http://swampland.time.com/2012/02/14/rick-santorum-wants-to-fight-the-dangers-of-contraception/

Obama and Santorum: talk about extremes!

At least, until the government shows up there one day and insists that she do something she doesn’t want to do.

At that point, she’ll see the light. Unfortunately, it will probably be too late by then.

First things first: because Obamacare requires that every individual purchase an approved healthcare plan, by definition the government is “making” everyone buy an approved healthcare plan. Those who choose not to buy an approved plan are forced to pay a fine. What if s/he doesn’t pay the fine? Just as someone who refuses to pay taxes, s/he would be greeted by men with guns, prepared to use deadly force, and drag the noncompliant person to jail. Government = force. Never forget this.

To your point about the “small” raise in premiums to cover contraception.

If the only coverage required above and beyond what we normally think of as medically necessary to be healthy (probably too broad of a definition here) included contraceptives then you might be right that the additional costs would be negligible. The problem is that there are many other types of overages that if not explicitly spelled out in Obamacare already could be added via the HHS secretary. Should boner pills and “male enhancement” devices be included also? Some people think so. What about plastic surgery, gastric bypass, baldness cures, mental health, and treatment for drug addicts? I assure you that there are people who think these are all “rights” as well and they all no doubt have a constituency to try to add these things to require all health plans to include (again, if they haven’t been included in the bill already).

These things all add up.

In the plan I have now I had to pay extra for dental though some of these other things I mentioned were required. I tend to think that dental coverage ranks just a little higher on the hierarchy of needs than birth control or substance abuse counseling (neither of which my family needs). It seems to me that I ought to be able to pick and choose what I want covered.

I’m sure there would be plenty of others who would be happy to willingly join you in coverage that includes birth control. Just don’t force others who don’t want or need it to purchase the coverage they don’t want.

I’m having trouble thinking of anything that isn’t a societal issue that every person is affected by. People choose all manner of things, many times a day. These choices often directly affect those around them, and always indirectly affect multitudes more.

These decisions, swimming in a soup of human interaction, usually become “societal” when I’m calling for others to be forced to account for my decisions.

Contraceptives, just like any other good or service (in health care or in any other human sphere) do not grow from trees. They are not free. They are the outputs of other people’s life’s effort. Claiming that those outputs should be “free” as one’s right is claiming to own the efforts of others. There’s a name for claiming to owning other people’s efforts. Think cotton, up until 150 years ago.

Explain to me how your orgasm is something for which I should have to pay even a nominal amount, either in dollars or liberties. How about if you choose to have sex, you 1) choose to provide yourself with birth control, 2) insist your partner do so, or 3) deal with the consequences of your own actions like an adult?

Failing that, please let me know how many other constitutionally guaranteed rights your fellow citizens can expect to have to forfeit so you can get more “free” sh*t.