaming Republicans for Global Warming and do it with a straight face, and it’s hard to tell where reality ends. But, yes, there is spin on both sides of the aisle. As always, it is the responsibility of the consumer to resist the influence and think for themselves. Unfortunately, that’s a little hard to do when the Media (the Press) acts as complicit mouthpieces for a corrupt administration instead of being what the Founders expected them to be: a watchdog FOR THE PEOPLE against corruption. Instead of serving as the “Fourth Estate,” they’ve become little more than the Obama Propaganda Machine, similar to what Woodrow Wilson had during the World War I with his “Four Minute Men.”
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
What if we applied your simplistic view of this to other things? The bible tells Christians that slavery is okay, why shouldn’t Christians be outraged that the government is restricting their religious freedom by not allowing them to have slaves. Also, why wasn’t this argument brought up by the republicans when they wanted to build that mosque near ground zero.The hypocrisy here is ridiculous!
Thank you for your provocative…and INSULTING…comments. Let’s discuss your points, shall we?
First off, you’ve quoted the First Amendment to the Constitution. What’s the first word there? CONGRESS. It is CONGRESS that shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, and that is the issue currently at play. The mandate BY CONGRESS to force a religion to provide services and products that violate their STATED PRINCIPLES is a violation of this First Amendment Protection, and it is a clear violation BY CONGRESS. (Notice that I keep emphasizing the focus here: CONGRESS!!
Next, you challenge the application of my “Simplistic View” to other issues. “The Bible tells Christians that slavery is okay.” Really? That’s news to me. Not personally being a theological scholar, I’d love for you to tell me which verses in the Bible, specifically the New Testament, which deals with the fundamental beliefs of the CHRISTIAN Faith, that suggest that Slavery is acceptable. The fact that slavery existed at the time of Christ does not suggest an acceptance of it, even though there have been SOME “Christians” who have claimed that it’s Biblically Supported. As I recall from my experiences in the Church, Christianity as a Faith is centered on the teachings & acceptance of Jesus Christ, which includes that you should treat your fellow men with charity & respect, in a manner in which you wish to be treated. This doesn’t exactly scream “SLAVERY” to me. So, in my opinion, this barb of yours isn’t really a valid argument. You’re just trying to tick people off, which, I have to say, doesn’t bother me in the slightest. All you’ve done is reveal your ignorance on the subject.
As for the issue of the Ground Zero Mosque, I’d suggest that you travel back in time to my post from 8/18/2010 in which I point out the very hypocrisy that you are accusing me of having. (http://maverickvoice.com/2010/08/18/constitutional-consistency/) In my post on CONSTITUTIONAL CONSISTENCY, I state that President Obama was absolutely correct in his argument that Congress has no place approving or disapproving the Mosque; however, it was totally within the rights of the City & State to decide if it was in the best interests of their community to have such an institution built so close to Ground Zero, so long as it did not violate the State Constitution or City Charter. It was the community in New York that raised the biggest objection to it, and it is within the rights of that community to set the standard of decency. IN FACT, it is not a violation of the FEDERAL CONSTITUTION for States to impose restrictions on religion. The First Amendment addresses the authority of the FEDERAL Congress: not the State. Perhaps you should sign up for the free class on the Constitution currently being offered by Hillsdale College.
OR, you could just keep coming back here, Lance. Keep reading, and don’t be shy about commenting. I’ll keep on correcting your errors for you, and you just might learn something along the way.