# Why is the Obama administration fighting so hard to legally restrict access to contraception? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 1, 2013, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270 "2013-05-01T23:42:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/41 "2013-05-02T03:21:28Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > For myself, I disagree and feel that parents who get all huffy about their 13 year-old sons getting tattoos or their 13 year-old daughters getting a ring pierced through their vaginas need to get a life, but others disagree. Do you have kids? If so, you would have no issue with some creepy adult piercing your 13 year-old daughter’s vagina without your knowledge or consent? Really? You think they should just get a life? ---
**Author:** ![Condescending\_Robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@Condescending\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Condescending_Robot)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/42 "2013-05-02T03:22:08Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Nope. We’re a democracy first and foremost, and if this were put to a vote, it would pass overwhelmingly in favor of Obama’s position. Too bad everyone except little Suzie gets to vote on whether she got raped last night or whether she gets to become a 15-year-old mother. Very selective democracy. ---
**Author:** ![Condescending\_Robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@Condescending\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Condescending_Robot)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/43 "2013-05-02T03:23:11Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > The implications go beyond that. If and when it is legal, then 15 year olds will know that they can engage in risky, unprotected sex with the idea that they can go to Walgreen’s tomorrow and get the morning after pill. This affects behavior by young children. Does anyone actually believe this? I’m trying to figure out if you are really expressing such a ridiculous opinion or just covering for the usual agenda of punishing girls and women for existing. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/44 "2013-05-02T03:23:37Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > In such scenarios the local law is likely to be on the side of her abusive father and not her; misogyny is why such laws are passed in the first place. What laws are you talking about? As I said before, the kid in question could just get a perscription from a variety of places. Why is that a worse option given it might lead to her abuser being arrested? ---
**Author:** ![Condescending\_Robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@Condescending\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Condescending_Robot)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/45 "2013-05-02T03:26:50Z")
> [@miss\_elizabeth](#): > > Would you quit? No one here thinks of him like that. No one is calling him that. You’re getting pretty broad support here, despite the fact that you like to pretend that liberal criticism of Obama is an anathema on this board. Not everyone agrees with you. It’s a board with a lot of opinions. Knock off the martyr act, you’re embarrassing yourself. Really? I see a lot of people who would consider themselves “liberal Democrats” lining up to defend restrictions on access to contraception on the grounds that having contraception available might lead to teenagers having sex without being punished for it, plus the usual appearance from the fanatical Kool-Aid drinker grasping at straws to call anyone who disagrees with anything Obama does a racist. The “lot of opinions” range from “Barack Obama is incapable of doing wrong” to “Barack Obama is wiser than all of us and is implementing a long-term strategy to rope in voters, it will all work out in the end if you just have faith.” ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/46 "2013-05-02T03:33:07Z")
> [@brickbacon](#): > > What laws are you talking about? Laws requiring girls to get parental permissions for things like birth control, HPV vaccine, abortions and so on. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/47 "2013-05-02T03:36:59Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Laws requiring girls to get parental permissions for things like birth control, HPV vaccine, abortions and so on. Would any of these laws prevent that hypothetical child from getting a perscription? If so, care to provide a cite? Maybe I am off base here, but this seems a fairly reasonable compromise. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/48 "2013-05-02T03:40:13Z")
> [@Condescending\_Robot](#): > > Gay people expressing abstract desire for bigoted imbeciles who happen to be black to not be shanghaied into voting when they don’t even want to anyway = racism > Bigoted imbeciles who happen to be black voting to remove rights from gay people = fantastic expression of democracy > > Thank you for being open about your idiocy. I’m not sure why you’re making personal attacks on me since I didn’t make any personal attacks on you. I merely pointed out that you’d made some fairly racist comments. Beyond that, it’s interesting that you seem to think that encouraging black people to vote is the same as encouraging “bigoted imbeciles” to vote. If you want to not be seen as a racist I’d strongly recommend against claiming “blacks”=“bigoted individuals who hate gays”. I especially wonder what black gays would think of your attitude. Honestly, I was giving you a compliment because it’s rather rare that I hear white people openly oppose encouraging black people to vote. doing so shows a certain amount of integrity. I’m reminded of a friend of mine who openly admitted to me that he sometimes gets scared when a group of blacks gets on the same subway car as him. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/49 "2013-05-02T03:43:01Z")
> [@brickbacon](#): > > Would any of these laws prevent that hypothetical child from getting a perscription? :dubious: Um, _by definition_ such a law would. “Parental permission” logically implies that the parent can say “no”. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/50 "2013-05-02T03:45:13Z")
> [@brickbacon](#): > > Do you have kids? If so, you would have no issue with some creepy adult piercing your 13 year-old daughter’s vagina without your knowledge or consent? Really? You think they should just get a life? No I don’t have kids. Also, in retrospect, you’re correct that I was a bit too cavalier in my comments and I’m going to apologize to all parents in this thread for making that comment. That said, yes, if a teenage boy or girl wants to get a piercing or tattoo from a licensed regulated parlor(as opposed to a complete stranger) I think they should be able to do so. Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, and most parents disagree with me. It seems completely consistent to me that they’d also object to their children getting abortion and or the morning after pill without their parents’ permission. For that matter, perhaps I’m wrong, but aren’t birth control pills illegal to get without parental approval/prescription? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/51 "2013-05-02T03:45:32Z")
