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Page 6 December 7, 2016 Your Carpet Best Cleaning Choice O PINION Martin New Congress Threatens Birth Control Access May want to get Cleaning an IUD while Service you can o livia a lPerstein As soon as the pres- idential election results were announced, alarm bells went off for any- one who cares about reproductive rights. Lawmakers around the country have been moving for years to re- strict abortion rights. But for mil- lions of women who’ve taken pro- active steps to prevent unplanned pregnancy, there’s a much more di- rect threat: the next administration coming after their birth control. As organizations like Planned Parenthood put out urgent calls for resources and support, ordinary women are asking: What do we do if we no longer have access to affordable birth control next year? For many, the answer could be to get an intrauterine device, or IUD. These tiny devices last either three or five years, depending on the model. 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After a short proce- dure, the IUD stays put for years without any muss or fuss. No hustling to take a pill at the same precise time each day, no anxiety about missing a dose, and no worries about getting a full peri- od each month. In short, the IUD is a great op- tion for many women — and par- ticularly attractive in the face of a possible near future without birth control access. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, most insurance plans are re- quired to cover the cost of pre- scription birth control, including IUDs. That means no co-pays, de- ductibles, or out-of-pocket costs. Unfortunately, Republicans have repeatedly tried to gut the Afford- able Care Act, and they’ll have an ally in the next president. If Congress dumps Obamacare, some 20 million people — includ- ing over 250,000 people who have signed up since the election — could be left without the means to access proper healthcare, includ- ing reproductive healthcare. Meanwhile, other lawmakers are attempting to deny women the right to birth control point-blank. Laws like the proposed Russell Amendment would let doctors, pharmaceutical employees, and other health care providers claim a religious right to refuse to provide birth control. Employers could even fire workers for using birth control on their own dime. With their reproductive rights at stake, it’s no wonder many wom- en are hedging their bets right now and looking for a long-term birth control option. Ninety-nine percent of wom- en of reproductive age have used some form of birth control. That includes women of all religious, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, from all walks of life, and with all sorts of life ex- periences. From young women with medical conditions that af- fect their hormones to teenagers to mothers of multiple children, we run the gamut. It’s not just cis-gender women — transgender, agender, and inter- sex people use birth control, too. And we aren’t about to let any- one take our access to affordable birth control away. “The pill” has been around since the 1960s — and so, I was sur- prised to learn, has the IUD. We are the many, the proud, and we’re not willing to go back to the time when back-alley abortions, coat hangers, and turpentine were acceptable methods of reproductive healthcare in the United States. We’re not willing to go back to a time when women didn’t have control over their own bodies. If you’re considering using a long-term birth control method and have any questions, ask me — or anyone else in your community who may know the answers. Or check out bedsider.org, an online resource recommended by wom- en’s healthcare providers. There are millions of us out there happy to reach out. If, on the other hand, you seek to deny us the right to choose what to do with our bodies, remember: We have a voice, and we will not be silent. History is on our side. Olivia Alperstein is the Com- munications and Policy Associate at Progressive Congress. Most re- cently she worked as an editorial assistant for OtherWords. Seeking Reconciliation Post-Election Democracy is not demonization s aadia a hMad I am a Muslim-American and a peacebuilder. In the af- termath of a polarizing elec- tion season, the victory of Presi- dent-elect Donald Trump, and an onslaught of violent hate crimes and proposed policies threatening by human rights, I am struggling to simultaneously maintain my com- mitment to both roles and identi- ties. I am deep- ly troubled by the racist, sexist, xenophobic, ho- mophobic, ableist, anti-Semitic, and Islamophobic rhetoric and violence that is on the rise. In my hometown of South Brunswick, The Law Offices of Patrick John Sweeney, P.C. Patrick John Sweeney Attorney at Law 1549 SE Ladd, Portland, Oregon Portland: Hillsoboro: Facsimile: Email: (503) 244-2080 (503) 244-2081 (503) 244-2084 Sweeney@PDXLawyer.com New Jersey, the school board elec- tion signs of a respected, Muslim woman leader were defaced with the phrases “ISIS,” “Rag Head,” “Oppressor,” and “anti-American.” This trend threatens the human dig- nity that America and Islam seek to protect and preserve. But ignoring what lead us to this point today will not serve any of us well. Through this election season and its results, half of our country is communicating something to the other half. Unless every person who voted for Trump is racist, sex- ist, or xenophobic (which I do not believe is statistically plausible), there must have been something else deeply compelling that moti- vated their votes for him. Likewise, those who are expe- riencing immense fear, pain, and trauma from Trump winning the presidency need to be heard and recognized by those who voted for him. Continuing to shut our eyes, ears, and hearts to one another will continue the polarization that brought us to where we are today. The dehumanization of Repub- licans by Democrats and of Dem- ocrats by Republicans undermines the pluralism that constitutes both America and Islam. As divided, fearful, and hurt as many of us are, we all still share in the responsibil- ity of what happens to ourselves and one another in the months and years ahead. A college mentor of mine com- mented recently that the price of being an American is tolerance and protection of people we have disagreements with on the issues that matter most. This is a choice each of us faces when we encoun- ter someone whose background, belief, or ideology differs from our own. In no way is this choice meant to ignore, excuse, or normalize the hate speech, violence, and pro- posed policies that threaten the human rights of our minority and vulnerable populations. Rather, the point I hope to get across is that at the interpersonal level, each of us has the choice to engage with one another at a level beyond hostility and tolerance, and with curiosity and compassion in its wake. This is where our empowerment and po- tential can be most impactful. I am finding many of my pro- gressive, liberal, and Democratic friends unwilling to speak to or even recognize the other side, as if having any connection or com- C ontinued on P age 15
