On Mother's Day 2007, as I was enjoying my morning coffee and reading the local newspaper with my husband and kids, I noticed an ad that listed healthcare providers who oppose Roe vs. Wade. The ad read:
The sanctity of human life has always been one of our most cherished heritages. The family unit is the foundation of our society. The devotion and sacrifice of mothers over the years and the continual care and concern for their unborn has been the cornerstone of the family...As health-care professionals, we call upon the American people to once again reaffirm the right to life for future generations of the unborn and join with us in our efforts to restore respect, dignity and value to each human life - born or unborn.
Being staunchly pro-choice, I had a flash of irritation but I quickly turned the page and decided not to let the religious right ruin my Mother's Day. A couple weeks later, a co-worker informed me of a friend that had been denied basic healthcare at her locally-owned pharmacy, Snyder Drug. This pharmacy has decided to no longer carry birth control. When she approached the owner to find out why he informed her that he believes that birth control is dangerous for women. Say what?!! So, I also put on my investigative hat (borrowed from Shane Mason and made of tin-foil ). Lo and behold, the new owners of the pharmacy were listed on the anti-choice ad from Mother's Day. Now I think there are a lot of common sense arguments that can be made to counter this particular pharmacist's claims, but my gut reaction is to share a part of my family history. In this case and many others: the personal is political.
My great-grandmother was a German immigrant whose family fled to Russia to escape religious persecution. She married my great-grandfather at the age of 16 and had her first child at 17. My great-grandparents immigrated to the United States and eventually homesteaded in Montana. Markareita gave birth to 13 children during her life. A daughter died in infancy. A son died of a childhood disease. And, another son tragically drowned as a child. Two weeks after giving birth to her 13th child, my great grandmother died from pneumonia. She was 40 years old and left behind 10 children including a two week old infant daughter.
During the early 1900s the Comstock Law was in effect, outlawing not only contraception, but any literature about contraception from being distributed. My great-grandmother had no legal access to birth control and in rural Montana had very limited access to healthcare. She also did not have a legal right to refuse her husband's advances. Politicians of the time certainly did not have the best interests of women and their children in mind when they denied basic health care like birth control to women. Going backwards in policy today by denying access to birth control will not restore respect, dignity, or value to my great-grandmother's life nor my daughter's future.
Now, Snyder Drug, a privately owned pharmacy in my home town, has decided that birth control is dangerous for women. This radical tactic by the anti-choice hardliners to take away a woman's right to decide if and when to bring a child into the world is out of line with mainstream America. I will continue to work with Planned Parenthood to stand up for those with little or no voice to ensure that they have access to basic reproductive healthcare in Montana and around the country. It is the right thing to do and pays tribute to my great-grandmother's life and her generation's sacrifices.
If you are interested in supporting Planned Parenthood of Montana's efforts to keep birth control affordable and accessible in Great Falls, sign our petition to Snyder Drug to change their policy regarding oral contraceptives.
Jill Baker is the Director of Education at Planned Parenthood of Montana in Great Falls.
