by Lindsey Hubbart
Whenever I turn on the news, I repeatedly hear about the Republican Party waging a so-called “war on women.” I always have to wonder: can we fairly and accurately call this a war? Let’s start with the fairness of this statement.
We have a responsibility to classify something as what it is, and last time I checked, I did not see any Republicans attacking women with guns. To even suggest that this is a war is completely ridiculous.When we come to the accuracy of this statement, the debate becomes much more controversial. Some liberals use the idea that Republicans want to ban contraception as an argument to prove this “war on women.” Sure, some extremists may call for the banning of contraception, but the vast majority of conservatives recognize how ridiculous and impractical that is. According to the Republican Party platform, the party will “support the ability of all organizations to provide, purchase or enroll in health care coverage consistent with their religious, moral or ethical convictions without discrimination or penalty.”
This means that if an institution morally opposes providing contraception as part of its health care package, it has that choice. The party does not plan to ban contraception. Religious institutions are the most likely to opt out of providing contraception to their employees. The First Amendment grants these institutions freedom of religion.
Therefore, the government must allow them to practice their religion as they desire, including not forcing them to provide something against their values. Many people accuse Republicans of waging this “war on women” because Republicans generally oppose abortion. The party will “assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed.”
How does the protection of a life wage war against women?
Of course, certain situations exist in which I believe a woman should have the right to choose, such as rape or incest. But otherwise, when a woman has a conscious choice in the matter, she must respect the life of the unborn child, because it is a precious life. I believe that we need to rid ourselves of the phrase “war on women” because it does not accurately describe what the Republican Party is doing.
If you do not think that Republicans support women’s rights, you can simply say that; it’s unnecessary to say Republicans are waging a war. As a woman, I do not believe that the Republican Party will infringe upon my rights in any way.
Hubbart is a sophomore majoring in economics. Comments can be sent to lhubbart15@my.whitworth.edu.