On June 20 the male members of the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that for-profit companies (aka Hobby Lobby) that are “closely held” are not required to provide birth control coverage for their employees if doing so conflicts with their religious beliefs.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg wrote a scathing 35-page dissent that has gone viral. (Really, a SCOTUS decision going viral is kind of cool).
Ginsberg writes of Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores and Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Burwell: “In a decision of startling breadth, the Court holds that commercial enterprises, including corporations, along with partnerships and sole proprietorships, can opt out of any law (saving only tax laws) they judge incompatible with their sincerely held religious beliefs.”
A Song a Day singer-songwriter Jonathan Mann, has put some of the words of Ginsberg’s fiery dissent to music. It’s strangely catchy.
“The court I fear/has ventured into a minefield of slut-shaming geezers and religious extremism/One thing’s clear — the fight isn’t over/We have to stand together for what we know is right …”