submitted by Anna-Marie Pluymert, Director of Communication/Education – Right to Life of Michigan
Walgreens is in deep trouble for not going all-in on abortion pills.
On January 5, the pharmacy chain Walgreens announced they would be providing abortion pills in their stores. Along with CVS and Rite-Aid, they are taking advantage of new rules engineered by the Biden Administration’s FDA to allow abortion pills to be distributed by pharmacies.
The motivation of the Biden Administration is clear: make abortion pills so prevalent that it’s nearly impossible to affect the supply.
What about Walgreens’ motivation? Was it for the money? Maybe. Pharmacies are struggling with making money these days, squeezed between online retailers, pharmacy benefit managers, drug companies, and public pressure for cheaper drugs. But with Walgreens making nearly $132 billion in revenue in 2022, the abortion pill market is a small add-on. Even if every abortion in America was done with abortion pills at $500 a pop, the $500 million in revenue selling them is less than 1% of the revenue of one pharmacy chain.
No, it’s more likely the Biden Administration leaned on them. Between regulations and reimbursements from health care programs, the federal government has vast power and authority over pharmacies.
Attorneys general from prolife states informed them that selling abortion pills in their states was unacceptable, and in fact against federal law. These attorneys general said they would pursue legal action against Walgreens and others for following Biden’s illegal abortion pill mandate.
States have a lot of power over pharmacies as well. Pharmacies face giant risks by angering them. So, on March 3, Walgreens announced they wouldn’t sell these deadly drugs in those states with prolife attorneys general.
Pro-abortion states also know they have power. So, on March 6, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced his state government would be boycotting Walgreens.
This reminds us of the scene from the Batman movie The Dark Knight, where the main villain, the Joker, takes control of the city’s other criminal organizations with a simple threat: “tell your men they work for me now.” Once you sign on with the Abortion Industry, you can’t just leave it.
There is no longer any avoiding the abortion issue. The Abortion Industry and its elected officials won’t let you sit in the middle. If you sign on to their team, you will never be allowed to leave it.
So, the question for prolife people is this: are you going to match their intensity? Because if not, the price of harboring any doubts about abortion will mean you aren’t allowed to participate in polite society anymore, and certainly not operate a business in Gavin Newsom’s California.