The GOP has been engaged in a war against contraception over the past several months. When women were fighting to keep birth insurance coverage in their health insurance plans, the Catholic church and republican male politicians were telling them that birth control is "ubiquitous and inexpensive" and they should therefore have no problem getting and paying for it themselves. Well, I hope that they will take their own advice when it comes time to fill up at the pump. I am tired of hearing right-wingers griping about rising gas prices after snubbing concerns about women's prescription costs. Even if gas goes up a dollar per gallon by this summer, it isn't going to hurt your wallet any more than it will hurt women's wallets to cover the costs of their own birth control. It might even be cheaper; let's do the math.
The average miles driven per year per person in the U.S., according to the Federal Highway Association* is 13,476. That works out to 1123 miles per month.
The average mpg per passenger car in the U.S. is 22.4 mpg**. Dividing the average miles driven per month (1123) by 22.4mpg will give us the number of gallons consumed each month: 50.
If gas prices go up by even as much as a dollar, that would mean that the average driver will be paying an extra $50 per month for gas. Normally, I would agree that such an amount could hurt the average family's wallet. However, since the republicans feel that it should be no problem for a woman to fork over anywhere from $50 to $100 per month for her own birth control (depending on which type of birth control is best for her body), I certainly don't feel that the average republican male voter should be griping about spending this extra amount. (I will give republican women a pass - a slight one - because they will have to bear the burden of rising gas prices AND paying for their own birth control. They are being slammed twice, even though some may make the argument that they chose to be republicans and therefore are partly to blame).
So, all of you republican males who feel that women shouldn't be complaining about the cost of birth control, stop your own whining. If a woman can find a way to fork over an extra $50 per month, shouldn't you be able to? Don't you want equality? If so, show us you ARE equal by finding a way to make that extra payment like women do. It shouldn't be difficult. Stop smoking. Give up buying your weekly case of beer. Give up one round of golf per month. Sacrifice going to a ball game just once this season. Don't buy that brand new copy of Call of Duty or Rage for your XBox or Playstation every month. Give up two of your online porn subscriptions. Better yet, give up driving everywhere and start walking or riding a bike to work; if you are like most American males, you can probably use the exercise. Whatever you choose to give up, just remember - if a woman can do it, you can, too.
*http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/onh00/bar8.htm
**http://www.project.org/info.php?recordID=384
