There is a lot, and I mean a lot of misinformation surrounding the Hobby Lobby debacle. I have personally never heard of this store until last week. I am one of those individuals who despises politics but forays into the murky depths to glean information. Not knowledge, much too often, knowledge is limited in politics. Reviewing the decision, I was curious why much of the social media world was screaming - so I looked deeper still and found a load of inaccuracies.
Further yet, I found a lot of angry people who just read the mainstream news and went crazy.
So, I asked questions. I dug around and what I discovered wasn’t really that surprising. Inconsistencies are bred from abundant misinformation, and mass ignorance. Then it breeds some more on motherships like Facebook and Twitter.
What are some facts versus fiction? Check it out below.
Fiction: Hobby Lobby will not cover birth control for female employees!
Fact: Hobby Lobby has not banned all birth control contraceptives for female, or males. They have limited the access to 16 out of 20. Employees can select from the approved array of birth control. Politico Fact also reported the findings for those who like secondary sources.
Fiction: Hobby Lobby is refusing to pay for all birth control methods!
Fact: Hobby Lobby will pay for a selected amount of birth control methods. Before the Affordable Care Act went into effect, the company actually paid for a lot, if not all the contraceptive services, based on their insurance company. Upon the passing of the ACA, they exercised their religious liberties. They stated they would not pay for:
- The “morning after” pill Plan B.
- The “morning after” pill ella.
- Two forms of IUDs.
They will pay for:
- Male condoms
- Female condoms
- Diaphragms with spermicide
- Sponges with spermicide
- Cervical caps with spermicide
- Spermicide alone
- Birth-control pills with estrogen and progesterone.
- Birth-control pills with progesterone alone.
- Birth control pills.
- Contraceptive patches
- Contraceptive rings
- Progesterone injections
- Implantable rods
- Vasectomies
- Female sterilization surgeries
- Female sterilization implants
While the morning after and IUDs are labeled as contraceptives medically, the owners of Hobby Lobby declare them a form of abortion. Blame it on the law, the bill, whatever - the bottom line? Not all birth control contraceptives are banned.
Fiction: Hobby Lobby is suppressing the rights of women!
Fact: Hobby Lobby has amazing benefits that assist women. Look, I get it. The bandwagon natural response is to raise the pitchforks, but we really need to start thinking for ourselves. Why blame any one company for religious freedoms? The ACA bill indicated just that. Blame the bill? Pretty pointless at this time.
Okay, back to those benefits. Hobby Lobby has a workforce comprising of 70 percent of women. They offer an on-site clinic at their headquarters, available to all employees with no copay. They also offer 401k, life insurance and long term disability benefits. That doesn’t sound like a company who wants to scorn their workers.
The basic facts of life
Viral Global News gives readers, like me, this platform to submit letters to the editor, this was mine. I was tired of seeing the endless drone of misinformation, and people sharing them. I earn nothing to share this, just a bit common sense injected in the slew of negative. It drove me insane watching what was going on.
Not every corporation does things I like. Sorry, I will never, and I mean never buy an iPhone. Yet, millions of you do - even after the Labor Board discovered massive humanitarian care issues for employees at a manufacturer due to insane demand. Wal-Mart continues to drive sales, and they have plenty reason to frighten consumers away. McDonald’s sells burgers that give me nightmares, yet it joins a billion dollar industry.
Stop falling into the melee of the bandwagon. One life, one ride. Let’s stop the negative and start seeing the best of what we can make it to be. Look beyond the surface to discover some truth in the bid for fast and ugly ratings.
by: Emily Hogan