Disagree with Sounder | Letters

Published 4:22 pm Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Is it just me, or does anyone else see the irony, or something worse, in the Sounder editorial of July 7?

While decrying the recent Supreme Court ruling in the Hobby Lobby contraception case as some sort of constitutional catastrophe because they can exercise freedom of religion and respecting what contraceptives they may provide in their health plan, the Sounder gave no similar editorial outcry when the court upheld the Affordable Care Act mandate that forces every citizen to buy something just because they are alive.

Now what will have the bigger impact here in our county, whether you agree with it or not? I would remind the editors that the same amendment that guarantees religious freedom, also guarantees freedom of speech and press, so be wary of applying the amendment selectively. Hobby Lobby is a corporation and doesn’t get those rights? Sound Publishing is a corporation too, if I’m not mistaken, and yet it has the same First Amendment rights as a person.  Whether Hobby Lobby provides four more contraceptives in addition to the 16 that they already do,

whether free or not, contraception will be easily and cheaply available for all who want it.   Freedom from current and future government mandates based on merely being alive?  Doesn’t look so good.  Thank you.

Joe Davis

Orcas Island