SA Tea Party plans protest aginst Obama mandate

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Reported by: Laurie Salazar

Email: LaurieSalazar@woaitv.com

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Published: 2/11 9:12 pm

Updated: 2/12 5:45 am

SAN ANTONIO- The San Antonio Tea Party is calling the Obama administration's plan to cover contraceptives in health care plans an attack on religious freedom.

The Obama administration offered a compromise on Friday on the health and human services mandate. It no longer requires religious affiliated businesses to offer health insurance to include coverage for contraceptives, abortions, and sterilization. But, if someone working for such a business asks for it, then the company has to oblige.

The president of the San Antonio Tea Party says that's not good enough.

“We feel that this is clearly, clearly a violation of the first amendment. It impedes religious freedom, said George Rodriguez.

Rodriguez added there is no compromise on this issue that violates religious freedom.

He said, “Leave morality to the individual, leave the issue of religious freedom to the individual and it is not their role to tell us what to believe, how to believe it and when to believe it”.

That’s why the local tea party is organizing a rally next weekend to get the word out on how the Obama administration needs to do away with the HHS mandate. But, the spokesperson for the Bexar county Democratic Party, Todd Hedley disagrees. He said all employees, despite their religious beliefs should have a choice on how they want to use their health insurance.

“If their religion says it's OK to use contraception and they're being denied that choice then the church is infringing on their religious freedom”.

Despite the religious beliefs that the mandate is bringing out, Hedley said the health insurance policy is good and offers more health care benefits.

According to Hedley, “This is going to result in more health care for more people at a lower cost, it is something that was vital and necessary and we enthusiastically supported it and we are going to campaign on it in this election”.

The San Antonio Tea Party is planning their rally for next Saturday at 10 in the morning in the downtown area. They are still working on selecting a location.

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IndieMom - 2/14/2012 2:05 PM

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I find this debate very interesting. It's ironic that the Republicans, who preach less government and keeping government out of our lives ad nauseam, have no problem with trying to regulate what goes on in someone's bedroom, what happens in a women's body, what choices women have for health care, and the choices women (and men) make regarding family size. If we want to reduce abortions, the logical way is to provide coverage for contraceptives. Babies that are not conceived cannot be aborted. It would be a wonderful world if everyone practiced abstinence and every child conceived welcomed into a stable family. But the world is not like that and legislation cannot make it so.

lervia - 2/13/2012 4:16 PM

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@Jimkata: I appreciate & applaud that you actually googled the headlines and showed interest!!! Yes, they were all three from The Blaze, with is definately conservative, but.....some of the articles on there have AP credits, and the AP is quite often anything but conservative. I'd have to go back to see if any of the three I referenced were AP credits. But, the point of the matter is, when you come across something like this, you question and research further, isn't it? Now, as to the White House Chief of Staff's comments....he is on tape on several Sunday TV shows voicing the things credited to him in the article. There can be NO doubt about those, outside of editing by the TV shows, but..most tend to edit to the benefit of the current administration, so...... There's plenty of info out there to prove or disprove the validity of the other two headlines. As to the fetus picture I mentioned....I personally have a few difficulties with that one, mostly from experience of abortions of my livestock and giving them the same time reference. I need to research that one more fully. But, it does make one think...and think hard. And, I truly do agree with you on the "pro-the right for an idividual to make that decision for themselves". Actually, I agree with the last appx. 1/3 of your comment. This is a difficult and volatile issue that will never find complete agreement on. But, I have a HUGE problem with the government getting so personally involved in our lives and telling us how to live it, what to eat & what we can't, etc. And, most importantly.....Keep the government out of our wombs.

