Further proof that it's about female chastity, not babies

If you needed further proof that the misnamed "pro-life" movement is not about "innocent babies", but about trying to scare women into keeping their legs closed, there's a growing movement among Christofascist Zombie Brigade pharmacists across the country to refuse to fill prescriptions for birth control pills. In some cases, such pharmacists are also refusing to return the prescription so the customer can have it filled elsewhere (assuming there is an elsewhere; in many areas Wal-Mart is the only pharmacy for miles around, and if their pharmacist refuses, those women are shit out of luck).

This is going to have to be dealt with, and Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich throws out the first ball:

Gov. Rod Blagojevich approved an emergency rule Friday requiring pharmacies to fill birth control prescriptions quickly after a Chicago pharmacist refused to fill an order because of moral opposition to the drug.

The emergency rule takes effect immediately for 150 days while the administration seeks a permanent rule.

"Our regulation says that if a woman goes to a pharmacy with a prescription for birth control, the pharmacy or the pharmacist is not allowed to discriminate or to choose who he sells it to," Blagojevich said. "No delays. No hassles. No lectures."

Under the new rule, if a pharmacist does not fill the prescription because of a moral objection, another pharmacist must be available to fill it without delay.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation has also filed a formal complaint against the Chicago Osco pharmacy for the Feb. 23 incident.

The pharmacy was cited for "failing to provide appropriate pharmaceutical care to a patient." Penalties could include a fine, reprimand or revocation of the pharmacy's license.

In other news on this front, a debate is going on in Colorado as to whether hospitals should be required to tell rape victims about emergency contraception:

Gov. Bill Owens, a Roman Catholic who campaigned for office on conservative values, could face a tough choice deciding whether to sign a bill requiring hospitals to tell rape victims about emergency contraception.

Fellow Republicans say the bill, passed by the Legislature on Tuesday, violates Catholic hospitals' freedom of religion by forcing them to offer information about abortion. Democrats say the bill simply requires that help be given to women whose bodies have been violated.

In the middle is Owens, who refused to immediately take a position after the legislation was approved. Spokesman Dan Hopkins said Owens would "carefully consider" it before deciding whether to sign the legislation.

Republicans blocked similar versions of the bill the past two years, when they were in charge. Democrats captured both the House and Senate last November and pushed the measure through.

Denver Roman Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput objected to the bill because it does not require health care workers to tell rape victims that some medications stop a fertilized egg from being implanted, which he says amounts to abortion. He said the church does not object to rape victims taking steps to prevent ovulation when there is no risk to a fertilized egg.

Using the "fertilized egg" definition to define the beginning of human life is fraught with danger for women, because up to 30% of fertilized eggs never implant, but are expelled by the body in a normal menstrual period. If you're going to go down this road, every time a woman has a period, the government would want to know if any fertilized eggs were passed, and if so, what the woman did to "kill the baby." Do we really want women to have to start sending used tampons to the government? Do we really want this kind of intrusion? For that matter, defining the fertiized egg as a human being automatically requires making ALL hormone-based birth control illegal -- Norplant, birth control pills, Depo-Provera, and the IUD -- all of which act at least partially create an inhospitable environment in the uterus for implantation. This will leave us with condoms and diaphragms for contraceptive options -- which is obviously the point. Force women to remain chaste except for breeding.

Is that the country YOU want to live in? And if you're male, living in this country where males are raised to try to get laid as often as possible, who are you going to have sex with if you don't want to pay a whole mess of child support?