> [@brickbacon](#): > > Would any of these laws prevent that hypothetical child from getting a perscription? If so, care to provide a cite? Maybe I am off base here, but this seems a fairly reasonable compromise. Until a minor child is actually pregnant, married or in the armed service, in most (all?) states, she needs her parent’s consent for non-emergency medical care, including getting a prescription to prevent getting pregnant. There are exceptions for venereal disease testing and treatment, but not for risk of pregnancy. > **[Looking For Legal Help - Ohio | OSBA](https://www.ohiobar.org/LegalHelp/)** > > The Ohio State Bar Association helps to connect the public with useful legal information and services. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/52 "2013-05-02T03:49:16Z")
> [@Condescending\_Robot](#): > > Does anyone actually believe this? I’m trying to figure out if you are really expressing such a ridiculous opinion or just covering for the usual agenda of punishing girls and women for existing. Yes. Access to birth control will certainly make decisions to have sex easier. And who are these people who punish girls and women for existing? Give me a name and a quote or else admit that you are engaging in absurd hyperbole. Or do you think that because I wouldn’t want my young daughter engaging in risky behavior means that I hate her, and by definition, all women? ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/53 "2013-05-02T03:51:56Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Any real solution in such a situation has to start by getting the child out of the rapist’s household and guardianship, or it’s going to be ineffective no matter what you do. If she’s buying birth control pills without telling him, he can still find them, and he probably controls access to the money she’s using to buy them in the first place. And even if she does manage to scrounge up the money herself and keep the pills hidden, she’s still getting raped. > > Meanwhile, of course, if you can get the victim out from the rapist’s guardianship, then he also won’t have the authority to deny her access to contraception, either (not that it would be necessary, since in this situation she’s not getting raped any more). Agreed. Any talk of parental rights that are prefaced with “Well some parents rape and beat their kids” is missing the whole point. It’s a separate discussion to get those kids out of that hostile environment. We can’t eliminate all parental involvement in a child’s life because some parents are assholes. ---
**Author:** ![Condescending\_Robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@Condescending\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Condescending_Robot)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/54 "2013-05-02T03:54:08Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > Yes. Access to birth control will certainly make decisions to have sex easier. Never in history has this been true, and anyone who claims it is either stupid or lying. > [@](#): > > And who are these people who punish girls and women for existing? Give me a name and a quote or else admit that you are engaging in absurd hyperbole. You want 15 year old girls who have already HAD sex to be forced to carry a baby to term, to punish them for being sexually active. This can only be rooted in a loathing of the female gender. > [@](#): > > Or do you think that because I wouldn’t want my young daughter engaging in risky behavior means that I hate her, and by definition, all women? You’re the one MAKING it risky by refusing to allow her to buy contraception! ---
**Author:** ![Condescending\_Robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@Condescending\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Condescending_Robot)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/55 "2013-05-02T03:55:41Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > I’m not sure why you’re making personal attacks on me since I didn’t make any personal attacks on you. I merely pointed out that you’d made some fairly racist comments. > > Beyond that, it’s interesting that you seem to think that encouraging black people to vote is the same as encouraging “bigoted imbeciles” to vote. > > If you want to not be seen as a racist I’d strongly recommend against claiming “blacks”=“bigoted individuals who hate gays”. > > I especially wonder what black gays would think of your attitude. > > Honestly, I was giving you a compliment because it’s rather rare that I hear white people openly oppose encouraging black people to vote. > > doing so shows a certain amount of integrity. > > I’m reminded of a friend of mine who openly admitted to me that he sometimes gets scared when a group of blacks gets on the same subway car as him. Do the Obamabots have a calendar to determine whose turn it is to go this unhinged over anyone who dissents from the party line, or is it like a lot-drawing system, or what? ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/56 "2013-05-02T04:01:36Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > :dubious: Um, _by definition_ such a law would. “Parental permission” logically implies that the parent can say “no”. Yes, but those laws usually apply to abortion, not contraception like plan b. But, since they are so common, you should have no problem linking to a few that don’t have rape/incest exceptions. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/57 "2013-05-02T04:05:50Z")
> [@Condescending\_Robot](#): > > Do the Obamabots have a calendar to determine whose turn it is to go this unhinged over anyone who dissents from the party line, or is it like a lot-drawing system, or what? Again, I’m not sure why you’re making personal attacks on me. Beyond that, I’m not sure why you’re upset by my pointing out that calling for repressing the black vote, as you strongly imply you support, is racism. I haven’t made personal attacks on you so I’d appreciate if you give me the same courtesy. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/58 "2013-05-02T04:06:23Z")
> [@Condescending\_Robot](#): > > Never in history has this been true, and anyone who claims it is either stupid or lying. I’m claiming it and recent history has shown me to be right. Your suggestion that I hate women because I don’t want unfettered access to abortion or contraception at any age (and is it any age? 8 or 9 years old even) is absurd. Are you suggesting that it is impossible that a 15 year old would otherwise not have sex but go through with it because she knows that she can buy the morning after pill at Walgreens? ---
**Author:** ![Condescending\_Robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@Condescending\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Condescending_Robot)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/59 "2013-05-02T04:08:05Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > Are you suggesting that it is impossible that a 15 year old would otherwise not have sex but go through with it because she knows that she can buy the morning after pill at Walgreens? While you may debate the metaphysical possibility of such a thing until the cows come home, I am claiming, correctly, that it has never actually happened. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2013, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270/60 "2013-05-02T04:10:04Z")
> [@Condescending\_Robot](#): > > While you may debate the metaphysical possibility of such a thing until the cows come home, I am claiming, correctly, that it has never actually happened. Well, fucking of course it’s never actually happened, because it’s never been legal for a 15 year old to buy the stuff at Walgreens without a prescription. You don’t think that will ever enter even one 15 year old girl’s mind if it’s legal? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-obama-administration-fighting-so-hard-to-legally-restrict-access-to-contraception/657270.md?page=4)