Jimkata - 2/13/2012 3:51 PM

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@ Lervia - I have to admit, I was unaware of the headlines you mentioned, so I googled them. All three had the same website as the first hit: theblaze.com, a site notorious for right-wing propoganda. I have difficulty taking anything from a site like that as honest "news", as it is serving only the Republican agenda. I know that will stir up more of the right-wingers on here, but its how I see it. I have to also admit that I don't know how developed a human fetus should be at 12 weeks. I suppose I could google it as well, but I don't really feel a need to. I get stuff like that from time to time on my Facebook page too. 9 out of 10 times its a hoax, and it wants to be forwarded to everybody I know... I think the question that you are raising though is the one thats causing the controversy - when does life start? Then we go back and start this all over again. Science vs. religion vs. beliefs... The simple answer is we don't know. People will will tell you they "know" but that fact is they only "believe" they know. Honestly, I have no problem with people that hold that belief. I do take issue though when they try to legislate those beliefs. I'm not "pro-abortion", I am pro-the right for an individual to make that decision for themselves.

lervia - 2/13/2012 2:41 PM

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@jimkata: I find myself having to agree with at least a portion of your 1:59 comment. The abortion issue is, has been, and will always be an extremely controversial and explosive issue, and I find the minimal part of my agreement with you on that subject comes with a huge knot in my throat. One, I agree with you in that abortion as a form of birth control is abominal and should NEVER be accepted or condoned. I know, you didn't get so explicit in voicing your opinion. Two, the multiple divided beliefs on when life begins is at the root of so many different issues. Personally, I don't consider the morning after pill an abortion pill because it prevents the conception and connection. I did, however, have a photo come across my Facebook account of what was purported to be a 12 week old fetus that was almost perfectly formed. I haven't researched yet it that image could be truly real, but it does make one question so much with regard to abortions. But, the article is about birth control, and I do not believe that our Supreme Commander in Chief and his administration have the right to do this. Check out these headlines from around the Internet: "WH Chief of Staff: Obamacare Allows the President to Tell a Private Company They Have to Offer a Product, and Offer It for Free" This one has to do with the contraceptive mandate, and this is from the NEW White House Chief of Staff. Then there's: "Van Jones Dubbed ‘Star’ At Calif. Dem Convention Where Dems Praise Occupiers…Who Are Protesting Outside" Nancy Pelosi said that Van Jones is a rising star of our future!!! And then there's: "He’s Our Man, Yes We Can!’: Pro-Obama Song Taught to Kindergarteners at TX School" Sounds like indoctrination to me!!!! And, this is the third time (or so) that he's crossed that line with school students. Obama MUST go!!!!

backto1776 - 2/13/2012 2:20 PM

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you have my vote on taking away welfare just because you have more kids. You get 12 months of assistance over your lifetime. Period.

LadyFingers - 2/13/2012 2:15 PM

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rather than the government regulating contraception, take away the reason people don't use contraception...welfare. eliminate the cause of the problem, don't make another regulation as a bandaid

LadyFingers - 2/13/2012 2:06 PM

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everyone wants the government to uphold their "wants" until someone else's "wants" that the government is upholding affects "you" in a negative way...then it's "the government shouldn't be regulating"this" or telling me to do/not to this "that"...

Jimkata - 2/13/2012 1:59 PM

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Yoyo - you may have just been "stirring the pot", but you pretty much hit the nail on the head! The whole "abortion issue" is pretty much a religious issue. Those on the right will say its murder... those on the left will say there is no proof of that, and let each individual decide. My personal belief is that abortion as a form of birth control is wrong, however I also think its wrong to tell a person they can't have one, because it is against someone else's beliefs. Guess what? A lot of my tax dollars go towards programs I don't believe in either. I see a lot of those dollars being wasted, or at least in my opinion wasted. Do I get some of what I want? Yes, I do. That's society. Its a give-and-take situation. Like you said, and I agree, contraception makes a lot more sense than an abortion, or paying for welfare babies that have a habit of producing more welfare babies.

LadyFingers - 2/13/2012 1:26 PM

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but then again, as my religious beliefs don't affect my beliefs on contraception, i can't make that argument of whether they should or shouldn't. i can only argue that if my money went to one place or another, it would be contraception.

LadyFingers - 2/13/2012 1:19 PM

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glad to see everyone came back from lunch...i was getting bored ;)

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