Reader: Forget birth control -- where is the outrage over the ACA's other losses of choice?

Last week five of the nine Supreme Court justices (Ruth Bader Ginsburg definitely not included) decided that "closely-held" corporations -- think Hobby Lobby -- can refuse to cover certain forms of contraception in their health plans if they are opposed to them from a religious standpoint. "When the Supreme Court...

By Patricia Calhoun

July 7, 2014

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Last week five of the nine Supreme Court justices (Ruth Bader Ginsburg definitely not included) decided that "closely-held" corporations -- think Hobby Lobby -- can refuse to cover certain forms of contraception in their health plans if they are opposed to them from a religious standpoint. "When the Supreme Court decides that a corporation is a person with religious beliefs but a woman is not a person free to take care of her body as she chooses and sees fit, that's a problem for everyone," wrote Bree Davies in response -- and the comments have been flying eer since. See also: The Supreme Court's birth control ruling and why everyone should be concerned about it

But not in a direction that pleases Chris:

I don't understand how people can't see the hypocrisy of hating this particular Supreme Court decision but liking the ACA itself, which did far worse to the individual choices of tens of thousands of families. The mandated changes of the ACA meant tens if thousands of families (if not more) lost access to health plans and/or doctors they were happy with. Where is the outrage for that loss of choice?

Maybe readers are too busy being exercised over the Hobby Lobby decision to work up additional energy for the rest of the ACA -- but Chris, we're willing to predict that some people will get a second wind in response to your comment...

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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