Wal-Mart Woes

I am a bit confused about a recent article that I read regarding one of our nation's largest distributors. It appears that in Massachusetts Wal-Mart is being forced to make emergency birth control pills available to its consumers. State policy in Mass. indicates that failure to comply with this law is, well, illegal.

I find that difficult to believe. To me, it's absurd that state governments can force businesses (in particular the pharmaceutical branch of Wal-Mart) to sell a product that the owners of Wal-Mart obviously disagree with selling. Whatever happened to sole-proprietorship? Why cannot American business owners sell or refuse to sell whatever products they desire within reason? I find it very disturbing to think that our government has the ability to force the sell of items that often are not necessities.

Some one may argue that if a woman were raped, then she should have a right to such pills; therefore, Wal-Mart should be forced to sell them. I disagree because rapes only constitute about 1% of abortions in America meaning that such a case is minute. By no means am I belittling the seriousness of survivors of rape nor am I being insensitive. Nevertheless, I strongly believe that forcing a large corporation to sell such a product is a gross misuse of state governmental power.