Just say no. If someone can’t afford to have a kid, then he or she is not in the right state to participate in the act.

Free contraceptives could soon be available to women in the U.S., thanks to the new health care law. While some may welcome the amendment, one must ask themselves whose responsibility it is to pay for the individual choices of others. It is not the moral or legal responsibility of Americans to provide free birth control.

While Americans are guaranteed the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, we should still expect of ourselves the ability to be legally liable for our actions. One still must be discerning with his or her actions while searching for happiness. If someone isn’t in a state to be legally accountable for the result of his or her action, he or she should not be participating in that act in the first place.

Morally, contraceptives are a personal decision that involves a lot more than just pleasure. Sex is a moral decision, and the use of contraceptives is also a moral decision that should be determined by the person. Let’s face it. It is not the responsibility of American citizens to pay for the personal, moral decisions of others.

Birth control is preventative medicine. However, it is not preventative on the same level as vaccinations. Health care should include preventative medicines. These medicines should leave the patient with the knowledge that he or she is protected from a disease to which he or she would be completely susceptible otherwise. Contraceptives are not that kind of preventative medicine. Pregnancy is not a disease and can be prevented by life choices, no medicine needed.

It is understandable that there are many benefits of having accessible birth control. Family planning ensures that a child is raised in a positive environment. Teenage pregnancy may decrease. Abortions may decrease. At the same time, about half of all pregnancies are unplanned, even with the use of contraceptives, according to Guttmacher Institute. The reasoning behind this is that when people use a contraceptive it is not 100 percent effective, even when used correctly. Pregnancies are 100 percent preventable depending on lifestyle choices.

In the end, why should it be the job of American citizens to pay for someone else’s contraceptives if the one participating in the act can’t afford the consequences of his or her actions?

Bailey McGowan is a sophomore broadcast journalism major from Burkburnett.