U.S. District Judge Edward Korman has emerged as yet another beacon of hope for a more sensible America. He recently reprimanded the FDA for almost a decade’s worth of inaction on the issue of offering Plan B contraceptive over the counter.
This inaction was, for the most part, furthered by social conservatives in the Bush administration who insisted the morning-after pill was a form of abortion, and therefore should not be made available to minors. As logic and science (liberal buzzwords to some) explain clearly, Plan B is not a form of abortion, but rather a contraceptive that prevents ovulation with a higher dosage of hormones than other contraceptives. This was presented in a petition to the FDA by 66 health organizations in 2001.
But for eight years, irrationality controlled this issue. For eight years, the experts at the FDA were silenced by the conservative agenda. In fact, in 2003, the FDA’s advisory committee voted 23-4 to recommend Plan B for over-the-counter distribution. Six years later, a prescription is still required. This is the power that idiocy holds over our lives.
When such foolishness is so prominent, people like Korman are paramount in restoring reason. Recently, Korman ordered the FDA to allow the distribution of Plan B to 17-year-olds without a prescription, claiming that the FDA’s handling of the situation represented a “lack of…reasoned decision-making.”
So after eight years of skirting the issue, the FDA has received a firm rap on the knuckles for not following the advice of their own advisory committee, a committee composed of experts in their fields. Maybe a rap on the knuckles is what we all need.
Spitting in the face of prudence never got anyone anywhere8212;just ask Bush about his war. Or ask Pope Benedict XVI about condoms.
So don’t allow yourself to be dissuaded from logic and reason by the seducing “facts” presented by social conservatives. You’ll find that life is much more enjoyable when you aren’t being scared stupid.
Jonathan Deesing