The Associated Press published a brief article highlighting cuts proposed in the 2012 Federal Budget by the House of Representatives on Feb. 19. Of the cuts affecting programs and services, the one making the most waves in the national news is the elimination of federal funds for Planned Parenthood, a nation-wide, non-profit organization centered around women’s health and family planning.
While more moderate conservatives in Washington would argue in favor of these cuts for the sake of reducing spending, it’s no secret that the real reason Planned Parenthood is under fire from the Republican-controlled House of Representatives is because it offers abortion as a service. If the federal government was genuinely concerned with reducing abortion procedures, it would write in a new provision to the recently passed health care law: free birth control for all.
Conservatives and liberals should undoubtedly agree on one thing–the best way to eliminate abortions is to eliminate unwanted pregnancies. While unwanted pregnancies will never be fully eliminated, there are certainly some steps that can be taken to greatly reduce their rate. The most critical is educating young people about birth control and making it available, free and confidential. If a 15-year-old girl has participated in a sex education class and decides that she would like to be on birth control, that should be her right, no questions asked. She should be able to see a doctor for free, in confidence, to be evaluated for birth control and if she qualifies, she should be given the pills on the spot.
Some would argue that as a minor, a 15-year-old should have to consult with her parents, which at that age and given the subject matter, would be intimidating, to say the least. Simply eliminate the fear-factor and not require parental consent so it may actually go about solving a problem rather than turning it into a never-ending moral debate.
Planned Parenthood receives roughly 90 percent of its $363 million annual government funding from the federal government. Some might accuse an idea like this of inflating government services rather than cutting spending. While this might be the case in the very near future, the initial costs will be very minimal in comparison to the eventual benefits. The Birth Control Pill has existed for over 50 years and compared to name-brand prescription drugs, is quite inexpensive. While these inexpensive pills, and the doctor visits required to obtain them, might be viewed as an up-front expense, imagine the money the federal government could save with less welfare-dependent mouths to feed. More than two thirds of all teenagers who have a baby will not graduate high school.
Many of these individuals lack the education required to earn a sustainable income to care for themselves so they will require federal assistance programs like Food Stamps and Medicaid. When a child is raised in a climate where his or her father is likely removed from the picture and his or her mother is constantly working to generate enough income to put food on the table (if she isn’t completely dependent on Welfare), the chances this child will grow up with a behavioral or psychological disorder greatly increases. By making birth control universally available to women and girls of any age, the government is helping to eliminate not only the need for abortions, but many other social programs conservatives demonize as promoting a Welfare state.
Rather than thinking in terms of faith-based morality, it’s time to look at birth control practically. The Pill empowers women to decide when they are ready to become pregnant. The Pill is inexpensive and could potentially save the government considerable amounts on social Welfare programs. Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, chances are you would like to avoid having an abortion altogether. The Pill makes this a 99.9 percent guarantee. It’s time for a tiny dose of universal medicine to universally benefit our society as a whole.
