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.
