Birth Control

As a woman and a life long Roman Catholic, I would like to comment on the recent debate between U.S. bishops and the federal government on requiring birth control insurance coverage for employees of Catholic institutions. Despite what Republican politicians insist, Catholic bishops' refusal to provide such coverage relates to their stand on birth control, not to concern about denial of religious freedom. I believe the bishops' statements are based on strict adherence to religious tradition rather than to any reasonable interpretation of Christ's teachings as applied to family life.

In response to Max Romano's commentary regarding the "right" to birth control, to which constitutional right does he refer? I searched my copy of the Constitution and could find no reference to any such right ("The right to birth control," Feb. 15). There are so many holes in his argument I hardly know where to begin. Start with "reproductive justice," whatever that is. Men and women do indeed have control over their future, sexual or otherwise; it's called making responsible decisions, not depending on a government mandate.

Where are the women? In the extreme and ill-tempered debate over the availability of contraceptives for women, we have heard from the president, the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church, the Republican presidential candidates, members if Congress and various talking heads on TV. All of them, so far as I can tell, are men. Men discussing the reproductive rights of women. Where are the women? Even Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was silent as she stood next to President Barack Obama when he announced what he hoped would be a compromise in insurance coverage of contraceptives.

I can't believe that I actually agree with something President Barack Obama has done. Granted, I'm one of those conservatives who has never subscribed to the full-meal-deal checklist, preferring to critically consider whether each of my positions is the most logical and sensible given the available information and my own values. Usually that process results in coming down on the "right" side of things. In this case, though, I somehow find myself in the odd position of agreeing with Mr. Obama and being rather miffed at his opponents.

As usual, the latest dust up over the Obama administration's decision to require church-affiliated employers to offer health-care insurance that covers contraceptives at no charge has generated more heat than light ("Obama's 'accommodation' wins support in birth control debate," Feb. 11). Both sides in this tussle have made mean-spirited, divisive and unfair, if not outright untrue, claims about the other side and its supporters. Moreover, some recent letters decrying the policy are really missing the point.

The Sun's article on Catholic bishops' opposition to the Obama administration's requirement that religious schools and hospitals include contraceptives in their health insurance plans was one-sided and unfair ("Obama's 'accommodation' wins support in birth-control debate," Feb. 11). First, providing birth-control to people without proven medical conditions is a pure "give away" of precious medical funds. If this plan is reasonable, why not support "public/private safety" by providing everyone with cell phones?

As a born and raised Catholic who spent most of my education in Catholic schools, I feel obligated to speak out against the Church on the birth control issue ("O'Brien's quixotic fight," Feb. 9). Some are saying that the president "overreached" his authority by infringing on the rights of the Catholic Church. It needs to be said: The Catholic Church does not have any rights . Only people have rights. And the Church does not have the authority to impose its faith on people.

I once met a smart and delightful young woman who was making her way through a demanding college program despite being a single mother of two. From what I could tell, she was quite a loving mom and her kids seemed happy. But just watching her juggle their school schedules along with her own was exhausting enough; I couldn't imagine how she actually did it. I kept asking her, several different ways, why she hadn't just used birth control and gotten her degrees, then started a family.