Much has been made about Rush Limbaugh's rather crude comments toward Georgetown Law School student Sandra Fluke, who he called a "slut" on his radio program. While I think Rush went a bit overboard, as he often does, Fluke's basic dishonesty certainly is designed to bring out the worst in people.
Fluke, if you will remember, wanted to testify before Congress about the plight of poor Georgetown law students who couldn't afford birth control because the university wouldn't supply it to them for free through its health plan. In particular she cited the case of a classmate who needed hormonal birth control not to prevent pregnancy, as the friend is a lesbian, but to prevent ovarian cysts. Even though entitled, her classmate was unable to get her prescription filled and thus suffered a serious cyst. Therefore, Fluke argued, all women should get free birth control.
I suppose it never occurred to Fluke to seek a law addressing her classmate's problem. In short, any insurer refusing to cover a hormonal birth control prescription that is given for other purposes would be subject to civil or criminal penalties. It's that simple; problem solved.
But that's not enough for Fluke. She insists that all the other poor, underprivileged Georgetown girls who want to have birth control need it for free, too. If the insurance company isn't forced to give it to them for free, there's just no way they will ever be able to afford it.
Tuition for one semester at Georgetown is almost $24,000, or $48,000 per year. Add $17,000 per year in living expenses and these girls have at least $65,000 to spend on going to one of the most elite law schools in the nation. I'm sure most of the rest of us spent far less on our schools.
Of course, when these girls graduate they will have it made. The average private sector starting salary for a Georgetown Law grad is $160,000 per year.
I think it's a great idea to use birth control while enjoying the gigantic sex orgy known as "Georgetown Law." But I find it outrageous that these overprivileged, oversexed coeds expect America's working men and women to pick up the tab for their extracurricular activities.
Limbaugh's comment's were outrageous, but not nearly as outrageous as those of Fluke. These Georgetown women need to buy their own birth control. If they can afford $65,000 on college, they can afford $10 or so a month to avoid pregnancy.
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7 comments:
Shame on you, Frank!
Your brother,
Mike
When I was on the pill in 1986, it was $10 a month. And gasoline was 93 cents a gallon.
http://motherjones.com/politics/2012/02/calculator-birth-control-expensive-really-cost
Yocona, the Mother Jones article never does state the monthly cost for birth control, preferring instead to give a lifetime cost. But it references an article that cites the cost as between $15 and $80 per month. As soon as we make it free, with no co-pay, I'm sure more women will choose the higher priced option.
Do understand that I am all in favor of free birth control. I am opposed to the funding mechanism. If the government wants people to have free birth control, it should pay for it instead of bossing people around and ordering them to pay for it when they don't want to.
I do believe there needs to be a co-pay, so women who don't use it consistently will not just get it because it is free and will instead use other types of birth control.
You are, I believe, missing the point. The outrage comes not from the opinion expressed but from the filth that comes out of Rush Limbaugh's mouth. He is doing no favors for the Republican Party and that is one of the reasons it is dying on the vine. The man spews trash...and the Republicans are drinking the kool-aid.
Lib, thanks for commenting. I rarely listen to Rush, but I have before and enjoyed him. The fact that he dances on the edge of acceptability is what makes him funny and effective, but when he goes beyond the pale, as he did in this case, it makes for a nasty situation. I certainly haven't drunk Rush's kool-aid, since I haven't listened to him in more than a year.
As I said, I thought Rush's comments were unacceptable. He could have poked some fun at Fluke without saying the things that he did. But I also find Fluke's claim that these rich college girls may are falling over prostrate in grief because the government won't force the Catholic church to buy them birth control. Women have gotten by for 2,000 years without the Catholic church buying them birth control, and I see no reason to force the church to start buying it now.
You and I agree - but Rush killed the debate because his comments were totally unacceptable in "polite society". That's the reason I think he is harming the party. The Dems probably pay his salary! I'd do that, if I were them and throw some money to boot in Newt's campaign chest.
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