Price 1

Braxten Price
John Kubler
English 114A
9 September 2014
Ginsburg Summary
In response to the Hobby Lobby case settlement that allowed Hobby Lobby (a Christian
owned company) to deny the right to provide contraception to its female employees, Justice
Ginsburg (a judge on the case) wrote a 35 page dissent expressing why she believed the court
made a corrupt decision. In her dissent she discussed several reason of how Hobby Lobby is
breaking many of woman's constitutional rights.
One of Ginsburg main points was how Hobby Lobby is forcing its religious beliefs onto
their employees. She states that by saying, The exemption sought by Hobby Lobby and
Conestoga woulddeny legions of women who do not hold their employers' beliefs access to
contraceptive coverage, (8). The first amendment of the United States Constitution states that
people have the right to freedom of religion. So when Hobby Lobby decided to not supply
contraceptive to its female employees due to their religious views, it was a disjunction between
the laws and business owners. It makes you wonder how Hobby Lobby could get away with
breaking the first amendment without any repercussions. This case shows the corruption in
America's Judicial System.
Another great point that Ginsburg brings up about the case is that it is a womans choice
and no one elses to decided if she should use contraception. Ginsburg explains her reasoning by
saying this, Any decision to use contraceptives made by a woman covered under Hobby
Lobby's or Conestoga's plan will not be propelled by the Government, it will be the woman's
autonomous choice, informed by the physician she consults, (23). Why are we as a society

Price 2

allowing for other people to make decisions about womens bodies, when it should only be the
woman's decision. Not allowing women the basic decision on whether they want to use
contraception is a violation of their freedom.
The last greatest point that Ginsburg states in her dissent is how Hobby Lobby could
deny women of contraceptive,but not deny other medications that are derived from pigs. This
shows how Hobby Lobby just want to deny women the right to have safe sex and it has nothing
to do with their religious views. Ginsburg summed it up by saying, Would the exemption the
Court holds RFRA demands for employers with religiously grounded objections to the use of
certain contraceptives extend to employers with religiously grounded objections to blood
transfusions (Jehovahs Witnesses); antidepressants (Scientologists); medications derived from
pigs, including anesthesia, intravenous fluids, and pills coated with gelatin (certain Muslims,
Jews, and Hindus); and vaccinations, (33). This simple quote shows a huge flaw in Hobby
Lobbys case. It brings up the question of how Hobby Lobby could deny women the right to
contraception, but not other medications that go against the Christian religion. Approving some
religious claims while deeming others unworthy of accommodation could be 'perceived as
favoring one religion over another,' the very 'risk the [Constitution's] Establishment Clause was
designed to preclude, Ginsburg wrote (34).
In Ginsburgs dissent she brings up a lot of flaws in the Hobby Lobby case. With all of
these questionable statement brought up it really shows how flawed our system is to just
overlook them. Grinsburg shows her fear for the court system by saying, The court, I fear, has
ventured into a minefield, (34-35). This case brings up many issues over women's rights. It
shows how years of fighting for women's rights has been wasted for nothing. How could one
case send us back decades in womens suffrage. It also brings up the question on my women are
letting older men make the decisions on what they should do with their body.

Price 3

Price 4

Works Cited
Last Name, First. Name of Cited Article. Name of Articles Source. City of publication: Name of
publisher, date of publication. Web/Print. Date of Access (if web).
Next entry here.